Comune Di Castelnuovo Di Garfagnana

Small typical village and friendly

Restaurant-Pizzeria da Gherardo, very special, the food is excellent! Made by them and baked with moderate prices! They are very nice!

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is an Italian town of 5 862 inhabitants in the province of Lucca. Main center and heart of the Garfagnana, it is placed at the confluence of the Serchio river with the Turrite Secca, a typical torrent of the Apuan side characterized by strong karst phenomena. It is the administrative and commercial center of the Valley, home of the Garfagnana Union (formerly the Comunità Montana), which brings together sixteen municipalities, and many other public offices. Schools, library, museum, a well-equipped sports center, make it an important reference center both for the inhabitants of the neighboring countries, and for the tourists who, more and more numerous, discover the historical and naturalistic beauties of the Garfagnana. Since the 13th, in the historical center of the town the traditional outdoor market of goods is held; cheerful and colorful attracts numerous visitors every Thursday. The first historically documented records of Castelnuovo date back to the year 740 and already in 1300 it had become a very important transit center under the Lucca domain. The construction of the bridge built by Castruccio Castracani to connect the Castle to the village of Cellabarotti, today known as S. Lucia, dates back to this era. In 1430, tired of the continuous struggles and the uncertain future, the Castelnovesi get rid of the Lucca yoke by voluntarily submitting to the Estensi, thus acquiring considerable privileges and reaching the maximum of development. She was Vicar and capital of the Province up to the unity of Italy, except for a brief period of Franco-Napoleonic domination in the years between the '700 and 800. Among the various Este governors, who succeeded the Vicar of Castelnuovo, we mention Ludovico Ariosto (1522-1525) and Fulvio Testi (1640-1642). The original structure of the castle (12th century) has been extended and remodeled over time; the terrace overlooking the main square dates back to 1675. Another monument of considerable interest is the cathedral, named after the Saints Peter and Paul, which stands in 1500 on the ruins of a pre-existing Romanesque church of the 11th century. Inside there is a splendid Della Robbia terracotta, the “altarpiece of San Giuseppe” at the base of which we can see the coats of arms of the community of Castelnuovo, a blue rampant lion on a yellow field, the 15th century wooden Crucifix, the marble frame attributed to the Lucchese workshop of Civitali.