| Main | Births etc |
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| Massa | |
|---|---|
| — Comune — | |
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 |
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| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Province | Massa and Carrara (MS) |
| Frazioni | see list |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Francesco Persiani (Centre-right) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 94.1 km2 (36.3 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 65 m (213 ft) |
| Population (30 September 2017)[1] | |
| • Total | 68,946 |
| • Density | 730/km2 (1,900/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Massesi |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 54100 |
| Dialing code | 0585 |
| Patron saint | St. Francis of Assisi |
| Saint day | October 4 |
| Website | Official website |
Massa (Italian: [ˈmassa] (
listen); Template:Lang-egl) is a town and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, the administrative centre of the province of Massa and Carrara. It is located in the Frigido River Valley, near the Alpi Apuane, 5 km (3 mi) from the Tyrrhenian Sea.
It is also a biblical and a Hebrew name meaning lifting up a burden, uplifting, or a gift (Genesis 25:14).
History[]
Massa is mentioned for the first time in the Tabula Peutingeriana, a 2nd-4th century AD itinerary, with the name ad Tabernas frigidas, referring perhaps to a stage on the Via Aemilia Scauri consular road from Pisa to Luni.
From the 15th to the 19th century, Massa was the capital of the independent Principate (later Duchy) of Massa and Carrara, ruled by the Malaspina and Cybo-Malaspina families. Massa is the first recorded town in Europe in which the magnetic needle compass was used in mines to map them and determine the extent of various mine owners' properties.
In 1829 the states were inherited by Francis IV, Duke of Modena. In 1859, during the unification of Italy process, it joined the Kingdom of Sardinia.
Geography[]
Located in south of the province, near the borders with the Province of Lucca, Massa is a coastal town by the Tyrrhenian Sea. The municipality borders with Carrara, Fivizzano, Minucciano (LU), Montignoso, Seravezza (LU), Stazzema (LU) and Vagli Sotto (LU).
Frazioni[]
Massa counts several hamlets (frazioni): Altagnana, Alteta, Antona, Baita, Bargana, Bergiola, Bondano, Borgo del Ponte, Bozzone, Ca' di Cecco, Caglieglia, Campareccia, Canevara, Capaccola, Casania, Casette, Casone, Castagnara, Castagnetola, Castagnola, Cervara, Cinque Vie, Ciremea, Codupino, Cupido, Forno, La Gioconda, Gotara, Gronda, Grondini, Guadine, Le Iare, Lavacchio, Marina di Massa, Mirteto, Monte Pepe, Ortola, Pariana, Partaccia, Pian della Fioba, Poggi, Poggiolo, Poggioletto, il Ponte, Poveromo, Poveromo Macchie, Pratta, Puliche, Quercioli, Redicesi, Remola, Resceto, Ricortola, Rinchiostra, Rocca, Romagnano, Ronchi, San Carlo Terme, San Cristoforo, San Leonardo, San Lorenzo, Santa Lucia, Il Santo, Sei ponti, Turano, Vergheto, Le Villette, Volpigliano, Zecca.
Government[]
Main sights[]
Massa's sights include:
- Malaspina castle (15th century), overlooking the city from a hill
- Ducal Palace, Renaissance palace on the Piazza Aranci
- The Cathedral
- Piazza degli Aranci
- Piazza Mercurio
- Marina di Massa
- Orto Botanico delle Alpi Apuane "Pietro Pellegrini" is a mountain botanical garden maintained by the city.
Economy[]
The Massa area is of high touristic value and also hosts a concentration of some 600 industrial and craft activities, located within the so-called Apuan Industrial Zone, with a direct employment of more than 7,000 people. Together with the twin town of Carrara, Massa is known for the extraction and production of marble.
Transport[]
Massa Centro railway station, opened in 1862, forms part of the Pisa–La Spezia–Genoa railway. The city is also served by the A12 motorway, the national highway SS1 "Aurelia", and counts a minor airport (IATA: QMM, ICAO: LILQ) in the neighboring village of Cinquale. From 1890 to 1932 Massa counted a railway line from Marina to Forno and, from 1922 to 1975, a monorail serving a marble quarry named Lizza di Piastreta.[2]
International relations[]
Massa is twinned with:
Bad Kissingen, Germany, since 1960- Vernon, France,
- Nowy Sącz, Poland, since 2007
References[]
- ^ Population data from Istat
- ^ "Alpi Apuane - Homepage". http://www.alpiapuane.com/.
Sources[]
- Menziani, Alberto (2011). "Massa dall'Unità d'Italia alla Prima Guerra Mondiale: mezzo secolo di stori urbanistica o la nascita della città contemporanea". Atti e Memorie della Deputazione di storia patria per le antiche provincie modenesi. pp. 261–300.
External links[]
 |
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Massa. |
- Massa official website (in Italian)
- "Massa". New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
Template:Province of Massa-Carrara
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| This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Massa. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. |