Forte dei Marmi

Forte dei Marmi, a Tuscan municipality in the Province of Lucca, has a population of more than 8,000 inhabitants. The town is situated in the most northern coast of Mar Ligure and is considered one of the main seaside resorts in Italy. Its economy is mainly based on tourism, on industrial and fishing activities. The town's origins date back to the Renaissance period, when the first urban centre of Forte dei Marmi was built. It was situated in the neighbourhood of an important port used in the past for the commerce of marble coming from the Apuane Alps. Later, in 1788, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopold I of Lorraine decided to build a Fortino, a defensive fortress from which the name of the town originated. Forte dei Marmi offers its tourists and visitors plenty of accommodation facilities such as hotels, guest houses and restaurants acting as a background to the marvellous beaches of Versilia coast, one of the favourite tourist destination due to its golden, sandy beaches and its crystal-clear water. Not to be missed is a call at "Capannina dei Francesci" the most old and famous club in Italy, opened in 1929.