Hotel Roma in Marina di Massa
3 stars hotel in Marina di Massa, Hotel in Versilia close by the sea
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At 6 Km of distance from the hotel, reachable in a few minutes, you can admire one of the largest Tuscan fortresses: the Malaspina Castle. Considered almost as an open sky museum due to the various phases of architectural development, the whole complex has been reopened to the public after years of restoration. In the inside 3 main parts are easily recognizable: the fourteen century keep which is constituted by a tall fenced tower and represents the most ancient part of the castle (first mentioned in the year 882) that allowed a view over the lowlands and the coastal area; the Palace residence of the Marquises dated XV century where you can admire the arcade with marble columns, the porch with typical sixteenth-century windows embellished with small balconies and a richly decorated chapel on the ground floor of the building; the mighty town-walls studded of gunners and endowed with 2 bastions at the northern and southern extremities which made the castle become the center of a massive coastal defensive system. Stand to enjoy from the top of the hill, where the castle rises, the view of the coastal panorama.
The Ducal Palace, situated in Piazza Aranci (Square of the Orange Trees), for its greatness and magnificence is the principal and most beautiful monument of Massa, wanted by the prince Cybo-Malaspina to give decorum to his low status and show his dignity to the noble principalities of the Italian '500, and also to transfer the residence of the princely family from the too austere and medieval Malaspina Castle. The original nucleus of the building was built between 1567 and 1570 and expanded in the years to follow to be equipped with the necessary luxuries worthy of the best dynasties of the time. The Swiss Lounge was later conceived which extends the façade of the palace and a lodge was created inside the courtyard that at the time allowed a pleasurable view of the sea. The greatest splendor of the palace is attained around 1670 when the dynasty Cybo-Malaspina awarded the works to the Bergamini, a family of architects that would have characterized the architecture of the dukedom for two centuries. It is a pity that the splendid picture gallery that hosted works of Leonardo, Rafael and Titian has been partly destroyed by the Napoleonic troops.
The original parish of St. Peter in Bagnara, described as a building of great dimensions and rich of altars, had been an object of continuous attention by the Cybos who entrusted the reconstruction of the temple to the Bergaminis after the collapse in year 1672. The latter had planned the setup and the furnishing of the presbyteral area realizing a monumental major altar and two altars of the transept, besides the marmoreal covering of the walls and the floor. The duke Alberico II established then that the new chapel, behind the right altar of the transept, should become the mausoleum of the lineage.
About 15 km away from the hotel, you can reach the small village of Colonnata which dates back to the Roman epoch. Its name apparently derives from "slaves' colony" or a place risen for the lodging of slaves who were used for the intensive exploitation of the marble quarries that served Rome in substitution of the Greek white marbles, but it is also supposed that the name draws origin from the fact that the marble excavated from the marble quarries served for the construction of the columns of the Roman temples. The origins of the village can be traced back to the 1st century B.C. and is renowned for its walled marbles that can be admired in the bas-reliefs under the belfry and inside the church of St. Bartholomew that was consecrated in the beginning of the XII century.
The breeding of the swines introduced by the Longobards initiated the famous and traditional production of the lard, main food of the quarrymen that was converted from a basic food resource into a refined food and nowadays protected by the European label DOP (Of Protected Origin), usually preserved in hand-made marble basins.
From the streets of Colonnata you can admire the famous marble quarries that have through time characterized the local economy since the Roman epoch. Through the Luni harbor, where you can visit the ruins of the Roman amphitheater, the marble was exported towards the city of Rome where it was used for the construction of the main public buildings and artworks. During the renaissance several masters like Michelangelo came here to choose personally the marble for their own sculptures.
Particularly suggestive is the excursion to Portovenere and the Cinque Terre that can be reached from the hotel with the ferry (during the summer season) or by car or train.
Portovenere, which draws its name from a temple devoted to the goddess Venus, is a characteristic small village with a jagged coast that is situated in the western part of the Gulf of La Spezia. The origins of the suburb seem actually to date back to the VI century B.C. even if the first historical traces refer to 161 AD.
The breathtaking panorama from the Church of St. Peters, dating back to the V century and usual destination for young couples to be married, is one of those experiences that you never forget since its location (the peak of the most extreme promontory of the peninsula of Portovenere) allows you to see both the inner Gulf of La Spezia as well as the open sea surrounding the 5 Terre. You should not miss the visit to the Castle, dating back to 1113, that represents the highest part of Portovenere and the Church of St. Lawrence, in Romanesque style, built in 1098 above a Temple devoted to Jupiter. The streets of the ancient village are narrow and full of little shops and restaurants where you can enjoy a tasty meal of fish dishes. In front of Portovenere, the 3 small islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto are to be found and are all reachable by a boat-taxi.
The Cinque Terre is the name for the 5 villages that have allowed Liguria to be known all over the world. There are many days throughout the year when you can count more foreigners than Italians. Located on a jagged ligurian eastern coast line, the villages that you encounter travelling from east are: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. The National Park of the Cinque Terre, Heritage of Humanity protected by UNESCO, is a rugged and uneven hilly territory, embellished by the construction of the characteristic terraces where the famous oils and wines of the Cinque Terre are produced.
The characteristics of the sea depths and the quality of the submarine light have also led to a strong development of the underwater tourism; the protected Sea Park, in fact, has enabled the birth and multiplication of many underwater plant and animal species that have attracted many scuba-divers from all over Italy.
At about 50 Km from the hotel, and therefore close enough to visit in a day, lay the historical cities of Pisa and Lucca.
Pisa with its famous Square of Miracles is by many considered as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and declared heritage of humanity by UNESCO for its marble Cathedral built between 1063 and 1118 and the bronze portal in Romanesque-pisan style, its famous leaning Tower known all over the world, tall 56 meters that had begun to lean over just 10 years after the beginning of its construction dating back to the XII century and the Baptistery, the greatest of Italy, a masterpiece of architecture with a circular plant initiated in 1152 by the architect Diotisalvi and completed after two centuries by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, where Galileo Galilei was also baptized.
Piazza dei cavalieri (the Knights’ square) also deserves some mention because it represented the political heart of Pisa during the medieval period and in the second half of the '500 became the headquarter of the Knights Order of Saint Stephen; among the other things it is possible to visit the homonymic church and the Palace of the Caravan drawn by Vasari which today hosts the famous Scuola Normale Superiore (Normal Superior School).
Nicknamed "the city of the 100 churches", Lucca is one of those excursions that nobody should miss out on. Its circular town-walls long 4,618.33 yards were turned into a pleasant pedestrian walk during the second half of the nineteen century and are among the best preserved in Europe. The historical center, almost intact in its native aspect, reveals towers, bell towers and Renaissance buildings of valuable architectural style. Among the most suggestive squares is Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, built on the ruins of the ancient Roman amphitheater which determined its elliptic form, and Piazza San Martino where the famous Cathedral of St. Martin stands dating back to the VI century. However you cannot miss a walk along the narrow medieval street Via Fillungo, principal artery of the historical city and full of little shops where you can enjoy shopping.
P.za Pellerano, 16 - 54100 Marina di Massa (MS)
