Origins
The village of the Rocca has a specific medieval origin as a fortified place to guard the territory of the Serchio valley. Like other “fortresses”, it stands in an elevated and panoramic place, peculiar to the early stages of the 11th century castle. From the 11th century the Rocca territory ended up under the influence of the feudal family of Lombard origin of the Suffredinghi, attested from the 9th century, together with many other territories of the Garfagnana. The first attestation of the Rocca as Castello di Mozzano is in a 1027 map kept in the Diocesan Archive of Lucca. Here are listed the assets of the Suffredinghi family: the Rocca belongs to them together with the castle of Monte Bargiglio (near the nearby hamlet of Cune). Finally, in a 1122 contract, the first secure attestation emerges as Rocha de Mozano. From here the name of the suffredingo lord of the Rocca is also obtained: Ildebrando di Sigifredo (1038-1072) grandson of Gherardo II, bishop of Lucca in 991.
The wars between Lucca and Pisa of the XII century
In the war between Lucca and Pisa the Suffredinghi lined up alongside the Pisans against the advance of the Lucca municipality. Starting in 1170, the people of Lucca engaged in a series of wars to seize the Serchio valley and Versilia. In 1171 the people of Lucca took possession of the Rocca di Mozzano, temporarily abandoned by the Suffredinghi refugees in the castle of Fornoli (Bagni di Lucca). From here they fought against the Pisan garrison that came from the Garfagnana. Intimidated by the victories of Lucca in Garfagnana, Raimundo di Guglielmo, lord of the Rocca di Mozzano, first allied himself with the city of Lucca and, pursued, attracted on his side, upon payment of money, the other noble allies until then with Pisa. So from 1173 the Suffredinghi ended up making a military pact with Lucca, renewed in 1181, the year of peace between Lucca and Pisa. In 1185 the emperor Frederick I Barbarossa forced the municipality of Lucca to rebuild the castles destroyed during the war with Pisa, including those of Anchiano and Cune (Bargiglio). Not being mentioned that of the Rocca it is assumed that this had not been damaged. The house in 1209 renewed loyalty to Lucca.
The wars between Lucca, Pisa and Florence of the thirteenth century
In 1220 Lucca, allied with Florence, was again at war against Pisa. The old feudal lordships of the Serchio Valley, despite the oath of allegiance, still sided with the Pisans. For this reason, in 1225 the Lucchesi first conquered the castle of Anchiano, where a branch of the Lombard family resided, and in 1227 they subdued the castle of the Rocca capturing the last Suffredinghi castellans. The descendants of the ancient Lombard family finally obtained Lucca citizenship in 1248, although forbidden to public life.
The Republic of Lucca
After the victories of Lucca in the countryside, the middle Serchio valley passed to the nascent Republic of Lucca and the Rocca passed in 1272 to the vicariate of Coreglia. In 1355 the fortress together with the whole vicar became part of the county of Coreglia, established by the emperor Charles IV, and then ended up in 1562 under the jurisdiction of the vicar of Borgo a Mozzano which later became the municipal capital. In 1586 the Rocca endowed itself with its community status, then perfected in 1638.
Last century and modern era
The village of the Rocca had 205 inhabitants in 1832.
In the sixties of the twentieth century a hut floor was found near the town of Rocca, dating from the third to the second century BC. with Ligurian ceramic remains. In 1983 some fragments of Greek-Italic amphorae were also found on the slope between the village of Rocca and Piano della Rocca, on the Serchio valley.
