Perched atop a rocky hill with breath-taking views across valleys and out to the coast, Malaspina Castle's picturesque appearance does not belie its troubled past. However, it is this combination of historical interest, morbid fascination and beauty that makes it such a curious place to visit. Find a luxury villa in Tuscany and you could spend a day exploring the castle for yourself.
The first records of this castle in Massa, Tuscany date back to 1084 and, in 1269, the original structure was levelled during a political dispute with the army from Lucca. It was later rebuilt with multiple periods of alteration, additions and redecoration during the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries.
The first records of this castle in Massa, Tuscany date back to 1084 and, in 1269, the original structure was levelled during a political dispute with the army from Lucca. It was later rebuilt with multiple periods of alteration, additions and redecoration during the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries.
The building merges with the underlying sandstone rock, so that the whole structure seems as if carved from a giant block of stone, and gives it the appearance of an impregnable fortress. The interiors, however, are formed of elegantly appointed apartments for the residents.
Malaspina Castle exists on a plan of a square with four round towers, a semicircular rampart, two internal courtyards, a central courtyard , patrol trenches above the roof, hanging gardens, galleries and an ancient defensive wall. The main entrance leads into a Romanesque courtyard which, in turn, leads onto a broad stair, ending in the large central Renaissance courtyard.
Malaspina Castle exists on a plan of a square with four round towers, a semicircular rampart, two internal courtyards, a central courtyard , patrol trenches above the roof, hanging gardens, galleries and an ancient defensive wall. The main entrance leads into a Romanesque courtyard which, in turn, leads onto a broad stair, ending in the large central Renaissance courtyard.
Dominating this space is a porch and a grand marble doorway leading inside. The interiors come from a later period and were decorated and painted pre-1800.
The Malaspina family, for whom the castle is named were and continue to be the owners of the magnificent structure. It is their stories that make the castle so fascinating. Perhaps the most famous of these tales is that of Bianca Maria Aloisia Malaspina who fell in love with a stable hand. Her parents opposed the match and arranged for her to marry a knight. However, the young couple continued to meet.
Variously it is said she fell pregnant or refused her vows but either way, her family was disgraced. As punishment she was tortured and then buried alive in the building with two animals: a wild boar as a symbol of her rebellion and a dog as a symbol of her loyalty to her eternal love. Recent excavations uncovered that there were indeed remains belonging to a girl and two animals hidden in the castle.
Today, the castle offers tours and houses a museum. The tour lasts an hour, and showcases the architecture, history, painted walls of the hall by Gaetano Bianchi, the Room of Dante Alighieri, the collections of coins, pottery, weapons, tools and instruments of torture and a visit to Bianca's room. There is also a residency programme showcasing the work of contemporary artists and writers in the summers. Be sure to pop by if you're travelling around Tuscany!
The Malaspina family, for whom the castle is named were and continue to be the owners of the magnificent structure. It is their stories that make the castle so fascinating. Perhaps the most famous of these tales is that of Bianca Maria Aloisia Malaspina who fell in love with a stable hand. Her parents opposed the match and arranged for her to marry a knight. However, the young couple continued to meet.
Variously it is said she fell pregnant or refused her vows but either way, her family was disgraced. As punishment she was tortured and then buried alive in the building with two animals: a wild boar as a symbol of her rebellion and a dog as a symbol of her loyalty to her eternal love. Recent excavations uncovered that there were indeed remains belonging to a girl and two animals hidden in the castle.
Today, the castle offers tours and houses a museum. The tour lasts an hour, and showcases the architecture, history, painted walls of the hall by Gaetano Bianchi, the Room of Dante Alighieri, the collections of coins, pottery, weapons, tools and instruments of torture and a visit to Bianca's room. There is also a residency programme showcasing the work of contemporary artists and writers in the summers. Be sure to pop by if you're travelling around Tuscany!
Photo credits
picture 1: Davide Papalini / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Davide Papalini / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 3: DV / CC-BY-SA-4.0
picture 1: Davide Papalini / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Davide Papalini / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 3: DV / CC-BY-SA-4.0
