Castiglioncello
Castiglioncello called "THE PEARL" of the Etruscan Riviera, has long been home to painters, writers, actors and poets, including over the years some famous names: Marcello Mastroianni, Alberto Sordi, the writer Renato Fucini, the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio and the actress Eleonora Duse. Roberto Rossellini and Federico Fellini were regular summer guests. In fact, it was a hotbed of "LA DOLCE VITA" during the 60's. Screenwriter Cesare Zavattini and the actor Mastroianni as well as director Franco Zeffirelli were occasional visitors to Villa Santa Lucia.
Castiglioncello originally was a village inhabited by poor fishermen on the border of the Etruscan empire. It followed the fate of Volterra to which it was joined by a paved street going from the sea through the hills. A testimony to that glorious etruscan period can be seen in the fine alabaster cinerary urn from the 2nd century B.C. unhearted in the Castiglioncello necropolis discovered in the early nineteenth century during works to build the local railroad. Many other objects were found in the tombs, including vases, gold amber and ivory jewels and bronze artifacts. All of these are on display at the Archaelogical Museum of Rosignano Marittimo built in 1957 to house the collection.
The village lay peaceful and isolated for many centuries, perched on spectacular cliffs amongst luxuriant pine groves.
The Medici family ordered the construction of the splendid tower, part of a fortification system erected to protect the coastline from frequent raids by Saracen pirates. It was ordered by Cosimo I of the Medici family and was built in the same architectural style of its twin tower in Calafuria (near Livorno) which still keeps to this day its original features, while the one in Castiglioncello was embellished around the top with merlons when the Pasquini Castle was built in the 19th century.The soldiers barracks which were placed next to the tower have since disappeared.
Near the tower, cradled by wonderful mediterranean pine trees is the tiny church dedicated to Saint Andrew, built in 1621.
The Pasquini Castle, which has recently undergone restoration, is now used throughout the year as a conference and exhibition center and a theatre has been erected on the grounds. Both the church and the castle are definitely worth a visit.
In the second half of the 19th century, Diego Martelli, a famous italian critic and patron of art and literature, decided to make Castiglioncello his home because of its mild climate and beautiful surroundings. Here he invited all the florentine Impressionist Artists of that period who subsequently became famous giving birth to that legendary artistic period in the Macchiaioli's Painters known as "La scuola di Castiglioncello". Giovanni Fattori, the most celebrated of the Macchiaioli painters lived in Castiglioncello until 1877 when he left to continue his work in Florence.