Montecatini Terme and Alto

22 October 2018

On a bright, sunny day in late October Jan and I, with son Andrew, his wife Charlotte, their children Ben and Evie, together with daughter Lucy and two more grandchildren, Luca and Beau, we drove to Montecatini Terme for the day.

Montecatini is an important historic town in the Val di Nievole area just east of Lucca, also known as the Piana di Lucca and has, since Roman times, been famous for its many thermal spas. In the late 19th century, the “belle-epoque” growth of the town saw the development of many hotels, becoming the largest spa town in Italy. Its tourist industry attracted nobility and celebrity artist/composers such as Verdi, Puccini and Mascagni.

At a relatively short distance of about twenty miles, the drive was long enough for the grandchildren to get restless, as they were promised a visit to the communal soft play area in Montecatini. Fortunately, the site is near the famous Funicolare di Montecatini, the over 100-year-old funicular railway that links the town to Montecatini Alto, several hundred metres above and our main destination.

The views from Montecatini Alto are breath-taking and confirm the fact that it was an important historic and strategic place. Part of its defensive walls date back to the 11th century and the town became independent, joining with Lucca in wars against Pistoia. Later centuries saw alliances with Florence, causing Castruccio Castracani, under the leadership of the Ghibelline faction Uguccione della Faggiola, Lord of Pisa and Lucca to besiege and mercilessly sack the town in a bloody battle in 1315. In 1554, the town was again fought over during the Siena War, when the Florentine Cosimo I de Medici almost destroyed it.

In the 18th century, the town flourished again, when the Lorena family preserved parts the two kilometres of wall, the one gateway, Porta di Borgo and the twenty-five towers became incorporated into the fabric of various buildings.     

The little piazza or town square has several restaurants and bars and provides a perfect setting for lunch or evening meal, serving good local Tuscan food and wine.

As is normal with young children, they had a strong desire to see the beach on their visit to Lucca and since the weather was still sunny, it was still possible.

Marina Torre del Lago was as good a place as any along the coast between Viareggio and Pisa to camp out on the beach, which was deserted, unlike the height of summer. Two hardy souls, Ben and Luca insisted the sea was still warm enough the bathe, causing Andrew and myself to reluctantly join them for a ‘refreshing’ swim. Such activity made the pasta lunch at the seaside restaurant that much more enjoyable and capped what was a pleasant few days with the family, late on in the season.