Bagnone

The village looking at Via Francigena

Bagnone is a charming hilltop fortified village beyond Villafranca in Lunigiana. Of its privately-owned castle you can still recognize from a distance the characteristic circular tower.

The history of this village is typical of the Lunigiana area. A territory contended between the feudal family Malaspina and the powerful cities of Milan, Parma, Florence and Genoa. A history of different rulers that has strengthen the unique identity of this land. For centuries under the power of the Malaspina family, Bagnone has tried several times to withdraw from the fiefdom to pass under the influence of Florence in the 1400s. Following the Campagne d’Italia in 1796, the village was annexed to the Ligurian Republic, then to the Apennines Department, and finally under the Duchy of Parma. The Unification of Italy in 1861 declared it part of the Province of Massa Carrara.

Today, thanks to its location perched on a rocky cliff overlooking the river, Bagnoneis one of the most evocative villages of Lunigiana. Its characteristic porticos, towers, the castle, the San Nicolò’schurch, all contribute to create a unique landscape where nature merges with history.

How to visit

The stop at Bagnone is included into “Water and Stone in Lunigiana” experience.