Tuscany · Lucca
Castiglione di Garfagnana
A walled medieval town at 540 meters in the Garfagnana, the Lucca outpost that refused to submit to the Este and held the pass to San Pellegrino.
540m
Elevation
77 km / 48 mi
Nearest hub (Pisa)
1,705
Population
May–Oct
Best time to visit
Recognised as
Why come
Castiglione di Garfagnana sits at 540 meters on the road to the San Pellegrino pass, in the upper Serchio valley, surrounded by chestnut woods and the Apuan and Apennine ridges. The Romans built a castrum here, the Castrum Leonis, to command the route between Lucca and Modena; what stands now is the thirteenth-century walled town, with three Torrioni and a Rocca that still anchor the south flank. Through the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, while the rest of the Garfagnana fell to the Este of Ferrara and was administered by Ariosto from nearby Castelnuovo, Castiglione held for the Republic of Lucca. The Estensi besieged it in 1603 and 1613 without taking it. The Pieve di San Pietro Apostolo, the oldest church in the borgo, was first built in 723 by two Lombard brothers and rebuilt in the twelfth century. In winter the trattorie serve chestnut polenta with boiled pork bones, the standard cold-weather dish of the valley.
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Apuan Roadtrip | A Steak, a Friend, and the Long Way Down to Lucca
There are two ways to drive from Aulla to Lucca. The first is the one everyone takes: the coast, the A12, the cruise control, ninety minutes of the same Tyrrhenian to your right. The second is the one we took with Daniel, on a clear day in November, and it is two and a half hours longer if you stop, but it is in a different country.
Known for
Rocca medievale
Thirteenth-century fortress with three Torrioni, the symbol of Castiglione and the anchor of the medieval walls.
Mura medievali
Well-preserved thirteenth-century walls with large defensive towers ringing the borgo, intact for most of their length.
Pieve di San Pietro Apostolo
Oldest church in town, first built in 723 by two Lombard brothers and rebuilt in the twelfth century by Bishop Guido III of Lucca.
Chiesa di San Michele
Smaller medieval church inside the walls, with stone façade and a single nave preserved through later modifications.
When to visit
Best months · May–Oct
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
May through September is the high season in the Garfagnana, the chestnut woods and the Apennine passes open and warm in the day, cool at night. June and July bring the long evening light at 540 meters; August is busy but never coastal-hot. October is the chestnut harvest, the dish of polenta di castagne starts to appear on menus, the Sagra della Castagna runs the third weekend. November through April is quiet, with snow on the higher passes from December and limited bus service to the surrounding hamlets. Spring lifts the valley out of mist in late April. May is the cleanest month for hiking the ridges toward Monte Argegna.
How to get there
From Pisa, Castiglione di Garfagnana is roughly 77 km by road. Allow about 66–92 minutes depending on traffic and route choice (autostrada vs scenic).
Drive time to the nearest gateway airports
- Florence / Pisa1h 52m
- Bologna2h 24m
- Genoa2h 48m
Elevation 540 m
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