Versilia is a stretch of land along the coast between the sea and the Apuan Alps. Because of its proximity to the water, the area has developed a close relationship with the sea over the centuries, especially for commercial reasons, notably when the Versilia was a marshland and relied on agriculture. Beginning in the 1400s, a series of projects were undertaken to make the land more usable and commercial fishing became increasingly popular.
To this day, the Versilia’s location has a significant impact on the area’s cuisine, which mixes the flavours of the sea and the mountains, like spelt and fish, or shrimp and calamari baked with spelt and topped with olive oil and tomatoes. The food you can find today in the Versilia has a distinctly international flavour dating to the foundation of Viareggio as Italy's first bathing resort in 1827, making this region a major destination for international tourists.
