Massarosa

Massa Rosa is a town with 22,272 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2012) in the province of Lucca in Tuscany.

Geography

Massa Rosa is situated on the east of Viareggio, near the Tyrrhenian coast. The village is located about 14 km west of the provincial capital of Lucca and about 75 km west of the regional capital Florence in the climatic classification of Italian communities in the zone D, 1433 GG

The site stretches from the formerly marshy inland to the mountains. The district is named after the Massaciuccoli Massaciuccoli Lake (Lago Puccini ), a ausgedehnete freshwater lagoon. The längeste waters of the municipality is the Canale Burlamacca who spends nine of its 12 km of the municipal area. The passort Quiesa forms the transition to the municipality of Lucca.

The municipality consists of the fractions ( districts, Italian Frazioni ) Massa Rosa ( capital ( Capoluogo ), about 9300 inhabitants), Corsa Nico - Bargecchia (235 m, about 1500 inhabitants ), Gualdo ( 341 m, about 280 inhabitants), Massaciuccoli 25 m ( about 1500 inhabitants), Mommio Castello (234 m, 700 inhabitants), Montigiano (305 m, 150 inhabitants), Piano di Conca (10 m, about 1800 inhabitants ), Piano di Mommio (5 m, about 2250 inhabitants, part also belongs to Camaiore), Elici (176 m, about 270 inhabitants), Stiava (12 m, about 2900 inhabitants) and Valpromaro (141 m, about 20 inhabitants).

The neighboring municipalities are Camaiore, Lucca, Vecchiano ( PI) and Viareggio.

History

The area around the lake has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In estruskischer and Roman times, the lake was open to the sea and served as a landing place and trading center. Archaeological finds prove an Etruscan settlement and a Roman villa. In the Middle Ages the towns and their attachments between Pisa, Lucca and Florence were controversial. The southern Versilia with the towns of Massa Rosa, Viareggio and Camaiore had since the end of the 14th century part of the Republic of Lucca and shared their fate. Lucchese merchants built in the community since the 16th century their villas. In drier areas cereals and vegetables were grown in the marshes and rice. In addition, the fishing played a certain role. The population has doubled since 1880 approximately.

Countess Willa of Tuscany, daughter of the Duke and Margrave Hugo († 1001) from the House of Bosoniden, founded in 1025, the monastery of San Michele in the district Quiesa.

Nature

The lake and parts of the municipality belong to the Natural Park Migliarino - San Rossore - Massaciuccoli. It is an important resting place for migratory birds.

Traffic

Massa Rosa is located on the railway line Lucca - Viareggio and the Autostrada A11/A12.

Attractions

• Chiesa dei Santi Jacopo e Andrea Church in the main town of the 16th century, completely restored in 1895, enlarged and altered.
• San Panatalone in Elci, Pieve, which goes back to pre-Roman times and was first mentioned in 892. After several renovations, the church was in 1906 and 1956, restored and brought closer to the medieval state.
• Chiesa di Santa Lucia, already 984 mentioned church in the district Montigiano. 1687 remodeled and appointed to the parish church.