Castelnuovo Magra
Castelnuovo Magra: a jewel of Liguria with a breathtaking view
Hello friends, today I want to tell you about Castelnuovo Magra, an Italian commune in the province of La Spezia in Liguria. This ancient village is located on Mount Bastione and offers a panoramic view at 360° of the valley, which extends from the Tyrrhenian coast to the Val di Vara. If the day is particularly clear, it is possible to see the islands of Gorgona and Capraia, up to the silhouette of Corsica. The highest altitude in the area is 698 m above sea level and the territory is composed of various hamlets.
Physical geography: the breathtaking panorama of Castelnuovo Magra
Castelnuovo Magra is a city of ancient charm and historical fortresses, which offers a breathtaking view of the valley. It is located on Mount Bastione, a hill that slopes down to the plain of the Magra river, and this makes it particularly panoramic. The position allows the inhabited center to enjoy a view that goes from the Tyrrhenian coast to the Val di Vara, which can be admired from the historic center and the hamlets of Marciano and Colombiera, located on the hills. To the south, on the border with San Lazzaro di Sarzana, there is Molicciara, crossed by the Bettigna stream and the nineteenth-century Lunense canal.
History: from the Roman period to the fall of the Western Roman Empire
The territory of Castelnuovo Magra has always been historically and culturally linked to the area of the lower Lunigiana, which is located between the provinces of La Spezia and Massa-Carrara. During the Roman Empire, the city was part of Luna, a Roman colony, becoming an important commercial center of the empire. Traces of Roman settlements are still present in the castelnovese territory, also from some building findings of an imperial "domus agricola" in the area of the Colline del Sole.
At the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the entire territory was subjected to the strong control of the Dioceses of Luni, which made the village one of their bishoprics. During the Middle Ages, the first villages and fortified villages arose, including the "castrum de monte Leonis", mentioned in an official document of March 4, 1096 ('Pelavicino Code').
The birth of the primitive village of Castelnuovo presumably dates back to between 1187 and 1203, the year in which the name of the village appears for the first time in an official act. It was the war between the bishop of Luni Gualtiero II and the Malaspina marquises, great feudal lords of Lunigiana, towards the end of the twelfth century, that led to the decision to build a garrison between Fosdinovo and Carrara for the defense and control of the main communication routes of the fiefdom, including the famous Via Francigena, traveled by pilgrims.
Conclusion
Castelnuovo Magra is a jewel of Liguria, with ancient history and historical fortresses. On Mount Bastione offers a panoramic view at 360° of the valley that extends from the Tyrrhenian coast to the Val di Vara. The territory of Castelnuovo Magra has always been historically and culturally linked to the area of the lower Lunigiana, an area located between the current provinces of La Spezia and Massa-Carrara. With various hamlets, the city offers a complete tourist experience that is worth visiting and discovering.
