Terra di Toscana www.terraditoscana.com

Towns of the area

35 / 35

Villa Collemandina

Hotels Farmholidays Restaurants

Inhabitants in 1991: 1.354

The Villa Coillemandina territory extends for 34,81 square kilometres on the left slopes of the high valley of the Serchio in the Garfagnana. The centre is set against a rocky projection which overhangs the gorge of Carpineto.

In the Longobarda era this territory was dominated by the family of the Orlandinghi. It was then received in heredity by the Nobles of San Michele and one of these, Culimondo, tied his name to the town of the “villa”, which constituted the centre of the dominion. In 1248 it was ceded to Castiglione, then autonomous municipality, but a few years later all the territory came under the jurisdiction of Lucca where it remained until 1451 when it consigned itself to the Estensi, and Villa Collemandina remained under the government of Modena, until the Unity of Italy. In 1920 the disastrous earthquake which hit the Garfagnana had its epicentre there but thanks to the work of the survivors – who had also been able to rebuild stone by stone the beautiful Romanic church – the centre resurfaced after few years.

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


Terraditoscana © Polimedia - All rights reserved
Press registration n. 5528 10/11/2006 - Editor Polimedia - P.IVA 06790950486