Top 6 Castles around Rocchetta Di Vara

The name Calice al Cornoviglio combines two distinctive elements of the village: "Calice," of uncertain origin but perhaps derived from the Latin calix (cup), referring to the site's concave shape, and "Cornoviglio," the mountain (561 m) that overlooks the village and lends its name to the entire ridge. This toponym appears in medieval documents and recalls the village's ancient connection with the surrounding Apennine territory. Calice was long ruled by the Malaspina dello Spino Secco family, who built a strategic castle there, documented since the 11th century and modified several times over the centuries. Today, the fortress houses the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art and the Chestnut Documentation Center, two testimonies to the profound intertwining of history, spirituality, and the territory's resources. A short distance away is the parish church of Santa Maria Lauretana, an elegant 18th-century Baroque building with exquisite decorations and a polychrome marble high altar. The village comes alive throughout the year with traditional events such as the Feast of Our Lady of Loreto (September), the Chestnut Festival (October) and various summer festivals, which highlight the historical and cultural roots of the place.

Nestled on a hilltop overlooking the lower Val di Magra, Bolano is a small village in the province of La Spezia, on the border between Liguria and Tuscany. Its medieval origins can still be felt as you stroll through the stone alleys and the houses in a compact sequence, with panoramic views that range to the mouth of the Magra and, on clear days, to the Apuan Alps. The historic center, kept intact in its medieval urban layout, has a slightly triangular shape and opened at the vertices with three defensive gates: Porta Castello, Porta Stazon and Porta Chilosi (ancient Porta Fontana), which tell the story of the fortified past of the village. Among the main monuments, the following stand out: - Piazza Castello, the civic heart of the town and home to the town hall: a small square, framed by historic buildings, from which the narrow streets branch off towards the Church and the gates. - The parish church of Santa Maria Assunta, the ancient Romanesque parish church enlarged in Baroque style in the 18th century, with frescoes, Serassi organ and Romanesque-Gothic bell tower. - The Oratory of Saints Antonio and Rocco, a 16th-century convent complex with a valuable 18th-century Ligurian organ and paintings by Simone Barabino and Stefano Lemmi. - The remains of the ancient medieval castle (of the Malaspina) in the “Poggio”, between walls and towers visible close to the narrow streets. I stopped in Bolano almost by chance, during my bike ride, and the discovery of Piazza Castello, so intimate and symbolic of the village, immediately struck me. Crossing the ancient medieval gates, and walking “behind the walls”, added a feeling of traveling through time.

The village of Castevoli, tiny and intimate, stands on a spur overlooking the Mangiola valley. It is a place that seems made for silence and contemplation. Here, time seems to pass more slowly, and the castle, which stands in the center of the town, appears almost like a silent guardian of its history. It was one of the residences of the Malaspina family, who profoundly influenced the medieval history of Lunigiana. The castle of Castevoli, in particular, belonged to the “Spino Secco” branch of the family, which governed this part of the territory with a balance between authority and diplomacy. Unlike other more austere fortifications, that of Castevoli is a castle that has a double soul in its appearance: on the one hand, the defensive function, evidenced by the towers, the walls and the elevated position; on the other, the residential soul, which can be perceived in the internal courtyards, in the covered passages, in the sculpted portals and in the remains of noble rooms that suggest a past of daily life, meetings, hospitality and culture. Visiting it, you have the feeling of touching the traces of centuries of history. Some parts of the castle have been renovated today, others maintain a more rough and authentic charm, with walls covered in ivy and rooms that tell the story of the passing of time. From the patrol path or from some windows there is a splendid view of the valley, the deep green of the woods and the profiles of the hills, which change color with the seasons. Castevoli was not only a place of defense or government, but also a point of passage and meeting. The castle was in fact located along ancient local communication routes, and even today, a dirt road for cycling and walking connects the village to Gavedo, another nearby Malaspina center. Walking or cycling along that path, it is easy to imagine wayfarers, knights and messengers who once came and went between the courts of the Malaspina, bringing news, goods and stories.

When you arrive in Mulazzo, a small stone village nestled in the woods of Lunigiana, you can't help but turn your gaze towards what remains of the ancient medieval castle: a solitary tower, imposing in its essentiality, and some ruins that, like silent traces of time, tell stories of power, poetry and hospitality. It is precisely here, in this intimate and evocative place, that the memory of the "castle of Dante" is intertwined, so called because it is linked to the stay of the Supreme Poet in 1306. The castle, once the vital center of power of the Malaspina dello Spino Secco, was the beating heart of the political and administrative life of Mulazzo. The Malaspina family, among the most influential in medieval Italy, had made Lunigiana a mosaic of castles and courts, and that of Mulazzo was one of the most representative gems. Today, what remains above all are the remains of the tower, commonly called "Tower of Dante", which watches over the town from above, like a guardian of ancient memories. But why “Dante’s Castle”? Because in this place, over seven centuries ago, Dante Alighieri was hosted during his exile from Florence. Far from his city and immersed in the complex political intrigues of the time, Dante found in the Malaspina court not only refuge, but also a rare example of nobility and culture. It was Moroello Malaspina who welcomed him, and it is to him that Dante dedicates words of sincere gratitude in Canto VIII of Purgatory, praising the “courtesy and value” of the family that had hosted him. Imagining Dante looking out from the castle walls, observing the woods of Lunigiana and perhaps composing in his mind the verses that would have crossed the centuries, adds an emotional dimension to this now bare fortress. Despite the centuries, the charm of the place is intact: the surrounding landscape is still the same, wild and majestic, and the silence that envelops the tower seems to guard the poet’s thoughts. Today the site is part of a cultural itinerary that Mulazzo has strongly wanted to keep alive. At the foot of the tower is the marble statue of Dante, sculpted by Arturo Dazzi in 1965, on the occasion of the seventh centenary of the poet's birth. With its gaze turned towards the horizon, the statue is a visual and symbolic reminder of the living presence of Dante in the history of the village.

The construction of the castle probably dates back to the 14th century, when it was erected as a simple quadrangular fortification, entirely in stone with mortar joints. During the 15th century, the structure was expanded with the addition of two cylindrical towers placed diagonally at opposite corners, equipped with slits for firearms, evidence of the evolution of the defensive techniques of the time. The Castle of Villa di Tresana was part of the vast defensive system of the Malaspina, a powerful noble family that dominated Lunigiana. Located along the Via Francigena, the castle had a strategic function in controlling the communication routes and offered hospitality to pilgrims and travellers in transit. Over the centuries, the castle underwent various vicissitudes. In the 17th century it came under the influence of the Medici, while remaining under the control of the Malaspina. Subsequently, it was used as an agricultural building and fell into a state of abandonment. Only recently has it been the subject of careful restoration, which has preserved its original structure and restored its ancient splendor. Currently, the Castle of Villa di Tresana is a private property and is not open to the public. However, it is possible to admire it from the outside, especially during the autumn, when the climbing ivy that covers it takes on suggestive colors, giving the castle a fairy-tale appearance.

Villa di Tresana Castle ring route. Lunigiana world