The Val di Magra gets its name from the river that runs through it. It gets the waters of the river Vara and then flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Formerly the town of Luni, which was for many centuries the bishop’s seat, was the economic and political center of the valley. When this town declined, its inhabitants moved to the inland, towards Sarzana and Santo Stefano. Old villages are numerous in the territory of La Spezia, such as Vezzano Ligure. The Roman Publius Vetius is probably responsible for its foundation. Close to it, there is ‘the small fortress’ of Arcola, a Roman stronghold before it fell under the dominion of the Republic of Genoa like most villages in the valley. Proceeding towards the sea, the village of Ameglia stands out on a rocky rise. You can find there all types of buildings, including fortifications. To this municipality belong also the village of Montemarcello, on mount Caprione, and Bocca di Magra, which was built on the right bank of the mouth of the Magra. It is a fishermen’s village and a fashionable sea-side resort, with facilities for pleasure crafts. The main town of the Val di Magra is Sarzana, which developed and became a bishop’s seat after of the decline of the Roman port of Luni. In 963 Emperor Otho I granted Adalbert, bishop of Luni, six ‘castra’ in the valleys of the Vara and the Magra, including the fortress of Sarzanello. Sarzana was the seat of various Protectorates, Signori of Sarzana, Republic of Pisa, Florentine Medici and Lombard Visconti. Then the town was dominated by the Bank of St. George and in 1562 it fell under the Genoese Republic, which influenced its internal architecture, as can be seen even today. The soft hills accompany the river to its mouth, where beaches with facilities welcome the bathers in Marinella and Fiumaretta. In this region, excellent white and red wines are produced - such as those from Arcola and from the hills of Luni (D.O.C.), besides the exquisite olive oils.

Things to see

Sarzana: the Medicean citadel built after 1488 for Lorenzo the Magnificent by the Florentine architects Francesco di Giovanni called the Arancione, Luca di Caprino and Giuliano di San Gallo, the fortress of Sarzanello, the parish of Sant'Andrea, the Church of Sant'Andrea, the Church of San Francesco with the valuable paintings by Fiasella, the Convent of the Capuchins; Castelnuovo Magra: the castle (11th century); Vezzano Ligure: the medieval center, the Giustiniani Palace; Arcola: the Town Hall (12th century); Ameglia: the 500 B. C. Ligurian necropolis.