The small towns and hamlets do their best to find protection and fade from view and even the space loving Romans avoided building on the marshy plain.

The Via Francigena slices through this zone like a hot knife in lardo di Colonnata and the territory has always had an influx of travellers and pilgrims from north Italy to the south and vice versa.

The route actually exits the Appenines at Pontremoli after the Cisa Pass and follows the River Magra via Filattiera, Villafranca in Lunigiana, Terrarossa, Aulla, Caprigliola, Sarzana, Antica Luni and on to Avenza and the rest of Tuscany.

Pontremoli

Powerful merchant village which became a free comune in the year 1000 AD. Full of aristocratic homes, towered bridges and a castle.

Filattiera

Roman stopover before the main settlement at Luni. Still preserves a stretch of the ancient road from the 8th century.

Villafranca

Malaspina center with hospitals to receive pilgrims. The surrounding villages have preserved their medieval character.

Aulla

Benedictine Abbey from 884 AD. Here the old road split in three directions. The road to Sarzana and Luni was taken by those who sought a ship to the Holy Land, Rome or Spain.

Carrara and Massa

Look out for the precious works of art from the Lunigiana area in the old churches.