Although Lunigiana acts as a pathway that connects important cities, it nevertheless offers many interesting historical centres, medieval villages, churches and castles, an attractive and suggestive landscape and a varied cultural and rural tradition which can be summarized in various historical and geographical stages.
Lunigiana is the land of Malaspina; in the 11th century they established their authority on the committee of Luni and Appennines; they built an effective system of fortification that may be still seen, and which can be partly visited, and that gave hospitality to Dante, who was here as an exile and who perhaps was inspired for some description in the Divina Commedia.
From the Appennines to the sea, along the pilgrims route, you can discover Medieval scenery and customs: Pontremoli, the first town after the Passo della Cisa, can be appreciated for its medieval structure, built just at the foot of the Piagnaro's Castle, which hosts the Stele - Statue Museum.
The Statue Stele are prehistoric anthropomorphic monoliths discovered all over the Europe but particularly in this area and well preserved. Coming down southwards and towards the confluence of the River Magra and the River Verde, that bound the historical centre, you can admire the Cathedral, the Campanone (symbol of the town), and many churches such as, San Nicolò, San Francesco with its Romanesque bell tower, S. Cristina, and the symbol of the pilgrim inside of the rebuilt church of S. Pietro. Just outside the town, the church of SS. Annunziata, dated 1471, with its sculptures of Sansovino and two wonderful cloisters.
For mountain lovers the valley of Zeri offers a suggestive territory and in winter the opportunity to use the facilities of the winter sports resort of Zum Zeri. Along the Via Francigena you can see the ancient Parish church of Sorano and the Roman Hamlet of Filattiera. On the other side of the river Magra you can find Mulazzo, with its castle (Malaspinian centre) which, legend tells, gave hospitality to Dante.
You can also find Castevoli and its Malaspinian castle and Lusuolo in its privileged position.
Just before Aulla you can see the medieval hamlet of Filetto built by the Byzantines, the centre of Bagnone with its evident fifteen-century-architectonic structures, built at the foot of its thirteenth-century-castle, the Castle of Malgrate with its typical military building, Castiglione del Terziere which hosts cultural conferences.
And now for "La Chiesaccia", just outside Aulla, which joined the opposite banks of the River Magra. All the medieval hamlet of Aulla was destroyed during the 2nd World War, but the Fortress of Brunella, which hosts the Natural History Museum of Lunigiana, is an important example of the Renaissance Age. Going ahead towards the sea you can see the wonderful fortified village of Caprigliola and the most beautiful castle of Lunigiana: the Castle of Fosdinovo, on private property and well-preserved, full of furniture, artillery and antique objects.
If you change itinerary and from Aulla you continue towards Lucca, along the route of Volto Santo, you can find towns and villages that gave hospitality to the pilgrims, such as Fivizzano, a noble town where you can admire lots of evidence of the Medicean dominion.
Nearby is Arlia with its restored old water mill where you can see the traditional grinding of cereals and chestnuts, Sassalbo with its Botanical Garden of Frignoli, the Castle of Verrucosa Dei Bosi, a residential castle, the Parish church of Codiponte with its primitive structure, the centre of Equi Terme and its interesting caves also well-known for their impressive carsick phenomenon and their sulphurous waters.