Colonnata is an old village located on a rocky spur carefully placed at the feet of the Apuan Alps, near Carrara famous in the entire world for its “lardo”, …

Pontremoli is a well-preserved medieval town in a scenic setting. Above the town is a restored castle with a museum of prehistoric stele statues.

Originally posted 2008-11-04 16:08:23.

health-giving waters

It’s renowned for the springs, already well-known in Roman times, from which water, particularly suitable for the treatment of a number of disorders of an inflammatory nature, flows at a constant temparture of 27 degrees. San Carlo, just outside Massa, is, on the other hand, a spa noted for its bottled water, with a building providing mineral water treatment located in a large park.

It’s also the ideal starting-point for trips to the marble quarries of Colonnata, Fantiscritti and Ravaccione.

Moving over to Garfagnana, Bagni di Lucca is a well known spa and holiday resort in the hills north of Lucca. Its waters are used, above all, to treat disorders of the digestive tract and liver.

walking in a white land
In addition to the innumerable opportunities for traditional climbing, the Apuan Alps offer mountainers interesting vie ferrate (steep stretches with fixed cables, ladders, etc.) and suitably equipped rock faces for those in need of practice. An extensive network of marked paths and numerous refuges allow walkers to explore these fascinating mountains: the clasic traverse of the range takes four days, from Vinca or Equi Terme to Stazzema, staying overnight in the refuges of the Club Alpino Italiano.

The Apuan Alps are also a paradise for speleologists and nature lovers. The Antro del Corchia (70 kilometres of caves with a difference in level of 1210 metres) is largest of the 1300 caves in the Parco Regionale delle Alpi Apuane, as well as being the biggest in Italy and one of the most important in the world.

The Buca di Equi is a series of caves open to the public: it’s noted for the discovery of artefacts of the Lower Palaeolithic and remains of numerous animals, including a cave-bear, a lion, a leopard, a white Alpine hare and a deer.

The Pietro Pellegrini botanical garden at Pian della Fioba has a range of the rich flora of the Apuan Alps, may be visited in brief tour lasting about an hour.

The best period to see flowers in the bloom is the height of the summer; the garden is open from mid-May to mid-September. Guided tours, led by students of the Tuscan universities, are free.

exploring the area
The best way to see Lunigiana and admire its superb scenery is on foot, especially in the autumn when the leaves turn golden, the smoke from the wood fires hovers above the houses and mushrooms abound in the woods. A circular tour in thirteen stages starting from Aulla comprises portions of both the Apennines and Apuan Alps.

The route follows the old paths across the hillsides that linked medieval villages, country churches, mills and lookout towers.

These are easy toutes, ideal for spring, sutumn and even winter. The villages have unmanned posti tappa (providing basic accommodation), although it’s also possible to stay in small hotels and sample the local cuisine in coutry trattorie.

#The tour may be done on horseback, breaking journey at the numerous della Lunigiana, Via Pietro Cocchi 36, Pontremoli, tel. 0178 330045; 0178 33594). The Magra Valley is ideal for anglers, who will find the rivers and lakes well stocked with trout.

Cyclists can also enjoy themselves: form Aulla to Castlenuovo di Garfagnana passengers can take their bicycles on the trains.

The mountains of Fivizzano, Vinca and Monzone are ideal for free climbing, while it’s possible to descend various stretches of the Magra and the Taverone by canoe.

people as protagonists
Visitors to the Apuan Alps, Lunigiana and Garfagnana will find their stay all the more fascinating thannks to the area’s rich heritage of popular traditions. In addition, throughout the year, there are numerous cultural events, all of considerable interest, involving art, music and literature. For instance, in the field of literature, Pontremoli has the Premio Bancarella in July and Pietrasanta is internationally famous for its art exhibitions.

The village festivals and fairs are often reminders for the local people of important periods in their history or opportunities to revive their relationship, which has never been wholly interrupted, with the rural environment. Thus, for example, in the first ten days of August, Filetto is transformed into the venue of a medieval market as part of an event known as “La via dei mercati”.

For two weekends, during the medieval fair devoted to the crafts and gastronomic specialities of Lunigiana, craftsmen’s workshops are reconstructed where leather, wood, iron and stone are worked and pottery is made: the local people dress in traditional costume and shows and concerts related to the theme are held in the square. Another tradition, which, after being abandoned in recent years, is now being revived is that of the “Maggio”, theatrical performances held in the open, just outside the villages, to celebrate the beginning of spring and the rebirth of the vegetation.

Religions festivals are particularly important, with events such as the passion-play at Fivizzano on Good Friday or creches with living figures in various places in the Garfagnana and Lunigiana.

Originally posted 2009-02-13 17:08:51.

Aulla is dominated by the Fortezza della Brunella, a large square fortress built in the 15th century. Now restored, the fortress can be reached in few minutes walk from the city centre and is the symbol of the town. The Fortezza della Brunella hosts the Lunigiana Natural Science Museum and is located in the middle of a beautiful park, with a view of the two rivers in the valley. Its strategic position at the foot of three important passes (Cisa, Cerreto and Lagastrello), and on the road to Casola and to the Garfagnana, made Aulla a central place for trade between the inland and the sea.

In the course of 11th and 12th centuries the Malaspina family and the Luni bishops competed over Aulla, until the former eventually succeeded. In 1522, the Malaspina family sold Aulla to Giovanni delle Bande Nere. For three years bloody fighting ensued until the Malaspina came back and took power again. The situation remained quiet until the eighteenth century, and Aulla could develop thanks to trade. In 1831 and 1849, Aulla took part in the famous riots that took place in the whole Italian peninsula; it then joined the newly born Regno d’Italia. In the following years Aulla developed further, thanks to the Parma-La Spezia railway and to the ever-increasing importance of the Cisa road – the old pilgrim road to Rome.

More recently, the motorway and a new railway station, continue to help Aulla to develop and grow as a thriving and lively town. The surrounding countryside is magnificent, and conveys the atmosphere of old times.

Some of the more interesting spots are: Caprigliola, whose city walls were built by the Medici; Bibola, with an old ruined castle; Albiano, rich in medieval houses; Olivola, in a dominating position, and Pallerone a, medieval village that hosts a mechanical “presepe” (Nativity representation) made in 1935.

Originally posted 2008-11-24 08:48:47.

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 intersting series of aristocratic Villas and medieval churches, and Stazzema, on a hill offering splendid views, with, just before the village, the notable Romanesque church of Santa Maria Assunta.

The villages of Pomezzano, with its work shops where, using time honered techniques, master smiths forge scultors tools, and Pruno, where every year in December the local people take part in a fascinating creche with human figures. Proceding towards the heart of the Apuan Alps along routes of outstanding natural beauty, visitors may then cross the mountains and descend into Garfagnana.

The road passing through Galleria del Cipollaio was also known as Via d’Arni because it constituted the first link with this valley, in the 19th century an important marble producing area.

Dominated by Monte Corchia, the road climbs up, with Pania della Croche on the right and on the left in the distance, Monte Altissimo, rent open up to its summit by quarries.

Beyond the Cipolliao tunnel, built under the pass of that name and 1125 metres in length, its particularly interesting to descend the barren limestone valley of the Turrite Secca.

The tiny stone built hamlet of Isola Santa is what remains of the original village, which was submerged by construction of a reservoir serving hydroelectric power to the station of Torrite.

Every ten years, when the resevoir is emptied (the next time is expected to be 2014), the runied houses of the old village emerge.

Originally posted 2009-02-13 16:42:35.