Magic Luna landscape

Magic Luna landscape
Lunigiana
Magazine: April 2008

Many years have passed since pilgrims treaded the paths of the Via Francigena, crossing the Lunigiana. Yet the strip of land, in the province of Massa-Carrara, that takes its name from the Roman city Luni, still looks the same today. Sacredness and mystery characterise this location set between Emilia Romagna, Liguria and Tuscany. «The Lunigiana offers a vast choice of themed itineraries», says Gianfranco Lazzeroni, the mayor of Bagnone. «The “environmental” crosses different landscapes. The plains, with houses dotted here and there and neatly cultivated fi elds, are followed by gentle hills, dressed with vines. The uplands are the prelude to the Alps and pastures. The “pilgrim” leads to religious sites, whilst the “water” leads to the mills». Proceed to the Val di Magra to uncover historic memories. Leaving the gorges to the north, you arrive at Pontremoli, a wealth of palazzi and Baroque churches. Following on, to the right of the Magra you arrive at Zeri, famous for its succulent lamb; Mulazzo, which boasts important medieval fi nds and Lusuolo. On a bend of the homonymous torrent rises Bagnone, with its ancient hamlet clinging to the castle walls, overhanging the waters.

Encounter between past and present
 Further south, on a rugged rock spur in Aulla, the 16th century Fortress of Brunella towers above the settlement, one of the most modern in Lunigiana. Passing the Magra, one can visit Tresana a place known for its relics, like the tower of Malaspina, owned by a well-known counterfeiter. Less than 20 Km from Aulla lies Fivizzano, with its Medicean works of art, like the stone city walls and the piazza. Close by, the Equi Terme thermal baths merit a stop off together with Casola that has the two splendid parish churches of Offiano and Codiponte. Fosdinovo is situated on the trail in the Regional Park of the Apuane Alps. Its town is dominated by an imposing castle from the ‘300s that gave asylum to Dante. In the Alpi Apuane, famous for its marble, there are still some water mills and wood fires that bake loaves. A bread tourist itinerary meanders through hilltop villages to taste the Marocca di Casola, made with chestnut flour and other fragrances. The Lunigiana is the only Italian area that can boast a Dop for acacia and chestnut honey but its most well known emblem is the testarolo, a type of thin and spongy unleavened bread, made from dough that solidifies on a scorching hot cast iron.