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 left of the river and Caprigliola on the right, clustered on the heights like sentinels guarding the valley.

The series of fortified villages, with which the valley is studded, bear witness to its long-standing srategic role as the most important route, over the Passo della Cisa, between the Po Valley and the Tyrrhenian coast.

The terraces, clearly visible on the steep slopes of the hills, attest to the fact that, in the past, the Lunigiana was much more intensely cultivated. Although olives and viness are grown up to a height of 600 metres, the area is largely forested, with chestnut trees alternating with Turkey oaks and mixed woods. Also the upper Serchio Valley, usually known as Garfagnana, bears the clearly visible signs of mans attempts over the cenuries to model the rugged natural landscape and obtain spaces suitable for agriculture. The terraces, built with earthen banks and , provided cultivated land on the mountain slopes, creating clearings in the woods. Here, too, there are ruins of the fortresses that defended the strategic position, evidence of a constant struggle for the political control of the region.

Trek & Bike Tours & Agriturismo in Tuscany & Garfagnana

Garfagnana holiday accommodation, Tuscany

Originally posted 2008-11-07 16:00:37.