The city of Carrara is known all over the world for its famous marble, the white gold that is extracted from its mountains, the Apuan Alps. Over the centuries artists and architects have used it to create their masterpieces throughout the world.

Carrara’s marble has been extracted since Roman times. In the 1500s artists like Michelangelo came to choose the most beautiful marble blocks for the realization of their art works and in the centuries to follow not only Italian but also foreign artists created sculptures which became a testimony of our past, not only as extractors of raw material, but above all ornamentalists, stonemasons, etc. In Carrara there were and still are numerous sculpture workshops from which statues and ornaments left for every continent.

Villa Belverde was built at the end of the 19th century, on the most important urban structure of the city at the time, Viale XX Settembre.

As early as 1887 there were plans for a new road that was to connect the city of Carrara to the sea, but it was of such cyclopean dimensions for the era, it was shunned by the owners of the lands that would be crossed as a result of the project. Thus, its realization was not possible until 1904, and was then completed in 1915.

At the time of the construction of viale XX Settembre, important families from  Carrara commissioned great architects to build villas along the viale; these were generally built on two floors and had a large garden on every side, testifying the greater well-being that the entire city was experiencing.

Villa Belverde was built in 1920 by Comm. Pregliasco, already owner of the adjacent villa, on the part of the Italian garden belonging to his villa.

The purchaser was Pietro Giovanni Lazzerini, who from 1920 to 1926 also purchased the neighbouring lands, expanding the garden that was initially sold to him by Pregliasco.
In 1928 the American crisis forced Pregliasco to sell his old villa and the remaining part of the garden which was also purchased by Lazzerini.

In 1938, Lazzerini died and his brother and sister, Giuditta and Giuseppe Lazzerini were his heirs. As a result of its division, villa Belverde became property of Giuditta, while her brother became the owner of villa Belmare in the Partaccia area.

In 1954 the villa was sold to the Dell’Amico family.

Through the years, the structure and colour of Belverde villa were modified: the winter garden was walled up, removing the polychrome iron windows, the pavilion roof was replaced by a terrace on the first floor, decorations below the windows were covered using quartz paint, and various internal modifications were carried out, especially to the flooring.

In 2003 villa was bought by Primo Nicolai, who began a renovation project to restore original features to the villa, while adding characteristics typical of modern comfort. The renovation ended in 2011.

Since 2012 the villa has become the Boutique Hotel, where antique furniture and statues are complimented with design elements and works of contemporary art.

It is composed of 5 suites, all with private living area and antique marble bathroom, coming from historical quarries no longer open for production unless for special restoration works.
The furniture in the villa belongs mostly to family collections or comes from antique markets.

The villa’s artworks, both sculptures and paintings, are by the most important artists in contemporary art, and contrast with a collection of plaster works from the early 1900s, some of which were recovered from disused workshops in Pietrasanta.

The centre of the garden hosts an original aviary from the late nineteenth century, collections of ancient roses, many of which date back to the 1900s, which shade marble busts of philosophers.

During your stay at Villa Belverde you will breathe in all the charm of past times, in a striking but comfortable environment, immersed in relaxation but located in a central position to visit places of natural beauty such as the Carrara Marble Quarries, the Roman area of Luni, Lake Massaciuccoli, the Castles of Lunigiana, in addition to the classic destinations of Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Versilia and the 5 lands.