THE SMALL TOWNS

GRAGNANA

Gragnana was called Gragnanum or Granianum in the past.  The town was born along the twisting path which led to                   Lunigiana. An old castle, of which only few rests remain, dominated the town. According to an old legend, Santa Margherita church is said to own an extraordinary bell which was able to chase plague away. The town was governed by the Malaspinas. The castle laid in a position which allowed it to control the valley. Because of its position Castruccio Castracani occupied it when he came in Garfagnana in 1319.The Earls Corrigo and Pucciniello were deprived of it and were accused to rebel against the Lucchesi. The relationships between the above mentioned Earls and those from Dalli were not good. For this reason they fought a lot of battles during one of which a lot of people died. The place where this battle took place was called Colle dei Morti (Hill of death) in memory of that catastrophic day.

Today one can find a medieval bridge which, through an old path, connected Gragnana to Piazza al Serchio going through San Michele. Among the most relevant characters who lived in Gragnana, Guglielmo da Gragnana played a very important role as he was the priest of the church dedicated to San Martino in Lucca in 1220, and Bernardino da Gragnana who was the priest and the General Vicar in the Diocese in Luni in 1313.

PETROGNANO

Here is the wonderful church of San Biagio, a Romanesque building which dates back to the X century. It is built on a cliff made of red Gabbro, a particular kind of rock which characterizes the mountains along the Serchio river.


During the Middle Ages it was called Feudum Petronianum della Tavola Velleiate. Duringthe XII and XIII centuries it was taxed by the Papal Court, while in 1430 ambassadors with regular warrant asked the Signoria of Florence for defence and protection.

SANDONNINO

The town is on the right edge of the Serchio River.From here one can see the Croce Mountain which, in 1869, was cut in order to create a passage for the provincial road. This mountain is a big boulder on whose top the castle of the Earls of San Donnino was erected; unfortunately today there are only few rests of it. The mountain comes up in front of the Castle of Castelvecchio, also known as Castel d’Angionei. In 1370 San Donnino depended on the Republic of Lucca against which it rebelled after being encouraged by the Antelminellis, Lords of Castiglione. According to the statute of Lucca the town belonged to its Vicaria since 1308.

The Earls of San Donnino were very important people. Among them Ugolini Sandonnini was a follower of Arrigo VII and of Giovanni king of Bohemia, while Andrea was appointed Noble of the Empire by the Emperor Charles IV and his son Pietro was rector in the University of Pisa in 1450. Nicolao di Bartolomeo Sandonnini, instead, became the secretary of the Pope Paul II. He was also the Bishop of Modena and of Lucca. Thanks to this prelate the current church was reconstructed and it was dedicated to Saint Donnino. In 1489, thanks to Nicolao, the property of San Donnino was appointed Contea. In 151 the Earls of Modena Alfonso I and Ercole II confirmed its appointment.

LIVIGNANO

Its original name was Comune Livignani. Since the first centuries after the year 1000 Livignano was one of the properties which belonged to the Bishops of Lucca. This possession was once more emphasized by the Emperor Ottone IV with a privilege on December the 14th in 1209 which was then repeated by Charles IV. The church of Saint Giovanni the Baptist was restored in 1828 thanks to the Earl Francesco IV who offered £ 1000. On the main altar there is a beautiful painting representing Christ’s Ascension and Saint John the Baptist. It is a picture which dates back to the XVI century and clearly shows the elements of the Parmesan School.

BORSIGLIANA

The original name was Comune Burciliani Burciliani and it was joined to Vergnano, a little village with which it established an autonomous District. The Romanesque church dedicated to Saint Mary  has an ancient bas-relief on its façade. Inside the church there is a triptych representing Pietro da Talada which dates back the XV century. It is 5 Kilometres from the principal town.

VERGNANO

This small village is along the road leading to Sillano, on the right edge of the river. In correspondence of the current church there was a fortress, of which nothing remains today.

S. MICHELE

During the Middle Ages San Michele became an important centre thanks to its castle, the residence of the Earls whose name derived from the name of the town itself. The town is divided into two parts by the Acquabianca river, but they communicate through an ancient bridge made of rocks which dates back the XIV century. It has one arch only and was built by the Spinetta Malaspinas, the owners of the property of that period. The settlement of San Michele may date back to the Longo Bard period for two main reasons: the Longo Bard people were deeply devoted to the Archangel Michele, and the nobility came from that people just like all the other rich families.

San Michele was given as a property to Canemondo dè Conti Nobili in 1883. This donation was confirmed by the Countess Matilde. The Earls of San Michele were deprived of their dominions in 1319 when Castruccio degli Antelminelli, head of the Council of Lucca and defender of the Empire, organized an expedition to conquer the lands that were against Lucca. As soon as the feudal period ended, San Michele became a community with its own constitution. It belonged to the Vicaria of Camporgiano and after the authority of Lucca, Pisa and Florence it became part of the duchy of Modena in 1446.  

NICCIANO E CORTIA

Nicciano is situated on a hill which hangs over San Michele, on the left of the Acquabianca stream and at the very beginning of the Tea Mountain. The shape of the current inhabited area follows the lines of an old castle with its walls; it belonged to the Marquees Spinetta who later sold it to the Republic of Florence. After the killing of its priest, the Romanesque church dedicated to Saint Matteo was finally consecrated by the Cardinal Alessandro I Guidiccioni, Bishop of Lucca. The Bishop of Sarzana could not fulfil his task because of the plague, which was devastating the city.

In 1603, while the destiny of the Lucchesi was not happy as it was in the hands of Castiglione, a corps, commanded by the Captain Jacopo Coreglino and situated in Lunigiana, attacked Cortia and consequently Nicciano; after a short resistance of the Garfagnini it sacked and burnt the two towns.

COLOGNOLA

It was also known as Colognora. According to old traditions, the large fields which characterize the town were the gardens where the ancient and powerful Earls of Gragnana were used to spend their time.

C O G N A

In Cogna, (also known as Cogni) there are the rests of an ancient tower called Castelletto. In its territory there is a great deal of fields among which a really big one distinguish. It was a property of the Earls of Valle nera (currently known as Valisneri), which was called Valgivera.

S. ANASTASIO

The name of this town derives from that of the church, which is dedicated to Saint Anastasio. Colognola, Petrognola, and part of the territory of Cogna too worked for it in the past. A very precious gothic –style painting embellishes the church. It represents Mary Vergin with baby Jesus. It is said to be a work by Filippino Lippi from Florence (1420 approximately).

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PETROGNOLA

Petrognola is on a hill called Castripoli; it is about 500 metres on the right from the road. It was in the hands of the authorities of Sant’Anastasio.

> History of the small towns