Castiglioncello
is situated on the Etruscan Riviera in Italy, approximately
35 kilometers south of Pisa with its famous leaning tower.
This beautiful, atmospheric location offers stunning cultural and environmental
variety. The surrounding landscape ranges from the characteristic rolling hills
to the scenic
coast, gifted with sandy coves as well as steep and lofty cliffs. The 16th century
tower and the beautiful botanical garden are just two of this enchanting town’s impressive
features.
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Castiglioncello gained fame as a studying refuge for renowned Italian impressionists, among others Fattori, Sarnesi,
Abiati, and Cabianca. The town of Castiglioncello organizes
a variety of fairs, exhibitions, and conferences. From June
to September, the place is bustling with cultural activities
and events. Concerts, theatre plays and ballet productions entertain
a varied and international audience. The area is renowned for
its vibrant evening events.
The annual book award presentation features the “Premio Letterario Castiglioncello”,
an important literary prize. Distinguished writers present their latest work
here. Umberto Eco, Dacia Marini, and Fruttero & Lucentini are just a few of the
many writers who were honoured for their achievements at this annual event.
Castiglioncello and the surrounding area is a very popular place in Italy, where many
famous Italians go to enjoy their seaside holidays. Many renowned Italian and
internationally acclaimed actors, directors and politicians like Mastroianni and former president
Spadolini favoured this particular region for its beauty, cultural activities
and tradition.
Castiglioncello is conveniently located. The town is situated in Italy
on the railway lines Genova - Rome, Florence - Pisa – Livorno - Grosetto. The
nearest airport is in Pisa (35 km). The town is connected to the Italian motorway
system at Rosignano (2 km). The surrounding countryside and its many attractions
bear impressive
testimony to the rich Estruscan cultural heritage.
This small yet vivid town is typically Italian and perfectly
situated for anyone who would like to combine an unforgettable
seaside holiday
with cultural events and day trips to famous
cities and places in Italy. Castiglioncello is much
more than just an ordinary seaside resort!
Italian language courses by the seaside in
Tuscany - Italy
CASTIGLIONCELLO
It is a well-known Italian tourist
sea resort by the Tyrrhenian Sea and has been renowned for its
picturesque setting since the 19th century.
Originally a village of poor fishermen at the extreme borders
of the Etruscan-Italian empire, it followed the fate of Volterra.
From this period of Etruscan power in Italy, there remains a very refined
testimony in the form of an alabaster funeral urn, which dates
back to the second century B.C. and was recently discovered in the necropolis
of Castiglioncello. It was a calm and isolated
place for centuries. Placed in a privileged panoramic position,
surrounded by luxuriant pinewoods and spectacular bluffs, it remained unknown and
untouched right up up to the modern era.
The Italian Medici family built a beautiful tower as a
part of the system of fortification, erected to protect the shore
against the frequent piratical raids in Tuscany. The Tower of
Castiglioncello was the first building constructed on the promontory
of Castiglioncello and had the function of sighting
and providing defence against raids of the Saracen pirates. It was built by order of
Cosimo I of the Medici family, in the same architectural style
of the twin tower of Calafuria, which still preserves the original
characteristics, although some battlements were added to the one
in Castiglioncello, at the summit, when the Pasquini Castle
was built in the XIX century. The soldiers barracks, once adjoining
to the tower, have now disappeared.
The touristic fortune of Castiglioncello begins
in the second half of the VIII century, when, due to the mild
climate and the beauty of the Tuscan landscape, Diego
Martelli, an art critic and patron, settled here. He regularly
invited almost all the painters
who belonged to the group of the" Macchiaioli" right
up until the end of the century, after which he also gained fame. In this way, he gave origin to a famous
artistic period called "The School of Castiglioncello".
Writers such as Renato Fucini and Giovanni Marradi, the real
poet of Castiglioncello, sojourned here.
Today it is one of the most famous places on the
Tyrrhenian Sea, renowned in Italy and abroad for the beautiful landscape
as well as for the quality and refinement of the services
that it offers and the cultural and associative initiatives
of great value which it promotes.
The touristic hospitality of Castiglioncello includes
hotels, private lodgings, bars and restaurants, about 20 bathing
establishments, nighttime meeting places, tennis courts, cinema,
minigolf and children's playgrounds.
Among the main cultural and sports events,
you can find the Festival of the Dance, Music and Theatre from
the studios on the West Coast, the annual Italian Literary
Award event "Premio Castiglioncello", the Tuscan Sailing Regattas, the National
Photographic Contest "City of Castiglioncello", the
hugely popular annual fish feast of Caletta that takes place on the second Sunday
of June and is renewed
each year with an enormous frying pan on the beach of Caletta,
officially ringing in the tourist season.
In addition to the afore-mentioned Medicea Tower,
the nearby little church among the pine trees (church of St. Andrea)
built in 1621 and the Pasquini Castle are both worth a visit. The
castle's interior, which was just recently restructured, is the seat of
the Pasolini Language School as well as numerous exhibitions and conferences.
The exterior area hosts a theatre where a variety of concerts and shows are organized. Among the recurrent cultural
demonstrations, we must mention the annual theme conference regarding
the problems of children and the under-age, in which
internationally acclaimed
experts and researchers
participate.
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Italian in Italy by the sea
