So where is Lunigiana? It is the top most tip of Tuscany in Central Italy. Our nearest airport is Pisa at just over 1 hour away, but there are also airports at Parma, Genova and Bologna all under two hours. You will need a car if you want to fully explore the area, but if you are just planning a short break, as we are near a train station, there is still plenty you can do if you'd rather not drive.
For maps of Lunigiana and beyond click
here.
It is an area rich in History. Often referred to as the '
land of 100 castles' in medieval years it had one of the highest concentrations of fortifications anywhere in Europe. There were many more than that, but there are only about 30 that are still complete. Unique to the area are the stone 'stelae' or statues - a great record of them can be found
here.
This is a Google aerial view of Gragnola, we are in the centre of the village, the building at the bottom left corner of the crossroads. You can see the Castel Dell'Aquila to the right of the village.