Retignano

Retignano is a village of about 400 inhabitants, located on a hill in the historical Versilia region of Tuscany, Italy. The inhabitants are known as the Retignanesi.

It was originally a small settlement that belonged to the Liguri Apuani, a small community from northern Europe. It joined the Roman Empire in 177 BCE and became one of the most flourishing and developed Roman settlements in the Apuan Alps. It was mainly used as a hideout in the event of an imminent attack from the sea, since it was a known stronghold of sighting of the enemies coming from the sea and strategic point of supply of timber, various extractive materials and marble. After a period of independence in the guise of a “little municipality”, which lasted several centuries. In 1776 the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo removed this title from the village, subjecting it to the dominion of Lucca, whose province Retignano is now part of. Retignano returned to prosperity in the second half of the nineteenth century thanks to the opening of the marble quarries, mining sites of the bardiglio fiorito, appreciated especially by the English who financed the project. Between the two world wars, the village experienced rapid depopulation caused by emigration to large cities or to foreign countries, particularly North America or Argentina. After being besieged by the Germans and exploited for its enviable position, it was reclaimed by the American soldiers who placed one of their main bases during the advancement phase at the Gothic Line.