Fivizzano between the Apennines and urban history

Fivizzano between the Apennines and urban history

Fivizzano lies on a 326-meter-high hill on the left bank of the Rosaro stream, at the foot of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and near the Apuan Alps. The town is located on Strada Statale 63 del Cerreto, an important transport connection to Emilia and northern Italy. For your planning, the town’s history, mountain landscape and destinations in the wider surrounding area can be considered as different focal points.

Historic center and sacred art

In Fivizzano’s historic center, surrounded by walls, Piazza Medicea dominates with its monumental fountain. The Mura Medicee were built around the middle of the 16th century; today, the sections on the western side, as well as the three gates—Sarzanese to the south, Modenese to the north and Lucchese to the east—are especially visible.

The Church of Saints Jacopo and Antonio was built in the 13th century at the initiative of the monks of Sant’Antonio di Vienne, became a parish church in 1378 and has been the Marian sanctuary Madonna di Reggio, Beata Vergine dell’Adorazione, since 1946. In Gragnola in the Fivizzano area stands Castello dell’Aquila, a 14th-century manor house that was completely restored after a long period of decay.

The Museo di San Giovanni displays valuable sacred furnishings and numerous works of significant art-historical importance from the former Augustinian monastery, as well as from parish and other churches in the Fivizzano area. The Museo della Stampa in Palazzo Fantoni Bononi focuses on Fivizzano’s printing history: in 1471, Jacopo da Fivizzano printed the first books there using movable type, and in 1802 Agostino Fantoni developed an early prototype of a typewriter. The Museo della Stampa is currently closed because the building has been unusable since the earthquake in June 2013.

Natural environment and destinations in the surrounding area

The Geo-Archeo-Adventure Park of the Equi Caves is located in Equi Terme within the municipality of Fivizzano, in the heart of the Regional Park of the Apuan Alps and in a UNESCO-recognized Global Geopark. Castello Malaspina is a castle in the vicinity of Fivizzano. In the wider regional area are Cava Museo, a museum, Palazzo Cybo Malaspina, a palace, and the Galleria d’Arte "Il Borgo", a museum.

Monte Giogo and Monte La Nuda are mountains in the vicinity of Fivizzano. Monte Tondo and Monte Alto are peaks in the vicinity of Fivizzano.

Local cuisine and pilgrimage connections

At the 2024 edition of Fivizzano Sapori, the historic center was brought to life for four days with a food market and stalls offering local dishes. On Via del Volto Santo, at Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, which is also called Piazza Medicea, there is a pilgrims’ hostel with 10 sleeping places for pilgrims traveling to Lucca Cathedral. The cathedral houses an old wooden crucifix.

When choosing your hotel, you can compare Fivizzano itself, with its historic center, with destinations in the surrounding area. This allows you to decide whether the town’s history, mountain landscape, museums or the wider regional area should be the focus of your trip to Italy.

You can find more local pages under San Terenzo Monti, Bardine Di San Terenzo, Vezzanello, Sassalbo, Mommio and Maglietola; you can also discover Comano.

For the higher-level travel overview: Massa-Carrara.