Villa and Park of the Rinchiostra

The Villa of the Rinchiostra in Massa was built in the late seventeenth century in the Baroque style, designed by architect Alessandro Bergamini and at the behest of Princess Teresa Pamphili, wife of Duke Charles II Malaspina. The building, which began as a rural residence, was converted into a villa and surrounded by a large garden. The huge park is now divided into several areas, used for play areas, bars and recreation. Also noteworthy are the numerous specimens of bitter orange trees, which have characterized the city for centuries, arranged along the city wall.

The Villa's areas have also been embellished with a collection of white Apuan marbles: sculptures worked with skill by Gigi Guadagnucci are housed here. Guadagnucci was a distinguished artist in the Apuan, French lands and around the world. Over forty works located here and donated to his hometown narrate the master's artistic journey within the museum named after him.

Today Villa of the Rinchiostra, which has belonged to the Municipality of Massa since 1997, is home to the municipal library, the Municipal School of Music and is a venue for cultural and musical events and exhibitions.

Since November 2025, it has temporarily housed the “Resistenza 1943–1945” exhibition, consisting of 141 panels with faithful reproductions of the original photographs safeguarded at the ANPI Historical Archives in Massa. Through images of faces, places and events, the exhibit offers a historical and visual journey on the Resistance in the Apuan territory until liberation of the city of Massa on April 10, 1945. The exhibition will return to its original location in 2026, once works on the Pomario Ducale (‘ex Cat’) area are completed.