Borgo di Mulazzo
Mulazzo and the Malaspina of Spino Secco, Franceschino, and Dante Alighieri
There was a time when Lunigiana had an undisputed capital: Mulazzo. The land of the Malaspina family par excellence, here, at the beginning of the 14th century, Dante Alighieri, the “ghibelline fugitive” exiled from Florence, is believed to have stayed.
Oberto I (Count of Luni from 945), his grandson Oberto Obizzo I (the founder of the Malaspina family of Lunigiana), and his son Alberto II (the first to be called “Malaspina”). Then, Obizzo I “the Great,” initially an opponent of Frederick I Barbarossa, became his ally, proving capable of guiding the emperor over the Apennines when the people of Pontremoli blocked his passage in 1167.
The sons of Obizzo I (Obizzo II, also known as Obizzone, and Moroello I) were the protagonists of the division of the feudal estate. In 1221, in fact, to Corrado Malaspina (whom Dante would call “the Ancient”), the son of Obizzone, went the territories on the right bank of the Magra River, along with those of Villafranca, with the capital in Mulazzo and the symbol of the Spino Secco; to his cousin Obizzino went the territories on the left bank, centered around Filattiera, with the symbol of the Spino Fiorito.
In Mulazzo, there are the remains of the ancient tower known as the “Tower of Dante”, as it is believed to have hosted the Supreme Poet. This is what remains of a large fortified structure built between the 12th and 13th centuries, which was reduced in height at the end of the 18th century by the Malaspina family because it blocked sunlight to their new palace.
By the 14th-15th centuries, the tower had already lost its importance, replaced by the castle, the ruins of which are visible on the western promontory of the town, near the arches of the Malaspina aqueduct, under which modern roads now pass.
Adjacent to the palace is the Church of San Nicolò, originally (15th century) a family chapel of the Malaspina.
Today, the church presents itself in the form given by the restoration works following the damage caused by the 1920 earthquake. Alongside the title of San Nicolò, it also carries the title of San Martino: in the 16th century, in fact, the parish church was moved here from the ancient church at the foot of the town. The oratory, located within the cemetery’s perimeter, preserves traces of ancient decorations and retains its charm, especially due to the presence of the sandstone “vela” (a type of decorative element), which completes and adorns the top of the façade.
Of very ancient foundation, it only appears in documents at the end of the 13th century as a chapel dependent on the Pieve of Sorano, but its origins are much older.
How to Reach the Village of Mulazzo
From Pontremoli, follow the signs toward Groppoli/Mulazzo. Once you reach the Arpiola area, at the roundabout with the olive tree, take the first exit following the signs for Mulazzo. Continue on the road for about 2.7 kilometers and climb up to the town. You can park before the arches and walk up to the medieval village, or pass through the arches, turn right, and follow the road to the parking area at Piazza Dante, where you will find the Dante Tower and the Malaspina Archive Museum.
Nearby you can fnd
the Village of Lusuolo, Castello di Castevoli, Mulazzo Route – Ciclovia dei Castelli, Evento Bancarel’Vino, the Village of Montereggio, Cascate di Parana, Fonte dell’Acqua Salata e Fonte di Bergondola, Santuario della Madonna del Monte, Groppa Bridge, Dantesque Lunigiana Museum, Malaspina Archive Museum, Malaspina Castle of Lusuolo.
Lunigiana World thanks our friend Paolo Bissoli for the text about the village of Mulazzo.
