News about Seravezza - 4

The first traces of human presence in this territory date back to the Middle Paleolithic, then came the Apuan Ligurians, the Etruscans and the Romans, but it is only from the Early Middle Ages that historically documented traces are found.

Around 570 Versilia was occupied by the Lombards, who began the progressive decline of Roman influence on the territory, definitively dissolved around the year 1000. The name Seravezza seems to derive from a Lombard toponym (Sala Vetitia: commercial exchange center), but the origin of the name is still a much debated issue today.

The history of Seravezza in the medieval era is characterized by the events of the nobles of Corvaia and Vallecchia, called Toparchi, the territory they dominated, rich in mineral resources and crucial for passages towards the coast, was long disputed between Lucca and Pisa. The Toparchi accepted Pisan preeminence while not disdaining trade with Lucca, this ambiguity gave rise to battles between one faction and the other, with related looting and destruction. In the 15th century the Florentines, the Genoese and again the Lucchese fought over the area. Finally in 1513 Pope Leo X with the famous act known as the Lodo Medici brought Seravezza, Stazzema and Pietrasanta and the entire coastal area under the dominion of Florence, thus beginning a period of tranquility and prosperity. The so-called Versilia Medicea lasted until 1859, during this long period the marble mining activity and the exploitation of the veins of silver and iron present in the area were promoted. The high quality of the marble attracted artists of great caliber, first of all Michelangelo who in 1518 came to Pietrasanta on behalf of Leo X to extract the marble for the facade of the church of San Lorenzo in Florence. Michelangelo, with his advice, strengthened the extraction of existing quarries, opening new ones and decided to arrange and lengthen the route that led from the Seravezza quarries to the marina, a route still known today by the popular name of Via di Michelangelo. After the death of Leo X in 1521 there was a period of stagnation and only with the arrival to power of Cosimo I in 1537 was a new impetus given to the extraction activity of both marble and iron with the construction of new plants to work the iron, called Magona and located in different places in the territory: Stazzena, Seravezza, Ruosina etc. The Grand Duke also reopened the road to the Altissimo quarries wanted by Michelangelo and also built the beautiful palace that we still see today, which later also became a holiday villa for members of the Medici family. Furthermore, on one side of the river next to the palace a large fish pond was built for the trout that at the time were found in quantity in its waters. At the end of the 18th century, the Seravezza area, in addition to its mining activities, began to be known for the quality and healthiness of its climate, becoming a popular place in the summer season and frequented by several relatives of Napoleon Bonaparte. In the same years, a high-ranking French officer: Jean Baptiste Alexander Henraux was chosen by Napoleon to search for the best marble for the Empire. Henraux went down to Tuscany, first to Carrara and then to Seravezza where he chose to live and became a dealer of marble and finished products for France and the Empire. Even after the fall of Napoleon, he continued the company profitably, remaining a trustee for the import of marble with the restored monarchy. The Henraux company is still a major business in the area today. Two abrupt stops in mining activity occurred during the two World Wars, but it is especially in the second that the area of ​​Seravezza and its surroundings suffered tragic events, given the proximity of the Gothic Line, massacres and the destruction of entire villages, public works and industrial factories occurred in the area. For its significant contribution to the liberation struggle and to the city, it was awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valor.

Today Seravezza is home to exhibitions, music and literary festivals and retains an authenticity that is now rare in the area.

MAIN MONUMENTS OF SERAVEZZA

CHURCH OF THE MADONNA DEL CARMINE

The small Church of the Madonna del Carmine is located in via Lombardi and was the private chapel of the Marchi family who lived in the building opposite. Built in the Baroque period, inside there is a beautiful marble altar on which stands out a large marble oval depicting the Madonna del Carmine with Baby Jesus, San Bernardino da Siena and San Domenico. The Church has two rose windows on the front facade and in the rear apse, while the ceiling is decorated with late Baroque decorative stuccoes.

Chapel of the Holy Trinity today dedicated to Saint Anthony

The small and refined seventeenth-century Chapel of the Holy Trinity, today dedicated to Saint Anthony, is located in the center of the town and was commissioned by the illustrious Berti family. Around 1720, some embellishment works were carried out: the barrel vault decorated with white and red marble and surrounded by a bardiglio frame was built; the vault was decorated with frescoes depicting the Assumption of the Virgin and her coronation by the Trinity. On the southern wall the altar was rebuilt with the inlaid antependium and above the ciborium, in gilded wood decorated with the bronze figures of Saints Peter and Paul, is placed the Infant Jesus of Prague.

CATHEDRAL OF THE SAINTS LORENZO AND BARBARA

The construction of the Cathedral dedicated to Saints Lorenzo and Barbara began in 1422 on an area where probably stood a church dedicated to Saints Simon, Jude and Agatha as indicated by an inscription, partially still visible today, on the outside of the building near the bell tower. After numerous interruptions in the works and modifications, the church was finally consecrated in 1569. Over the centuries it has undergone various embellishment works, especially towards the end of the sixteenth century, in the Medici era, in particular in the period of the Grand Duchess Cristina of Lorraine, when the two side naves and marble furnishings were built, including the high altar and the pulpit, attributed to Jacopo Benti. Subsequent embellishments and expansions were carried out during the nineteenth century. The cathedral houses the remains of Jean Baptiste Alexandre Henraux and his descendants, as well as numerous altars and marble artefacts of great value.

After the Second World War – during which it was damaged by an air raid – it was subjected to restoration work.

THE APUAN MOUNTAINS

The large monument located in Piazza Giosuè Carducci is dedicated to the fallen of the First World War. Work of the Camaiorese Cornelio Palmerini (1892-1927) and completed after his death by Pietro Bibolotti (Pietrasanta, 1885-1964) and Arturo Dazzi (1881-1966), the monument – ​​total height 8.90 meters – was made of “Bianco Seravezza” marble donated by the Henraux company and inaugurated in front of a large crowd on May 19, 1929, the day of Pentecost. It represents a fighter in the act of throwing a stone, on the four faces of the base there are as many bas-reliefs depicting the advance, death, the mother and the wife, which symbolically represent the struggle and sacrifice of war.

PALAZZO ROSSETTI

The large building located on one side of Piazza Carducci probably took on its current characteristics in the second half of the 18th century. The façade is enriched by marble frames on doors and windows while inside, on the first floor, the hall is embellished with frescoes painted within stucco frames. The steep garden behind has steps, terraces and niches of great interest. In 1876, the La Fenice pharmacy was inaugurated on the ground floor and still exists. Since 1997, the building has been partly owned by the Municipality which is still taking care of its renovation

Villa Henraux

The Villa Henraux, in Art Nouveau style, was built in 1897 by order of Jean Bernard Sancholle Henraux, nephew of the Napoleonic officer in charge of the extraction activity in the marble quarries in Alta Versilia, the villa was and is surrounded by a large park that borders the river below.

In 1922 the villa was purchased by Nello Pilli, a young lawyer from Apuan Alps, a poet of profound sensitivity, who transformed it into his love nest with the Russian princess Gabriella Kourtsch De Sotva Sevrouk. Frequented by illustrious figures such as Giacomo Puccini, Leone Tommasi, Lina Cavaliere and many nobles of the Russian community of Florence. During the Second World War, it was occupied by the SS command, becoming the scene of barbarity and violence. Stripped of its furnishings and damaged by the war, it was sold in 1949 to the Congregation of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and became a girls’ college for the orphans of the fallen of the Italian Navy. Inside you can admire the magnificent white marble staircases and monumental fireplaces.

Also of note are the external balustrades in white marble with interlocking workmanship, the majolica that decorates the attic of the facade and the surrounding park that houses large trees. In the garden there is a part of the marble column that is believed to have been extracted by Michelangelo from the quarries of Monte Altissimo: intended for the facade of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo in Florence, it broke during the journey and was abandoned. Today the villa has been transformed into a holiday residence and is still managed by the nuns.

GAMBRINUS

This building, in via del Greco 11, is now the headquarters of the APT of Seravezza and the administrative offices of the Regional Park of the Apuan Alps, here you can find books and maps on the city and its surroundings and on the paths of the Apuan Alps. The place is still known as ‘Gambrinus’, built in 1912 it was home to a variety salon famous throughout Versilia, over the years it became a skating rink, a cinema and a theater.