Versilia, Forte dei Marmi and the Carrara quarries

A briny whiff of seaweed drifts in from the Tyrrhenian while the scent of stone pines lingers along Forte dei Marmi’s bagni, those stripe‑fronted beach clubs dating back to the late 1800s. The Apuan Alps gleam inland, their white seams proof that marble has left these valleys since Roman times. Between Viareggio and Marina di Pietrasanta, Versilia mixes Art Deco piers, the Wednesday market in Forte, and low‑key boutiques on Via Carducci. Espresso on Piazza Garibaldi, then the road bends toward Carrara’s quarries, where Michelangelo chose blocks in the 1500s amid terraced cuts locals call vie cave.

Your driver collects you at your Pisa hotel and stays on call all day in a recent Mercedes, with chilled water and Wi‑Fi on board. Enjoy spaghetti alle vongole in Forte dei Marmi while parking and timing are handled, then head 35 km north to Colonnata to sample IGP lardo cured in marble basins before switching to a local 4x4 for the Fantiscritti quarry. With a private chauffeur from Pisa, you make the most of the SS1 Aurelia and can tweak the order for the best light or sea conditions.