Malaspina Castle in Terrarossa
An imposing fortress on the via Francigena
The castle in Terrarossa, near Licciana Nardi, is one of the largest residences once owned by the Malaspina family still existing today. The fortress was built in the second half of the 1500s by the Marquise Fabrizio Malaspina, who designed a building so mighty that many elements were not brought to fruition by either him or his successors.
The castle, located along the via Francigena, is square in shape, with four bastions on the corners, some of which remain unfinished. At the centre, there’s a courtyard that can be accessed through a sandstone archway; the façades, made of river stones and square stone blocks in the corners, are simple. Inside the castle, there are more than 40 rooms, including large, ribbed-vaulted halls and apartments. A fun fact: in the past, various rooms were used for breeding silkworms. Today, the restored castle hosts events of all kinds.
