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Towns of the area

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Castiglione di Garfagnana

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Inhabitants in 1991: 2.016

The municipal territory of Castiglione di Garfagnana extends for 48,64 square kilometres in the middle valley of the Serchio, between the Alpi Apuane and the Apennine in a zone for the most part mountains. At first it was a Lord’s centre and then Seat of Vicariate.

Recorded for the first time in 723, Castiglione was originally the dominion of the Gherardinghi. Farthest defensive stronghold of the Lords of Vesilia and Garfagnana against the penetration by Lucca in the high Serchio valley, it was occupied and devastated by Lucca for the first time in 1169, and successively in 1227; on this date it was raised to Capital of one of the two mountain Vicariates of Lucca. In 1370 Castiglione became the possession of Alderigo degli Antelminelli, returning however, the following year to the republic of Lucca. It then participated at the battle against Modena, in 1604 and 1613, entering then to be a part of the principality of Elisa Baciocchi Bonaparte (1806-1814). In 1819 it was ceded to Maria Luisa di Borbone, Duchess of Lucca, to Francesco IV Duke of Modena. In 1860 it was aggregated with the other communities of the Garfagnana to the province of Massa, were it remained until 1923. During the German occupation it knew with particular duress the Nazifascist violence, among the victims of these the partisan Luigi Berni is to be remembered.

Places to visit:
The Fortress, from the1300s, and still today well preserved.
S. Michele, church from the early 1400 preserves a precious Madonna con Bambino di Giuliano de Simone.

Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford


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