The image of the Lunigiana that comes to mind most readily is probably that of the old village nestling around its castle in a position commanding the routes along the valley bottom. For those arriving from the coast, in fact, the valley of the Magra is heralded by the villages of Vezzano Ligure on the...

Arezzo A charming hilly town in the east of Tuscany, Arezzo boasts ancient origins. It was one of the greatest etruscan “Lucumonie” succesively it became a Roman town having a strategic position. It was an important centre for economic activities and for its oustanding monuments , such as...

While marble plays the leading role in the economy of the slopes of the Apuan Alps facing the Tyrrhenian Sea, there are, however, extensive woods of beech, chestnut and fir surrounding towns and villages of notable artistic and historical importance such as Seravezza, which, in its oldest part, has an...

Every time I write about Tuscany Italy, my heart and my whole body for that matter experiences an intense feeling of calmness. I know exactly that this feeling comes from the relaxed atmosphere that this part of Italy near Florence gives off. I have found a perfect balance of enjoying the fascinating...

The seven Islands of the Tuscan Archipelago form part of the Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago Toscano, protecte area comprising 180km2 of land and 600km2 of sea, making it the largest marine park in Europe. It includes the entire island of Montecristo, and also Pianosa and Giannutri, which is partially...

Pontremoli is believed to have been first settled around a thousand years before Christ. It was known in Roman times as Apua. The commune later became an independent municipality in 1226 thanks to Federico II who charters the free municipality, partly because of its mountainous situation. This situation...

Casola – a small hill village of about 1,500 people located in the higher part of the Aulella river, on a terrace surrounded by the Aulella and the Tassinaro streams. The community lies between the Lunigiana and the Garfagnana, and also between the Apuane Mountains and the Apennines. An important...

The mountains on the Northern side of the Apuan Alps that ring the upper valley of the Serchio and its side valleys are an area of outstanding beauty due to the variety of nature and the great expanse of woods, the morphology of the land – where steep slopes lead up to rounded summits –...

Italian movies started being produced at the beginning of the twentieth century. During the first ten years of the century, the first movie theatres were built in the larger cities and production companies were established. Many historical movies were produced. One of the firsts was La Presa di Roma,...

The flavours of the Tuscany are strong ones that are often wedded to the aromas of the sea and Liguria. The now famous lard of Colonnata is matured in marble basins and flavoured with rosemary, while pesto is served with testeroli of Pontremoli, pieces of foccacia made of flour and water and baked in...