Old Window

by Paolo Signorini

Title

Old Window

Artist

Paolo Signorini

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Castiglione del Terziere - Bagnone - Lunigiana - Italy

The ancient hamlet of Castiglione del Terziere in Lunigiana dominates the valley of the Bagnone river, from a hill approximately 335 meters high. It is reachable traveling throughout the Motorway A11 Firenze-Mare until Lucca, then continuing on the A12 Genova-Livorno until the crossing point with the A15 Parma-La Spezia. Leave the A15 at the exit ‘Aulla’ and follow the SS62 until the town of Villafranca in Lunigiana, from here follow the SP26 that lead to Bagnone. Just passed the village the road begins to climb [after the bridge continue on the right] toward Castiglione. The indications are clear.Castiglione [from the 1275 century called ‘del Terziere’ because it was comprised in the third part of the paternal inheritance assigned to marquis Alberto Malaspina of the branch of Filattiera] rises on the site of an ancient (6/7th century) Byzantine fortified stronghold acting like remote defence of Luni. The aspect of the village, dominated by the castle, dates for great part back to the Middle Ages, when Castiglione, from the 10th to 12th century, was fief of the Corbellari [Lords also of the nearby castle of Virgoletta] that in 1202 yield it to the Malaspina. Its period of maximum importance and development coincides with the domination of Castruccio Castracani of the Alteminelli, commander and Lord of Lucca, that made of Castiglione one of its strongholds pursuing the dream to unite Lunigiana, Garfagnana, Lucchesia and Versilia in an only great state. This plan never succeeded and the castle returned to have some importance only from 1451, when it become center of the Florentine Captaincy of Justice for the Lunigiana, thanks to its ideal position to control important mountain roads of communication. The castle was also the main strategic garrison along two branch of Francigena Road, the first coming from Lucca and the other from the mountains across the ‘Passo di Tea’, than had here their crossing point.

Uploaded

December 6th, 2021

Colors

Embed

Share

Tags