{"id":15079,"date":"2025-05-20T10:46:45","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T08:46:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/selfguided-toscana.it\/poi\/malaspina-castle-of-fosdinovo-en\/"},"modified":"2025-05-20T10:46:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T08:46:45","slug":"malaspina-castle-of-fosdinovo-en","status":"publish","type":"poi","link":"https:\/\/selfguided-toscana.it\/en\/poi\/malaspina-castle-of-fosdinovo-en\/","title":{"rendered":"Malaspina Castle of Fosdinovo"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_small with_img with_overlay wm_header_section\">\n\t\t<div class=\"l-section-img loaded wm-header-image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/ecmedia.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com\/EcMedia\/76413.jpg);background-repeat: no-repeat;\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"l-section-h i-cf wm_header_wrapper\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\t<div class=\"wm_body_section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"align_left wm_header_title\">\n\t\t\t\tMalaspina Castle of Fosdinovo\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wm_activities wm_container>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wm_activity\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wm_activity_icon\"><svg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 1024 1024' width='32' height='32'><circle fill=\"darkorange\"  cx='512' cy='512' r='512'\/><g fill=\"white\" transform='scale(0.8 0.8) translate(100, 100)'><path d='M750.933 273.067h-477.867c-37.704 0-68.267-30.563-68.267-68.267v-170.667c0-18.848 15.285-34.133 34.133-34.133s34.133 15.285 34.133 34.133v102.4h68.267v-68.267c0-37.704 30.563-68.267 68.267-68.267s68.267 30.563 68.267 68.267v68.267h68.267v-68.267c0-37.704 30.563-68.267 68.267-68.267s68.267 30.563 68.267 68.267v68.267h68.267v-102.4c0-18.848 15.285-34.133 34.133-34.133s34.133 15.285 34.133 34.133v170.667c0 37.704-30.563 68.267-68.267 68.267zM955.733 989.867c0 18.848-15.285 34.133-34.133 34.133h-819.2c-18.848 0-34.133-15.285-34.133-34.133s15.285-34.133 34.133-34.133h34.133c37.704 0 68.267-30.563 68.267-68.267 0 0 68.267-409.6 68.267-477.867 0-37.704 30.563-68.267 68.267-68.267h341.333c37.704 0 68.267 30.563 68.267 68.267 0 68.267 68.267 477.867 68.267 477.867 0 37.704 30.563 68.267 68.267 68.267h34.133c18.589-0.007 33.765 14.868 34.133 33.451v0.683zM614.4 716.8c0-56.552-45.848-102.4-102.4-102.4s-102.4 45.848-102.4 102.4v238.933h204.8v-238.933z'\/><\/g><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wm_activity_name\">Castle<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wm_container\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wm_left_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<iframe class=\"wm_iframe_map\" src=\"https:\/\/geohub.webmapp.it\/poi\/simple\/43151?locale=en\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wm_body_description_content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>With its 12th century walls still intact, Fosdinovo Castle crowning a hill 550 meters high. The castle still dominates a great part of the Thyrrenian coastline. During the Middle Age its position was ideal to maintain control of the Apennines outlet to the sea and the Lunigiana region, with its roads and mountain pass linking the Thyrrenian coast to northern Italy.<br \/>\nOne of the coat of arms walled on the main gate walls.<\/p>\n<p>We have records of the existence of Fosdinovo Castle as fief of the Erberia family since the year 1124, under the direct control of Bishop-Counts of Luni. This arrangement continued until 1317, when the unstoppable rise of the marquises Malaspina, strictly connected with the Ghibelline cause, brought the Episcopal power to a rapid decline and the leader of the family Spinetta Malaspina took possession of the castle. Immediately after Fosdinovo was conquered by the great commander Castruccio Castracani, Lord of Lucca, that besieged the castle with 6000 soldiers and 1000 knights. In the 1334, after the decline of Castruccio, the castle returned into possession of the Malaspina .<br \/>\nThe front towards the town with one of the powerful round towers.<\/p>\n<p>At the beginning of the 14th century the Malaspina, now masters of the entire Lunigiana thanks to the help of the powerful family of the Scaligeri of Verona and Enrico the 7th, moved the seat of the family from the nearby castle of the Verrucola di Fivizzano to Fosdinovo, and made the village the administrative center of their lands. The castle was enlarged. The original keep of the 12th century was widened and strengthened with turrets and a new cylindrical tower, ghibelline battlements (with \u2018tail of swallow\u2019 form), machicolation on the sides towards the Lunigiana and with towers and ramparts on the side facing the village; inside, the castle became one of the finest nobiliary residences of that time, rich of frescoed rooms. The magnificent inner courtyard was a 16th century addition. Over the main gate, defended by a breteche, is still visible a coat of arms representing a dog holding a plant with thorns (known as \u201cSpino\u201d) in its mouth to symbolize the strong alliance between the Malaspina and the Scaligeri. All around, in the walls are opened gun loops for cannons and other fire arms.<\/p>\n<p>The castle has the reputation of \u2018indestructible\u2019 and even the earthquake of 1922, that destroyed great part of the Lunigiana, made no serious damage to its structure. A legend says that the great poet Dante Alighieri passed some days at the castle, an event historically impossible. Another legend is connected with the presence in one of the rooms of the castle of the \u2018well of oblivion\u2019: the marquise Cristina Adelaide Pallavicino, bride of Ippolito Malaspina, attracted her lovers into this room and then threw them down in this pit full of blades which ended in a water channel beyond the walls. Most likely the trap was used, but for the elimination of enemies! The castle is still owned by the marquises Torrigiani-Malaspina and managed by the cultural association Lo Spino Bianco [ Info from official website: www.castellodifosdinovo.it]\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wm_right_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wm_body_gallery\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/ecmedia.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com\/EcMedia\/76413.jpg\" data-lightbox=\"track-gallery\" data-title=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ecmedia.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com\/EcMedia\/Resize\/400x200\/76413_400x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/ecmedia.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com\/EcMedia\/76417.jpg\" data-lightbox=\"track-gallery\" data-title=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ecmedia.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com\/EcMedia\/Resize\/400x200\/76417_400x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-button-prev\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-button-next\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wm_info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<script>\n\t\tdocument.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {\n\t\t\tvar swiper = new Swiper('.swiper-container', {\n\t\t\t\tslidesPerView: 1,\n\t\t\t\tspaceBetween: 10,\n\t\t\t\tfreeMode: true,\n\t\t\t\tloop: true,\n\t\t\t\tpagination: {\n\t\t\t\t\tel: '.swiper-pagination',\n\t\t\t\t\tclickable: true,\n\t\t\t\t},\n\t\t\t\tnavigation: {\n\t\t\t\t\tnextEl: '.swiper-button-next',\n\t\t\t\t\tprevEl: '.swiper-button-prev',\n\t\t\t\t},\n\t\t\t});\n\t\t});\n\t<\/script>\n\n\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-15079","poi","type-poi","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"geohub_poi_id":"43151"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - 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