The fourteen towns that make up Lunigiana cover a large and varied area at the far northern tip of Tuscany, enclosed by the Apennines, the Apuan Alps and the Ligurian Sea. On the border between Tuscany, Liguria and Emilia-Romagna, Lunigiana still lives very much by its history, tied both to the Apuani Ligurians and to the Roman colony of Luni, the most important port of the northern Tyrrhenian, from which it takes its name.
Its people are so deeply attached to their traditions that they identify with none of the regions, only as “Lunigiani.” You can sense this charm as you wander through the villages and visit the many castles and the splendid country churches scattered over the hills up to the foot of the Apuan Alps and the Apennines.
Today the valleys form a unique landscape that changes gradually from the valley floor to the alpine peaks, from the strong presence of people and their work to the absolute rule of nature.
It is a union and a balance you can read in the land, from the fields of corn to the terraced hillsides worked for vineyards and olive groves, from the chestnut woods to the higher beech forests, climbing slowly up to the high pastures. Touring Lunigiana also means immersing yourself in a land of old flavors and products, typical of farming and mountain life.
Nature's produce, skillfully gathered and prepared, becomes simple, delicious dishes. You can't leave this land without tasting the torta di erbi or the testaroli (a kind of crêpe cooked over a wood fire and cut into irregular squares), and without eating panigacci (thin flatbreads of water and flour) with one of the many cured meats or cheeses made in the area.
In winter you can enjoy a day or a longer stay at the ski areas (the best known is Cerreto) or go around the many Christmas markets set up in the villages.
In every season there are plenty of food festivals and street parties all over the place: from the chiodo di maiale (pork) festival in Quercia di Aulla in February, to the jonquil festival on the meadows of Logarghena di Filattiera in June, to the many chestnut festivals in October.
Summer is an explosion of events: the famous San Genesio fair in Filetto di Villafranca, the panigacci festival in Podenzana, the testaroli festival in Fosdinovo, the polenta-and-goat festival in Olivola di Aulla, and the pattona festival in Agnino di Fivizzano!
The folklore of age-old tradition is even stronger in the famous “falò,” tall wooden pyres set alight for good luck or in honor of a saint; among the many dates, the Sant'Antonio bonfire in Filattiera on January 16 and the one in Corneda in May stand out.
Its people are so deeply attached to their traditions that they identify with none of the regions, only as “Lunigiani.” You can sense this charm as you wander through the villages and visit the many castles and the splendid country churches scattered over the hills up to the foot of the Apuan Alps and the Apennines.
Today the valleys form a unique landscape that changes gradually from the valley floor to the alpine peaks, from the strong presence of people and their work to the absolute rule of nature.
It is a union and a balance you can read in the land, from the fields of corn to the terraced hillsides worked for vineyards and olive groves, from the chestnut woods to the higher beech forests, climbing slowly up to the high pastures. Touring Lunigiana also means immersing yourself in a land of old flavors and products, typical of farming and mountain life.
Nature's produce, skillfully gathered and prepared, becomes simple, delicious dishes. You can't leave this land without tasting the torta di erbi or the testaroli (a kind of crêpe cooked over a wood fire and cut into irregular squares), and without eating panigacci (thin flatbreads of water and flour) with one of the many cured meats or cheeses made in the area.
In winter you can enjoy a day or a longer stay at the ski areas (the best known is Cerreto) or go around the many Christmas markets set up in the villages.
In every season there are plenty of food festivals and street parties all over the place: from the chiodo di maiale (pork) festival in Quercia di Aulla in February, to the jonquil festival on the meadows of Logarghena di Filattiera in June, to the many chestnut festivals in October.
Summer is an explosion of events: the famous San Genesio fair in Filetto di Villafranca, the panigacci festival in Podenzana, the testaroli festival in Fosdinovo, the polenta-and-goat festival in Olivola di Aulla, and the pattona festival in Agnino di Fivizzano!
The folklore of age-old tradition is even stronger in the famous “falò,” tall wooden pyres set alight for good luck or in honor of a saint; among the many dates, the Sant'Antonio bonfire in Filattiera on January 16 and the one in Corneda in May stand out.
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Lunigiana tours
What to see in Lunigiana
What to see in Lunigiana
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Among the most important centers of Lunigiana, Pontremoli is one of the richest areas of history. Walking through alleys and streets, you will encounter numerous historical buildings built between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries…
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Once arrived in Gragnola village, a steep climb that can be traveled on foot or by shuttle-bus service, leads to the castle of Aquila. The structure impresses with its grandeur and majesty with which it dominates, from the top, the…
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Among the best preserved of Lunigiana, the Malaspina castle rises imposingly on the ridge where it has also being developed the village, overlooking the valley down to the coast in a surreal atmosphere, especially in foggy days. Steeped…
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Definitely worth a visit is the church of Sorano. Masterpiece of the first Romanesque, the church was built on the route of the Via Francigena, and is among the most important in the province of Massa Carrara. The bare facade is enriched…
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In the heart of Lunigiana, Sarzana maintains the charm of the old town within the city walls and four towers of the sixteenth century. Two fortifications characterize the landscape of the city: the oldest fortress of Sarzanello, already…
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The municipality of Mulazzo extends from the valley, along the northernmost section of the river Magra, up to the Apennines. The village was originally the site of a Ligurian castle area and later of a medieval castle of which remains the…
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The Apennine portion of Lunigiana is also famous for its ski resorts, bordering the Emilia Romagna area. For the more experienced, are popular the area of Cerreto, on the homonymous passage, inside the National Park of the Tuscan-Emilian…
1Pontremoli - Museo delle Stele Lunigianesi
Among the most important centers of Lunigiana, Pontremoli is one of the richest areas of history. Walking through alleys and streets, you will encounter numerous historical buildings built between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that retain the beautiful noble structures. There are also numerous churches, including that of San Nicolò (St. Nicholas) built in 1126. On top of the village, the Piagnaro Castle dominates the landscape, built around the year 1000 destroyed and restored several times until the last eighteenth-century plant. The castle is home to the museum of the Statue Stele Lunigianesi, recently reorganized with a new tour route that picks up the story and the fascination that lurks around the famous lapidee representations, symbol of the territory.
Opening hours
October to April : 09:00 to 12:30 / 14:30 to 17:30. May to September: 09:00 to 12:30 / 15:00 to 18:00.
October to April : 09:00 to 12:30 / 14:30 to 17:30. May to September: 09:00 to 12:30 / 15:00 to 18:00.
Tickets and prices
Full ticket €4 , reduced to under 16s, over 65s and groups of at least 10: €2.
Full ticket €4 , reduced to under 16s, over 65s and groups of at least 10: €2.
Address
Castello del Piagnaro, Pontremoli (MS)
Castello del Piagnaro, Pontremoli (MS)
Official website
www.statuestele.org
www.statuestele.org
2Gragnola - Castello dell’Aquila
Once arrived in Gragnola village, a steep climb that can be traveled on foot or by shuttle-bus service, leads to the castle of Aquila. The structure impresses with its grandeur and majesty with which it dominates, from the top, the valleys below and the landscape of the Apuan Alps. Around the central weaponry square overlook a number of buildings of the castle and the small church inside. The structures are surrounded by a ring of crenellated walls with ramparts and lunette. The entire complex was recovered in recent years from the state of ruin; during archaeological excavations carried out simultaneously in the work of restoration, was revealed the burial of a fourteenth-century knight blanketing of extra charm and mystery this place.
Opening hours
Open by appointment: please call (+39) 335 6628357.
Open by appointment: please call (+39) 335 6628357.
Address
Gragnola, Fivizzano (MS)
Gragnola, Fivizzano (MS)
Official website
www.castellodellaquila.it
www.castellodellaquila.it
3Fosdinovo - Castello Malaspina
Among the best preserved of Lunigiana, the Malaspina castle rises imposingly on the ridge where it has also being developed the village, overlooking the valley down to the coast in a surreal atmosphere, especially in foggy days. Steeped in legends and fantastic stories, was built in the twelfth century by the noble family of the Bianchi of Erberia and it became a dominion of the Malaspina of the branch Fiorito at the end of 1300. A series of expansions and renovations succeeded one another until seventeenth century. Inside you can visit the ducal rooms, the secret rooms, the places of torture, and the room where according to the tradition stayed Dante. In July, the castle and the village are animated for the traditional medieval feast.
Opening hours
from 1st May to 30th, 11:00 to 12:00 - 15:30 to 16:30 - 17:30 to 18:30, from 1st October to 30th April 11:00 to 12:00 - 15: 00 - 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Upon reservation evening visits. Closed on Tuesdays.
from 1st May to 30th, 11:00 to 12:00 - 15:30 to 16:30 - 17:30 to 18:30, from 1st October to 30th April 11:00 to 12:00 - 15: 00 - 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Upon reservation evening visits. Closed on Tuesdays.
Tickets and prices
Full ticket €6, reduced €4 children.
Full ticket €6, reduced €4 children.
Address
Via Papiriana 2, Fosdinovo (MS)
Via Papiriana 2, Fosdinovo (MS)
Official website
www.castellodifosdinovo.it
www.castellodifosdinovo.it
4Sorano - Pieve di Santo Stefano
Definitely worth a visit is the church of Sorano. Masterpiece of the first Romanesque, the church was built on the route of the Via Francigena, and is among the most important in the province of Massa Carrara. The bare facade is enriched by a simple three-lobed rosette and draws the three naves plant without transept of the Interior. The whole structure is made of hewn river cobbles, a special technique that finds its greatest charm in the beauty of the three apses lightened by mullioned windows framed by thin pilasters and blind arches. The church was built in the eleventh century on an area already settled in Roman times, and saw its heyday in the fourteenth, abandoned in 1700 has been recently renovated and equipped with an adjoining educational center on archeology. From the excavations in the church area come the stone statues called Sorano I and V.
Tickets and prices
Free entrance.
Free entrance.
Address
Sorano, Filattiera (MS)
Sorano, Filattiera (MS)
5Sarzana
In the heart of Lunigiana, Sarzana maintains the charm of the old town within the city walls and four towers of the sixteenth century. Two fortifications characterize the landscape of the city: the oldest fortress of Sarzanello, already mentioned in a document of the tenth century, which passed repeatedly by the dominion of Lucca to the Genoese and Florentine undergoing a series of renovations and expansions until the building of the nineteenth century of two central towers and gunboat wanted by the French; the Firmafede fortress, built by the Pisans in the mid-thirteenth century, consists of two overlapping rectangles with seven massive cylindrical towers. Both forts are visitable and are often venue for events, among the most famous there is the National Antiques Show (in August) and the Festival of the Mind (in September). The alleys of Sarzana, full of shops and craft shops, are perfect for those who love the taste a bit retro and wants to browse unhurriedly between old and new objects.
Opening hours
Sarzanello castle: in summer: Saturday and holidays 15:30 / 19:00 with guided tours at 16:00 and 17:30. In August: from Tuesday to Friday 15:30 / 18:00 . In winter: Saturdays and holidays 14:00 / 17:30, guided tours at 14:30 and 16:00.
Sarzanello castle: in summer: Saturday and holidays 15:30 / 19:00 with guided tours at 16:00 and 17:30. In August: from Tuesday to Friday 15:30 / 18:00 . In winter: Saturdays and holidays 14:00 / 17:30, guided tours at 14:30 and 16:00.
Official website
www.comunesarzana.gov.it
www.comunesarzana.gov.it
6Mulazzo
The municipality of Mulazzo extends from the valley, along the northernmost section of the river Magra, up to the Apennines. The village was originally the site of a Ligurian castle area and later of a medieval castle of which remains the massive hexagonal stone tower called Torre di Dante (Tower of Dante). Headquarters of the study center Malaspiniani, here you can see the arches of the aqueduct made built by the Malaspina and the homonyms buildings that were the residence of the Marquis in the sixteenth century and were the scene of the disputes between the branches of the family "del Castello" and "del Palazzo". There are many small villages in the municipality of Mulazzo, including Montereggio, on the border between the valley of the Magra and the valley of the Vara, the walled village of Castevoli dating to the eleventh century and that of Lusuolo with early Middle Ages origins. is also recommended to make a pass to the "Chiesaccia" of Fornoli, Romanesque church flanked by what was once a hospital for pilgrims along the Via Francigena, and the Benedictine sanctuary of the Madonna del Monte, built in the woods in the twelfth century.
7Stazioni sciistiche: Cerreto Laghi e Zum Zeri
The Apennine portion of Lunigiana is also famous for its ski resorts, bordering the Emilia Romagna area. For the more experienced, are popular the area of Cerreto, on the homonymous passage, inside the National Park of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and that of Zum Zeri - Passage Due Santi, at 1600 m above sea level, both offering 25 km of slopes. For beginners and children we recommend the small ski resort of Pratospilla, passed the pass of Lagastrello and Schia, passed the municipality of Comano, with 9 km of slopes.
Official website
www.cerretolaghi.info
www.cerretolaghi.info
How to get to Lunigiana from Parma
By train
Lunigiana lies on the Milan–Livorno, Genoa–Parma–Bologna and Ventimiglia–Pisa–Rome railway lines. The stations are Aulla, Villafranca-Bagnone, Pontremoli, Casola Lunigiana, Tresana, Filattiera and Fivizzano. Check the timetables on the Ferrovie dello Stato website.
Timetables and tickets
By bus
Lunigiana is served by regular buses, leaving mainly from Massa and Sarzana, that link the area's villages with one another. Check the timetable on the Autolinee Toscana Nord website.
Timetables and tickets
By car
Coming from the north, from the A7 Milan–Genoa highway, take the A12 Genoa–Rosignano to La Spezia, then the A15 Cisa highway (Parma–La Spezia) and exit at Pontremoli or Aulla. Coming from the south, on the A12 Genoa–Rosignano toward Genoa, take the A15 Cisa highway toward Parma to the Pontremoli and Aulla exits. The Sarzana and Santo Stefano Magra exits on the A12 are also recommended if you then want to continue on state roads.
Where to eat in Lunigiana
Osteria della Bietola
Tavern by the traditional lunigiana cuisine. A small rustic restaurant, where the reservation is required because the seats are not many, excellent service that offers the typical dishes of Pontremoli: the unfailing testaroli, the erbi cake, lamb and mushrooms. Good selection of wines available at the winery.
Via della Bietola 4, Pontremoli (MS) · (+39) 0187 831949
Mamagamma
In a small quaint room, with stone walls and brick arches, are combined the warmth and good food made with special dishes with attention to vegetarian menus and to organic ingredients. Must try the biodynamic appetizers with home made pasta.
Via Sotto Gli Uffizi 2, Sarzana (SP) · (+39) 340 9878472
Focacceria Da Francesco
If you are taken by the pangs of hunger while you are cruising the Lunigiana, you can stop at Da Francesco focacceria along the Via Aurelia. The room is large and can offer you a variety of seasonal vegetables served grilled or patties, a selection of the finest cold cuts and cheeses of the area all accompanied by excellent wood-grilled focacce.
Via Aurelia 53, Caniparola, Fosdinovo (MS) · (+39) 0187 693151
Ristorante Alla Piazza di Sopra
In the village of Filetto, Piazza di Sopra is distinguished for its excellent cuisine and the warmth of the three owners that make guests feel immediately at home. The kitchen serves traditional lunigiana dishes revisited with skill and creativity. Cheeses, cold cuts, vegetable pies, the unfailing testaroli and excellent homemade pasta topped with wild boar, rabbit, lamb. For those who prefer there is also a seafood menu.
Piazza Immacolata 11, Villafranca in Lunigiana (MS) · (+39) 349 878 3364
Tips
To get around all of Lunigiana you'll definitely need a car: the area is very large, and some places and small villages can't be reached any other way. Keep in mind, too, that once you leave the highway the roads are mostly small, winding mountain roads, definitely not suited to anyone prone to carsickness.
In winter Lunigiana can be quite damp; if you travel at this time of year, it's a good idea to bring a waterproof jacket, rubber boots and an umbrella… better to be prepared, you never know!
In winter Lunigiana can be quite damp; if you travel at this time of year, it's a good idea to bring a waterproof jacket, rubber boots and an umbrella… better to be prepared, you never know!
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