The Village of Lusuolo Castle
The village of Lusuolo is located in the municipality of Mulazzo, along the road on the left side of the Magra River that connects Mulazzo with Barbarasco.
A double row of houses lines the road along the ridge overlooking the Magra. Situated on the southern border of Mulazzo’s territory, Lusuolo is enclosed by high walls at both ends and defended by the large Malaspina Castle, whose distinctive triangular layout was dictated by the area’s topography.
The village stands in an area once described as “cultivated with fine vineyards, olive groves, and diverse crops…” A small community (in 1833, the parish had only 229 inhabitants) compared to the significance it has held since the Middle Ages.
The village was a crossroads for routes between north and south and for the “Genovesato”. The Magra River was a major obstacle in times when building and maintaining large bridges was a challenging task. This was a key crossing point, and in the second half of the 19th century, records indicate the presence of a boat ferrying people and goods between the “Chiesaccia” of Groppofosco and Lusuolo.
Land of the Malaspina
Lusuolo was already an autonomous fief in the 14th century when the castle was built—too important not to attract the interest of others. As early as 1424, it fell under the influence of the Republic of Florence and, at the beginning of the 17th century, became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
It was a long and far from peaceful period, especially in the 15th century, when in 1449, Lusuolo was besieged and almost destroyed by the army of the Republic of Genoa, led by Galeotto di Campofregoso.
At the entrance of the village stands the Parish Church of St. Matthew, built in the second half of the 16th century, the heir to an ancient chapel mentioned in 1187 and under the jurisdiction of the Pieve of Castevoli. Also dependent on it was an old oratory dedicated to St. Michael, possibly the one traditionally known as “San Rocco,” which still existed until the mid-20th century along the road to Campoli. Nearby, there was a hospitale, a shelter for travelers and pilgrims.
Nearby you can find
Malaspina Castle of Lusuolo, Malaspina Archive Museum, the Village of Mulazzo, Cascate di Parana.
Lunigiana World thanks our friend Paolo Bissoli for the text on the Village of Lusuolo.
