Villafranca in Lunigiana

From the ruins of the Malnido Castle, with the square dedicated to Dante Alighieri, ancient guest of the Malaspina family, and the remains of the church of San Nicolò, the medieval road leads towards the parish church of San Giovanni and the Ethnographic Museum of Lunigiana.

If the castle recalls the Malaspina Marquis and the richness of medieval Villafranca, the Ethnographic Museum of Lunigiana, located in the ancient mill of Villafranca community dating back to the 16th century, instead, tells the story of the peasant civilization of the area with the exhibition of everyday objects of Lunigiana past.

The territory of Villafranca in Lunigiana is crossed by the Via Francigena which runs along paths, mule tracks and woods that run along the Magra river.

Along the route, there are numerous well-preserved medieval villages.  The best known is probably Filetto that, despite Renaissance transformations, still has the quadrangular urban structure and the shape of the late ancient castrum. With the acquisition of the ancient fiefdom by the Ariberti of Cremona, the village expanded towards east and was surrounded by a new ring of walls with two monumental doors. The hamlet of Malgrate was an ancient fiefdom with the castle and the high tower which still today controls the access to Bagnone Valley. From here, the view opens over the Magra valley and all the territory of Villafranca. Finally, Virgoletta, a street village, surrounded by walls more than ten meters high, with fountains, numerous “talking doors”, the Church of Saints Gervasio and Protasio and the Malaspina Castle.

In Villafranca in Lunigiana and in the surrounding villages there are numerous events, festivals, celebrations and historical reenactments throughout the year.

An example is "Zù p'r e l'Borg'" (down the village) usually in July, the Antiques Market where the shops of the local artisans of Filetto are opened every last Sunday of the month.

Not to be missed are the summer historical reenactment "Filetto Rinascimentale" (Renaissance Filetto) and the autumn events with chestnut festivals in the squares and the famous event dedicated to two-wheel enthusiasts: the "Castagna Bike" (Chestnut Bike) to discover the Lunigiana Bike Area.

In the many traditional taverns and typical trattorias of Villafranca you can still taste the authentic Lunigiana cuisine, with recipes based on chestnut flour, the Testarolo and the traditional Lunigiana Torta d'Erbi.