Massa

Massa is a 68,946 inhabitants city at Frigido River Vallery river, not far from the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Apuan Alps, in the northwestern part of Tuscany, in Italy. It's also the capital city of the province of Massa-Carrara and its most inhabited city, although it isn't a major touristic destination. The city is quite close with the regions of Liguria and Emilia-Romagna.

 

How do I arrive to Massa?

  Massa is the capital of a province in Tuscany and connects it with Liguria so it's quite well connected. 

• Train: there are frequent trains to Carrara (aprox. 5 minutes), Viareggio (aprox. 20 minutes), Pisa (aprox. 40 minutes) or Livorno (aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes). It's also connected with Sarzana (aprox. 15 minutes), La Spezia (aprox. 25 minutes), Chiavari (aprox. 1 hour) or Genoa (aprox. 1.5 hours) in Liguria.
• Bus: there are many buses from Pistoia to all over the region like Prato, Lucca, Pisa, Florence or Siena.
• Car: if you rented a car from Massa it can be reached Carrara (aprox. 15 minutes), Pietrasanta (aprox. 20 minutes), Viareggio (aprox. 25 minutes); Lucca, Pisa and Pontremoli (aprox. 40 minutes), Livorno (aprox. 50 minutes), Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park (aprox. 1 hour 40 minutes). Massa can also be reached easily from places in Liguria such as Sarzana (aprox. 20 minutes), La Spezia (aprox. 35 minutes) and Cinque Terre National Park (aprox. 45 minutes).

History

 Its origins are of pre-Roman age (Liguri Apuani) not far from the current city although they are disputed. The presence of a Roman settlement in the village of Bagnara (then current Massa) is not excluded. In 882 appears the first document mentioning Massa, owned by the Obertenghi and in the years to come the area was owned by the Lucchesi di Castruccio Castracani. In 1441, the inhabitants of the area relied on the Marquis of Fosdinovo Antonio Alberico I Malaspina. From the 15th to the 19th century Massa was the capital of the independent principality, then duchy, of Massa and Carrara, ruled by the Malaspina and Cybo-Malaspina families. During the Napoleonic domination, the city was annexed to the Principality of Lucca and Piombino and Elisa Baciocchi initially chose it as a place of residence. After the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815) Massa returned to the hands of Maria Beatrice d'Este and in 1829 it passed to the Dukes of Modena of the Austria-Este family. In 1823 The diocese of Massa was founded in 1823 by the hand of pope Leo XII. In 1859 Massa joined the Kingdom of Sardinia in a context of social tensions between faithful to the House of Habsburg-Este and new Savoyard institutions. After the unification of Italy it initially joined Emilia-Romagna but placed in the region of Tuscany in 1871. Thanks to the role of the provincial capital it experienced a great expansion, helped with the growth in importance of seaside tourism. In 1938 it was merged with the municipalities of Carrara and Montignoso, forming the new municipality of Apuania (abolished in 1946). The city of Massa and its population suffered serious damage during WW2 because it was located along the Gothic Line and suffered sever Anglo-American bombing between 1944 and 1945.

 

What can I visit in Massa?

The city is considered an under the radar destination but it can be interesting to spend some time here when going to Liguria to Tuscany and viceversa.

These are Massa's main attractions:

• Malaspina Castle (17:30-22:30 Tue-Sun; 5.50€/ 3.50€/ free  adults/ students/ people under 18): castle that dates back to the 12th century and was the seat of the marquises of Massa. According to the legend it was visited by Dante Alighieri and it's the place where he envisioned the descending circles of Hell. The main purpose of the castle was military from the 17th century and served as a prison until 1946. Nowadays it can be visited and has nice views of Massa and the Thyrrhenian coast.
  
• Massa Diocesan Museum (): museum placed at Palazzo Cadetti (former residence of the Bishop of Massa) that preserves works of art, liturgical furnishings and sacred vestments from churches in the diocesan territory. The masterpieces of the museum are San Leonardo by Jacopo della Quercia, the Pietà by Felice Palma or the Stational Cross, attributed to Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
• Palazzo Ducale di Massa: palace in Renaissance and Baroque styles commissioned by Alberico I Cybo-Malaspina. Its façade uses the traditional red-and-white colours and is full of windows and decorated with stuccoes and marble and the interior is decorated in the same way. Today it's home of the government of the province of Massa and Carrara.
• Massa Cathedral (8:30-18; free): Neoclassic style duomo that is the seat of the bishop of Massa Carrara-Pontremoli. It was born as a collegiate church dedicated to St. Pieter in the 17th century but demolished by order of duchess Elisa Bonaparte in 1807, when it was transferred to the church of St. Francis in Massa (reconstructed in the 1660s). This church had a large marble high altar and hosts the burial chapel of the Malaspina family, commissioned by duke Alberico II. It is home of paintings such as Mary Immaculate by Carlo Maratta or Trinity in Glory with Saints by Luigi Garzi.
• St. Giovanni Decollato Church: Baroque style church with a red-and-white façade, built on the times of Carlo I Cybo-Malaspina. It has three nice marble altarpieces.
• Anti-aircraft Refuge of Martana (16-18 Sat): anti-aircraft refuge built to defend the population of Massa from the bombings during WW2. It consist of a gallery of about 300 m under part of the castle hill.
• Massa Walls: 15th century walls initially built by Giacomo Malaspina (on the basis of previous structures) and reformed in the 16th century under prince Alberico Cybo-Malaspina. Some of its gates that are preserved on a better way are Porta Martana and Porta Quaranta.
• Apuan Alps Ethnological Museum (10-12 and 17-18:30 by appointment): museum dedicated to the local culture along the coasts of Lunigiana. The collection includes implements for work, industrial and agricultural means and objects of various kinds pertinent to the production activity and the daily life of the local population from the 19th and 20th centuries. 

Malaspina Castle

Massa Cathedral

Cava di Fantiscritti

Only 8 km far from Massa it can be found Carrara, a 62,923 inhabitants city that is also co-capital of the province of Massa and Carrara. The city is basically known because of its white marble, unique in the world (used in world masterpieces such as the sculptures Pietà by Michelangelo and The Kiss by Auguste Rodin or Marble Arch in London), obtained from its nearby mountains (and whose mines seem to be snow when looked from Carrara). Most of the activities in the city are related to white marble; visiting Marble Museum (9:30-13 and 15:30-18 Tue-Sun; 5€/ 3€  adults/ students) is a perfect way to learn more about it and its importance for Carrara, learning the history of the quarries and the evolution in obtaining the material from Roman times to nowadays. Once learnt about the topic, it can be interesting visitng one of the quarries, Cava di Fantiscritti (guided tours). It can be reached using a train that moved the white marble from the mountain between 1890 and 1960 and once there, the visitor can see life all the knowledge gained on the museum. Here other things can be done such as visiting Carrara Cathedral (), a Pisan Romanesque-Gothic style duomo with façade adorned with a beautifully carved marble rose window, nice 14th century statues on its interior and an elegant 17th-century bell tower; or the Academy of Fine Arts in Carrara, art school located at the former Palazzo Ducale di Carrara, built by Cybo-Malaspina family in the 15th century.

Where can I eat in Massa?

 Pistoia has some interesting places to eat, having wide culinary offers for medium prices like Ristorante Pizzeria Il Terzo Cerchio (Viale Italia 87/91) or the seafood restaurant Il Cucciolo (Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci 32). 

If going to Carrara, it's a good idea eating at Osteria nella Pia' (Via Fossa Cava 3). This area is perfect to try lardo di colonnata (cured meat made of pork's lard and aged in Cararra's marble).

Posted in: Europe,Italy,Tuscany