Castelnuovo Magra

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club

The historic centre of Castelnuovo Magra dominates the landscape on the alluvial plain of the Magra river. Clearly visible are the two towers and boundary walls of the Luni Bishops' and Counts' Palace, where in 1306 Dante Alighieri signed the peace treaty between the House of Malaspina and the bishop Antonio Da Camilla. The Turris Magna is now open to the public and hosts numerous initiatives and exhibitions throughout the year.

The main street in the historic centre is the sandstone-paved Via Dante, lined with stately buildings with their splendid marble portals. Of particular note is Palazzo Amati-Ingolotti-Cornelio, whose rooms are decorated with vibrant 19th-century frescoes. Also worth seeing is the 17th-century parish church of St Mary Magdalene, which contains a canvas of the Crucifixion by Peter Brueghel the Younger and many marble pieces sculpted by Carrara craftsmen.

The area has a 10 kilometre network of footpaths, included in the CAI directory. Most of the hilly trails are accessible on foot, on horseback or by mountain-bike. The local speciality is Vermentino, which you can sample at the various wine bars in the village, at the Regional Wine Centre of Liguria and Lunigiana, housed in the old wine cellars of Palazzo Amati. Typical food includes chestnut pancakes, a rice cake known as the "scema" and "polenta incatenata", a dish of cornmeal made with beans and kale.