Garfagnana: land full of villages and castles to discover

Garfagnana - The term Garfagnana refers to an area in the province of Lucca, in Tuscany, between the Apuan Alps, the province of Massa Carrara and Emilia Romagna. It is an area rich in medieval villages and castles, given the glorious past of the Middle Ages. In fact, let's start from what is called 'the door of the Garfagnana', that is Borgo a Mozzano, known above all for the Devil's Bridge, on the Serchio river.

It dates back to the eleventh century, and is so called because according to a legend it was built in one night precisely because of the intervention of the devil. It is completely made of stone and the climb is very steep. We proceed with the Rocca di Ghivizzano, a village of Roman origin that seems to be protected by the castle and its towers. The castle is linked to the ancient Antelminelli family of which some remains are preserved in the nearby church. Continuing we arrive in Barga, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, known for being the home of the poet Giovanni Pascoli for some years and for preserving his remains. Casa Pascoli is the residence where books and manuscripts are still kept today, a place that still remains as it was when the poet died. Here too there is a castle, while the cathedral is dedicated to San Cristoforo. Going forward you arrive in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, the regional capital. While continuing still we arrive at the lake of Gramolazzo which introduces us to the municipality of Minucciano.