Location
The characteristic element of the territory of Montignoso, already frequented by the ancient Liguri-Apuanis, it's represented from the Castle Aghinolfi, mighty fortification altomedievale, one of the most ancient Italian castles, set to defense of the zone and fortitude ever conquered.
The castle stands on an isolated hill, on the slopes of the Apuan Alps, to the left of the Tascio torrent.
The sea isn’t far and the fact that the castle overlooks the via Francigena gave it an important strategic role.
A document of the eight century proves that in the Lombard period, Aghinulfo castle stood here. Aghinulfo was probably a member of the Lombard court of Lucca.
In the late Middle Age the castle, although not continuously, was under the jurisdiction of Lucca, as Montagnoso was considered valuable for its position controlling the sea. Some renovation done on the structure probably dates back to this time.
Other significant modifications seem to date back to the fifteenth century and work also continued in the following centuries in a series of expansions and developments of the structures.
The last military occupation of the castle, with the relevant architectural modifications, dates back to 1945, when it was occupied by a Nazi garrison, becoming one of the strongholds of the Gothic Line.
The architectural complex consists of variuos elements: sturdy walls with towers encircling two large spaces at different heights: the uppermost space is occupied by the parade round, with a rampant walk supported by numerous arches. There is also a keep consisting of a large building with an octagonal base (probably the oldest in the entire complex) joined to a circular tower (baluardo di San Paolino) by a wall.
The octagonal building, dating back presumably to the twelfth century, seems to have been used for both military and residential purposes.
The complex layout of the castle and the numerous modifications applied over the years are the basis of the recent restoration, which aims at laying bare the different phases of construction using archaeological reading techniques on the different objects found as well as special planning solutions.
MONTIGNOSO
The origin of Montignoso is lost in the distant medioevo, the first news goes up again in fact a year 753, when Astolfo, king of the Longobardis, gives Anselmo, founder and first abbot of the abbey of Nonantola to brother-in-law (MO), an olive-grove set in the proximities of the Castle Aghinolfi, whose oil had to serve to maintain the lights in the Church.
Surely the Castle or Fortitude, as the inhabitants of Montignoso prefer to call him/it, it has more ancient origins and has always been a point of essential reference in how much it represented a sure rampart to protection of the small villages set along the Channel of Montignoso.
I concern to the first inhabitants of our zone:
an ancient tradition would like that some pirates, disembarked on the beaches and pushed him toward the inside, they manufactured a called village Corsanico from their name, village retained now also by the inhabitants as the most ancient village of the montignosino;
another voice tells instead that toward the year 577 of the vulgar era, a column departed him by Luni Montignoso built for relegating to you the malefactors.
True or false that is these voices it is certain that when Luni for the invasions of the Barbarians and the unhealthiness of the climate slowly started to expire, many of his inhabitants looked for kindergarten on the near mountains, where I will dictate hand to build him huts and houses, “who knows that the simigliante didn't happen for Montignoso yet?” (G. Sforza - historical Memories of Montignoso).
Strongly it has been always the attachment of the Montignosinis to the religion that was not testified only from the Parish of St. Vito, that built before the year thousand, the beginnings of the eight hundred it was demolished to and it was found in the side toward Mass of our Cemetery that note of St. Vito is called, but also in other Churches and shed Oratories in the fractions of Huts, Plaza, Lawn, Cerreto, St. Eustachio and Vietina. Unfortunately the territory during the second world war had to bear for well seven months the aerial bombardments and the naval connoneggiamento of the Allies, and so of so many Churches it was only saved that of St. Eustachio and some other Chapel.
The actual Churches of St. Vito and Saint Maria of the Rosa and others are in fact approximate reconstructions of the preexisting ones.
Distances from the points of interest
LOCATION KM MINUTES
FORTE DEI MARMI 7 10
COLONNATA 15 20
VIAREGGIO 20 20
LERICI 30 25
TELLARO 34 30
LUCCA 45 30
SARZANA 26 32
PONTREMOLI 60 35
PISA 50 35
MONTEMARCELLO 27 43
RIOMAGGIORE 50 45
VARESE LIGURE 74 45
FIVIZZANO 58 50
BARGA 60 50
MONTEROSSO 65 55
PORTOVENERE 54 60
FIRENZE 110 60
GENOVA 120 65
PORTOFINO 100 70
PARMA 143 75
MILANO 220 110
ROMA 360 190
* all figures are considered estimates of max.
CITY TO VISIT
Pisa (km 62 - 00h49)
Lucca (km 62 - 00h50)
Firenze (km133 - 01h41)
Parma (km 124 - 01h27)
Genova (km 107 - 01h30)
