Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park (also know as Parco nazionale dell'Appennino Tosco-Emiliano in Italian) is
a 227.9 km²
park located in the western part of the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna in Italy, in the provinces of Massa-Carrara, Lucca, Reggio Emilia and Parma. The National Park was created in 2010.
How do I arrive to Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park?
The National Park can be easily reached from both Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna because it's located among them.
- Train: one of the most important towns is Pontremoli, that can be arrived from Villafranca-Bagnone (aprox. 10 minutes), La Spezia (aprox. 45 minutes), Sarzana (aprox. 55 minutes), Carrara (aprox. 1 hour), Massa (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes), Parma (aprox. 1 hour 20 minutes). Castelnuovo de Garfagnana can be reached from Barga-Gallicano (aprox. 15 minutes), Aulla Lunigiana (aprox. 50 minutes), Lucca (aprox. 1 hour 5 minutes) or Pisa (aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes).
- Bus: there are some from the main towns to the main sightseeing places in the national park.
- Car: in case having a car Pontremoli can be arrived from Villafranca in Lunigiana (aprox. 15 minutes), Sarzana (aprox. 30 minutes), La Spezia (aprox. 35 minutes), Comano and Fivizzano (aprox. 40 minutes), Carrara and Massa (aprox. 50 minutes), Corniglio (aprox. 1 hour 5 minutes), Parma (aprox. 1 hour 10 minutes) and Castelnuovo di Garfagnana (aprox. 1 hour 40 minutes). Castelnuovo de Garfagnana can be reached from Barga (aprox. 15 minutes), Aulla Lunigiana (aprox. 50 minutes), Lucca (aprox. 55 minutes), Montecatini Terme (aprox. 1 hour 5 minutes), Pisa (aprox. 1 hour 10 minutes) or Pistoia (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes). Castelnovo ne' Monti can be arrived from Cervarezza Terme (aprox. 15 minutes), Sassuolo (aprox. 50 minutes), Monchio delle Corti and Reggio Emilia (aprox. 55 minutes), Modena (aprox. 1 hour 10 minutes) or Parma and Corniglio (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes).
Once
in the Park the best ways to move around the park are the car, bike or simply hiking.
History
Ligurians were the first people to settle in the region because they were shepherds that lived off the mountainous terrain. In 187 BC the Romans were able to conquer the land between Parma and Lucca and it was already a pivotal region due to its location between the sea and Po Valley (making it easier to be connected to the rest of Europe and their empire) and formed the Port of Luni. The collapse of the ancient Romans sparked the age of diminishing populations, invasion and spiritual pilgrimages (existing Roman roads became passageways for pilgrims to Rome or Jerusalem, specially Via Francigena). During the reign of Matilde of Canossa the present-day territories of the Park became the heart of her kingdom (she ruled from 1076 to 1115 over the Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany regions), building castles, churches and hostels for travelers. Italy's territories were very unstable from the 12th to 19th centuries because most of rulers wanted to control the roads to Rome. As a result, the land was split in several small duchys and fiefs, whose rulers could abruptly change from one year to another. When Italy became unified (1861), the region of the Park was under one country for the first time in centuries but population started to grow and poverty expanded, with many families forced to flee in search of a better life. In the first part of WW2 its mountains provided cover and became a safe place for the Italian people to flee but in 1943, the establishment of a German defensive line (the Gothic Line) divided the Park and Italy into two sides, resulting in a two-year civil war where the resistance of Nazi Germany and Italian Social Republic fought the Allied forces and Partisans. After the war the people living here emigrated to larger cities such as Parma, Milan and Rome. Villages and lands were abandoned as there was nothing left for the people to live on. The Park was granted the title of a national park in 2001 because of its location in the Apennine Mountains, the diverse wildlife that resides and the unique history and culture that remains in this area and in 2015 it was awarded the recognition of being a MaB UNESCO site.
What can I visit in Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park?
Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park is a quite under the radar destination. Now it will be explained what to do in the park according to
the town or village where they are or the nearest one:
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- In the way that connects Corniglio with Pontremoli it can be found some very nice places to stop. One of them is the nice Pracchiola Waterfall.
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Pontremoli
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- Pontremoli (Pontrémal in Emilian): 7,357 inhabitants town by river Magra in the province of Massa-Carrara, Tuscany, in the western part of the National Park. It's the heart of the area La Lunigiana, part of Via Francigena and it's thought to have been Apua, the most important town of the Ligurian tribe of the Apuani.
- Piagnaro Castle (10-18:30 from Jun to Sep; 9:30-17:30 from Oct to May; 7€/ 4€/ free adults/ retiree and kids under 14/ kids under 6): castle built around the year 1000 to watch over the road network that wound its way through these valleys. The complex is divided into two levels: the oldest is situated around the upper courtyard while the castle’s other core was built below and surrounds the larger courtyard.
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Museum of Lunigianesi Stele Statues
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From its upper part there are great views. The castle is also home of Museum of Lunigianesi Stele Statues, a museum that contains a number of Bronze Age stone sculptures (representing human figures) found in Lunigiana. - Pontremoli Co-Cathedral: 17th century cathedral designed by Alessandro Capra that from 1787 was the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Pontremoli and since 1988 it has been a co-cathedral in the Diocese of Massa Carrara-Pontremoli. It has a Neo-Renaissance style façade erected in 1926 and the interior was frescoed by Francesco Natali with added stucco decoration.
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Pontremoli Co-Cathedral
and Campanone
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The church has a 13th-century icon of the Madonna del Popolo and some nice paintings like Birth of the Virgin by Giandomenico Ferretti, Visitation by Vincenzo Meucci, Marriage of the Virgin by Giuseppe Peroni or Annunciation by Giuseppe Bottani. It can also be visited the Pontremoli Diocesan Museum (15:30-19 Sat-Sun) to discover some of the treasures of the cathedral and the whole diocese.
- Campanone: tower of the former Cazzaguerra fortress' curtain wall commissioned by Castruccio Castracani in the 14th century to separate the factions of Guelphs and Ghibellines in different parts of the town. In 1578 the tower was transformed into a belltower and today it's the town's main symbol.
- Teatro dell’Accademia della Rosa: 18th century threater in Rococo style (one of the most typical examples in this style), commissioned by 25 noble families of Pontremoli.
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| Church of Santissima Annunziata |
- Sts. Giovanni e Colombano Church: church first built in the 13th century whose interior features 18th century stuccoes by the Ticinese workshop of the Portugalli school and holds interesting artworks, including a bas-relief by Agostino di Duccio, a wooden choir by Luchino of Parma, the Ecstasy of Saint Francis by Gianbettino Cignaroli and a Crucifixion by Guido Reni.
- In the entrance of Pontremoli there's the Church of Santissima Annunziata, majestic church from the 15th century when the Virgin Mary, painted on a newsstand, miraculously spoke to a child in 1470. Inside it has a small temple with multicoloured marble decoration attributed to Andrea Sansovino and there's a lunnette by Luca Cambiaso, Adoration of the Magi and a beautiful statue of St. Augustine that has been attributed to Michelangelo.
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Sorano Church
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In the way that connects Pontremoliand Villafranca in Lunigiana the visitor can stop at two very nice spots in the town of Filattiera (Faltéra in Emilian) with 2,243 inhabitants. One of them is Malaspina Castle in Filattiera, castello
built by Malaspina family in the second half of the 14th century whose
interior has three large halls and is surrounded by a large garden. The
other one is St. Giorgio Church,
a 12th century church that contains a rare tombstone from 752
remembering the work of a Lombard bishop. Outside the village there's Sorano Church
(9-12 and 15-19), a church that is a wonderful example of Romanesque
architecture, known since 1158, close to where stele statues were discovered (it used to be
a settlement in the Bronze Age and also in Roman times). Close to Filattiera it can be discovered the cute Torrente Monia Waterfall and Debbia Mill.
- Villafranca in Lunigiana (Vilafranca in Emilian): 4,675 inhabitants town in the province of Massa-Carrara, Tuscany, in the western part of the National Park.
- Ethnographical Museum of Lunigiana (10-13 and 15-18 Sat-Sun; 2€):
museum that introduces the visitor to the area of Lunigiana, admiring
farming and shepherding equipment, artisan tools and objects of
everyday, personal, domestic and devotional use. It's place in some
former 14th century mills.
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Malgrate Castle
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- St. Francesco Church:
church from the 16th century, that although it was extensively damaged
during WW2, keeps the altarpieces from the Della Robbia school. It's
also the burial place by the Malaspina family.
- Villafranca has several frazione that are home of picturesque places. One of them is the picturesque village of Virgoletta, home of Sts. Gervasio e Protasio Church (church rich in works of art and relics like the 17th century marble altar and the marble polyptych placed in the main apse). Very close to it is located Castiglione del Terziere Castle, castle that dates back to the early Middle Ages that threatened to ruin around the 1960s, being restored respecting its architectural truth.
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Old Bridge of Lugagnano
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- On the way towards the mountains, before reaching Bagnone, there's Malgrate Castle, a castle first mentioned in 1351 (althought it already existed in the 12th century) and belonged to Malaspina family that is one remains one of the most attractive castles in Lunigiana.
- On the other side of the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna there's Monchio delle Corti (Monc' in Emilian), a 869 inhabitants village in the province of Parma (Emilia-Romagna). Here it can be visited some nice places like Sts. Lorenzo e Michele Church,
16th century church (first built in 1230)
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Monte Sillara
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with Baroque decoration and
internally decorated with frescoes on the vaults and some works of art
such as the Baptism of Christ attributed to Pier Antonio Bernabei; or Old Bridge of Lugagnano: picturesque bridge from 1602 built over the Cedra stream. In the municipality is can be done many routes but the most spectacular one is Val Parma: Monte Sillara-Prato Spilla Trail (15.3 km), a route that reaches Monte Sillara (1,861 m high, highest peak in the Appennino Parmense) going next to Ballano Lake and Verde Lake.
- Comano (Comàn in Emilian): 690 people village in the province of Massa-Carrara, Tuscany.
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Comano Castle
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- Comano Castle: remains of a castle that dates back to the 9th century (first documented when the Marquis and Duke of Tuscany Adalberto I donated in 884 the castle to the Benedictine monastery of Aulla) and was important for its strategic position. It keeps a tower and ruins of the rest of the buildings.
- St. Maria Assunta Church: Romanesque style church that was rebuilt in 1079 by the master builder Ottone, modified in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Not far from it, in the municipality of Licciana Nardi (4,870 inhabitants) can be found Bastia Castle, a fortress in Taverone Valley that occupied a strategic position in the point forced passage between the regions of Liguria, Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. The castle is very well preserved and privately owned.
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Beata Vergine Maria
dell'Adorazione Sanctuary
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- Going higher in the mountains it can be found Lagastrello Pass, place from where there are some routes that is located next to Paduli Lake.
- Fivizzano (Fiuzan in Emilian): 7,478 town in the province of Massa-Carrara, Tuscany. It has a beautiful square, Piazza Medicea, that is the main witness of the Florentine presence in town with a fountain built by Cosimo III de 'Medici in 1683.
- Beata Vergine Maria dell'Adorazione Sanctuary: church originally founded by the Hospitaller monks of St. Anthony in the 13th century. The façade is unfinished and has a marble coat of arms of the Medici while the interior is decorated with 17th century altars and in the choir there is a lunette with a Pietà and two panels by Pierfrancesco Foschi from the 16th century. Among its treasures there's a baptismal font of the 14th century.
- Oratory of St. Carlo Borromeo: oratory was built in 1702 by the then governor of Lunigiana that has a beautiful Baroque stone portal.
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Verrucola Fortress
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Inside, the altar is decorated with stuccoes and in the center there's the tomb of Giovanni Fantoni. - Fivizzano Walls: remains of the walls erected in 1478 and demolished in 1835. Only three access gates remain in the town: Porta Sarzanese, Porta Modenese and Porta Nuova.
- In the village of Verrucola it can be seen Verrucola Fortress,
a 12th century fortress located overlooking the town of San Romano in
Garfagnana, disputed for a long time between the Bacciano and the more
powerful Gherardinghi, considered the most important medieval vestiges
of the area. It was abandoned till 1980, being now in a good state of
preservation.
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Cerreto Lakes
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- In the way to Cervarezza Terme it can be found the St. Paolo In Vendaso Church,
a Romanesque church first mentioned in 1148 that suffered important
damages in the earthquakes of 1837 and 1920. One of its most interesting
things are the capitals, characterized by flowers, spirals, animal
figures and other decoration.
- In the way to Cervarezza Terme, just in the border between both regions, in Cerreto Pass, begins a route that connects this pass with Lagastrello Pass and Prato Spilla, Passo del Cerreto–Rifugio Sarzana al Monte Acuto–Diga del Lagastrello–Pratospilla Trail (15.6 km). Also here are located Cerreto Lakes (with its most spectacular one being Cerretano Lake), that can be discovered with the nice route Pezzalunga-Belfiore Trail (13.2 km).
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Monte Ventasso
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On the other side of the park, in the province of Parma in Emilia-Romagna, it can be found Cervarezza Terme (Cervarèša in Emilian), a village with 672 inhabitants. In the tourist office there's a small museum, the Cork Museum fo Cercarezza Terme, that tells the historical local activity of cork processing. But the main reason to come here is because its proximity to Appennino Tosco-Emiliano Mab UNESCO Reserve. Here the visitor can enjoy beautiful nature, forests and valley by hiking some of its routes. Some of the most spectacular ones are Acquabona-Ventasso Trail (12.3 km) that goes from the village of Acquabona to Ventasso; Lago Calamone-Monte Ventasso Trail (7 km), route that connects the Calamone Lake with the mount and Monte Ventasso-Monte Pastorale Trail (6.5 km), with all this trails stopping at Monte Ventasso (1,727 m high).
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Pietra di Bismantova
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- Castelnovo ne' Monti (Castelnōv di Mûnt in Emilian): 10,558 inhabitants town in the province of Reggio Emilia in Emilia-Romagna, considered the capital of the Appennino reggiano. Although it doesn't have many things to do, it offers one of the largest cuantity of accommodation.
- Pietra di Bismantova: characteristic mountain that is 1041 m high that looks like a narrow plateau with steep walls, which stands isolated among the Apennine mountains and was mentioned in the Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri too. Here it's also located the Hermitage of Bismantova, a Benedictine hermitage from 17th century that already had a small church in 1422.
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| Golfarone Waterfall |
- Close to Castenovo ne' Monti it can be reached Villa Minozzo (La Vìla da Mnòcc in Emilian), a 3,658 inhabitants town that has an interesting church Sts. Quirico e Giulitta Martiri Church, church with medieval origin that has been modified and enlarged with time that keeps a valuable Romanesque stone lunette. Here it can also be seen the Rocca di Minozzo, castle that is believed to have been built in the times of Matilda of Tuscany during the 11th century, used as residence of the head of the court and the garrison of soldiers allocated by the Bishop of Reggio.
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Pania di Corfino
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Since 1521 the castle has experienced extreme deterioration but now it's restored. Not far from it is the beautiful Golfarone Waterfall.
- In the border between Emilia-Romagna and the province of Lucca (Tuscany). Here there's the Pania di Corfino, a massif that is part of the Orecchiella State Reserve. It can be visited the Pania di Corfino Botanical Garden (2€), a garden whose aim is to preserve the indigenous flora of the Apennine Mountains, Garfagnana valley and Apuan Alps, containing about 400 varieties of plants. One of the most interesting trails of the area is Anello Monte Prado-Tetto della Toscana Trail (36.8 km).
- Castelnuovo di Garfagnana: inhabitants town in the province of Lucca (Tuscany) that is the most important town in the historical and geographical region of Gafagnana. Its old town is worth to be visited.
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Castelnuovo di Garfagnana
Cathedral |
- Castelnuovo di Garfagnana Cathedral: duomo that was rebuilt in the15th century in Renaissance style (on a previous Romanesque nucleus) its late-Brunelleschian forms. The interior underwent profound changes in the Baroque period with the addition of nine altars. Some of its most important works of art are the Cristo nero from the 15th century, a 15th century century glazed terracotta from the workshop of Andrea della Robbia or a Madonna with Child and saints attributed to Il Salviatino.
- Rocca Ariostesca: medieval castle, symbol of the town, from the 12th century that already existed as a small garrison in the 10th century and enlarged by Castruccio Castracani.Over time it was also used as a prison and today it's the seat of exhibitions and cultural events,hosting in its rooms numerous finds and testimonies of the prehistoric period in Garfagnana.
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Rocca Ariosteca
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- Alfieri Threater: threater inaugurated in 1860 (2nd largest in the province of Lucca) commissioned by a group of local elders (including Count Giovanni Carli and Antonio Vittoni) and designed by Count Carli himself.
- Mont'Alfonso Fortress: fortress built by the Duchy of Ferrara, belonging to Este family, at the end of the 16th century to defend the border with the Republic of Lucca. In the 20th century Este familly sold it to the Scottish family Bechelli family and with time it suffered damages restored since 1980, when the Province of Lucca took over the structure. Today it's an important culture, research and education center.
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Fortezza Verrucole
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- Not far from Castelnuovo di Garfagnana the visitor can go to the Fortezza Verrucole Archeopark (), fortress with an strategic for controlling the Garfagnana valley built by the Gherardinghi family around the 11th-12th century to dominate the area they ruled over and to oppose the Bacciano family. It was later given to Spinetta Malaspina, a member of another one of the medieval power-holding families that dominated the border between Tuscany, Liguria and Emilia. During the conflict between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines the fortress was taken by the Florentines, by Lucca and finally by the Este family. From here there are spectacular views of the Garfagnana valley and the Apuan Alps.
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Barga Cathedral and town
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- Barga: 9,931 inhabitants town on Serchio River
in the province of Lucca (Tuscany), being one of the most important towns in Gafagnana and placed in the list of the most beautifull villages in Italy. It's known as the most Scottish town in Italy because at the end of the 19th century a number of Italians from the town emigrated to Scotland and there were many returnees.
- Barga Cathedral: duomo whose construction started in the 11th century, and its main layout is an example of Romanesque architecture, although work continued into the 16th century. The temple has a castle-like bell tower and a façade block has a repeated cryptic inscription. It contains some 12th-13th century fonts, one with a carving depicting John the Baptist, a terracotta by the studio of Della Robbia and a 14th century image of the Madonna del Molino on a canvas depicting Barga circa 1500.
- Church of the Santissimo Crocifisso: 15th century church whose construction began in the 13th century. The façade has two niches with marble statues and the interior is highly decorated in stucco and gilding and the choir has 15th century wooden carved stalls.
- Church of the Santissima Annunziata: 16th century church built around a venerated icon of the Virgin. An altarpiece has a canvas depicting a Madonna and child and Saints by Baccio Ciarpi and in the choir are frescoes too.
- There are nice views of the old town of Barga from Piazzale del Fosso.
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Grotta del Vento
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Only 9 km far from Barga it can be visited the Grotta del Vento (guided tours; itinerary 1: 9€/ 7€ adults/ reduced; itinerary 2: 14€/ 11€ adults/ reduced; itinerary 3: 20€/ 16€ adults/ reduced;), caves that are considered one of the most interesting and unique in Europe thanks to an extraordinary variety of phenomena found inside, having stalagmites, stalactites, alabaster walls, small lakes encrusted with crystal, underwater streams and bizarre shapes carved out of the rock by years of erosion, making it a stunning place to visit. There are guided tours of 1 hour (itinerary 1), 2 hours (itinerary 2) and 3 hours (itinerary 3).
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| Palazzo Dei Capitani della Montagna |
Continuing east from Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park, in the border between the provinces of Pistoia (Tuscany) and Modena (Emilia-Romagna), there are some very nice places to visit. Exploring the north of the province of Pistoia it can be found the village of Cutigliano
(399 inhabitants), widely regarded as one of the most beautiful
villages in Tuscany and Italy. It's worth to get lost on its streets but
there are also sightseeing points like Palazzo Dei Capitani Della Montagna, 14th century early Florentine Renaissance palace that was home of the Capitano della Montagna, officer sent from Florence to administer the Pistoia Mountain area. The village has two nice churches: Madonna di Piazza Church, 15th century church with some works attributed to Benedetto Buglioni, and St. Bartolomeo Church, 16th century church  |
Monte Cimone
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with some remarkable paintings like Circoncisione by Giovanni da San Giovanni or la Nascita della Vergine by Nicodemo Ferrucci. In the border between the two regions, in the province of Bologna, it can be found Corno alle Scale Regional Park (49.7 km2
park around the mountain Corno alle Scale, 1,945 m high). The regional park has many beautiful natural sights such as Scaffaiolo Lake, Dardagna Waterfall and the interesting route Rifugio Taburri-Libro Aperto-Cima Tauffi Trail (16.8 km). Not far from it is located Monte Cimone (2.165 m high mountaint, the highest in the northern Apennines) and the important Cimone Ski Resort.
Where can I eat in Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park?
The culinary offer of the park is diverse. Lunigiana has lots of local foods unique that include amor (small cake with creamy filling between wafers), spongata (Christmas cake containing chocolate, honey and hazelnuts), torta d'erbe (pie filled with a mixture of different ingredients) and testaroli (flat baked pasta, often served with pesto, sometimes regarded as the earliest recorded pasta). In the part of the park that corresponds to Emilia-Romagna it's very typical and famous the chesse parmigiano-reggiano, a hard and granular cheese that is produced from cow's milk protected with designations of origin.
Pontremoli has some nice places to eat like the cafe Antica Pasticceria Degli Svizzeri (Piazza della Repubblica 21/22), the trattoria Osteria Da Bussè (Piazza del Duomo 31) or the trattoria Pelliccia (Via Garibaldi 137).
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Banknotemaniac
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