GENERAL DESCRIPTION
It is the biggest and most populated municipality capital of Versilia. The town covers almost the territory of the municipality, if you exclude a large green area that divides it from the only hamlet, Torre del Lago. It borders at south with Vecchiano, at east with Massarosa, which shares the Massaciuccoli lake, at north-east with Camaiore and at west with the Tyrrenian sea. It is at 12km from Camaiore, 20km from Lucca and 24km from Pisa. It is connected with the various cities of Tuscany by a system of highways and by the railway, besides of regular bus lines; these connect it also with the other municipalities of Versilia.
It has an harbour both for the pleasure boats and the small commercial units, and from which depart a remarkable fishing fleet. The town's most antique part is from the XII century, has developed during the last century, up to reaching the actual dimensions which are remarkable. In fact it counts 60.000 inhabitants and the economy based on the tourism, on the commerce, on the craftmanship, on the fishing and on the shipyards construction. Also at the outskirts, these is a florid agricultural industry. The origin of the name became from the path of the middle valley Via Regia, that covered the coastline passing from the territory where now the town has been built.