Lunigiana covers an area from the Apennines to the Magra river, belonging in part to Tuscany and in part to Liguria. It takes its name from the Luni, an Etruscan tribe of moon worshippers whose curiously appealing stele remain the symbol of this ancient land. The history of Lunigiana is one of passion; of intense creativity but also ferocious battles.

The nearby Gulf of Poets saw the Romantic poets Shelley and Byron set the artistic world on fire and follow in the Renaissance footsteps of Dante and Michelangelo.

Castles in Lunigiana During the Middle Ages, there were 160 castles in Lunigiana, only thirty of which have reached our times in a good state of preservation.

The historical origins of these castles date back to times when the Langobards dominated most of the Pianura Padana and, seeking an outlet on the Ligurian/Tuscan coast, they found in the Passo della Cisa the natural way to cross the Appennines. On the other hand, when Luni (which has disappeared) was a flourishing city and harbour, the Romans had already built solid defensive posts along the road which linked up Northern Lunigiana. On the traces of this Roman road the Langobards built the Via Francigena, for the control of which there was a bloody and ferocious struggle among the little feud . The most important castles in Lunigiana, including the castle of the Piagnaro in Pontremoli, the Rocca of Villafranca and the fortified village of Filetto, were built during this period. When the Malaspina played an import part in the politics of Lunigiana, they built a great number of castles, which were used as residences and defences of territory by the several branches of the family. Concerning this we must say that the Malaspinas followed rules which were quite different from those applied in other Italian feuds for the succession of the heirs to the feudal power: the property, the estates and the power were divided into equal parts among all sons, without a special treatment for the eldest one. That led to the formation of dozens of little feuds, each requiring a new castle, on the occasion of every succession. Thus many small (and picturesque) castles were built in Lunigiana, but at the cost of weakening the power of the family at each generation.

Lunigiana is the undiscovered northernmost tip of Tuscany and lies between the coastal province of Liguria to the west and the Apennine mountains to the north-east. To the south-east the region is dominated by the peaks of the Parco Alpi Apuane beyond which are the Renaisance Cities of Florence, Pisa and Lucca. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty dotted with ancient hill-top villagesand terraced olive groves. Not yet discovered by tourists the area is economically poor but rich in other ways. Here the pace is slow, the food and wine robust and the smiles as warm as the sunshine. Here the old-fashioned courtesies are observed and the stranger made welcome. Lunigiana is a veritable paradise for walkers, painters, photographers, and those who simply enjoy the pleasures of life, and is full of natural curiosities such as the caves near Equi Terme, site of the natural sulphur baths. There are also castles, churches, monuments and whole villages built before Columbus set sail for the New World. Names of once-mighty families such as the Medici and Malaspina are commemorated by the fountains, piazzas and palaces they left behind, and all of this is within an hour or so train ride or drive of their more famous cousins to the south – Florence, Pisa and Lucca. And if that is not enough there are festivals, street markets and palios a-plenty – often in medieval costume. The main town in the area is Aulla from which the Taverone and Aulella valleys radiate, the hillsides of which are covered with chestnut woods and high meadows. At the end of the Taverone valley the Lagestrello pass marks the route through into Parma Province, the source of the River Taverone and the end of the Crenale mountain ridge. Leading more directly east from Aulla the old Lucca road runs along the Aulella valley, through Casola and on into the Parco Alpi Apuane before turning south along the old pilgrim road to Lucca. Bordering Lunigiana to the west, past La Spezia and the famous pretty fishing villages of The Cinque Terre is the province of Liguria, with its sandy beaches and pleasant climate.

Originally posted 2008-11-24 08:36:35.