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.

The chief town of the area is Castlenouvo di Garfagnana, at the meeting point of a road across the Apennines and one over the Apuan Alps. Nearby is Barga, with its old quarter huddled on top of a spur overlooking the valley; this preserves its medieval layout, with narrow streets and steep stairways opening into small piazzas. On the top of the hill stands the Duomo in a position commanding a splendid panoramic view; it was built in four stages, from the 9th to the 16th and 17th centuries.

Originally posted 2008-11-07 16:22:26.