Fosdinovo

Fosdinovo is an ancient village located in the historic region of Lunigiana, in Tuscany.
Inhabited since prehistoric times, Fosdinovo was the capital of an independent marquisate governed by the most important branch of the Malaspina dello Spino Fiorito family, whose marquises were imperial vicars in Italy.
In ancient times the town was the protagonist of the clashes between the Malaspina and the bishops of Luni, but from 1340, Spinetta Malaspina became the sole owner of the feud, beginning an era of relative splendor and tranquility until 1800.
The undisputed symbol of the village is the Malaspina Castle, located at the top of the mountain and the inhabited area, establishing itself as one of the most beautiful and best preserved Lunigiana fortresses.

Going to discover the village it is possible to see: the Parish Church of San Remigio, originally wanted by the bishops of Luni; the Oratory of the Compagnia dei Bianchi, whose white marble facade dates back to the second half of the 1600s.

Fosdinovo is located in an area marked by the battles of the Second World War and terrible massacres of civilians.
These events are remembered in the Audiovisual Museum of the Resistance, with an exhibition that focuses on "memory", consisting of documents such as interviews, archive images and recordings, presented through multimedia supports that establish an interactive relationship with the visitor.

Locally they produce an excellent white wine, Vermentino fosdinovese or the Colli di Luni Bianco DOC and the Vino Bianco IGT Toscana. Among the red wines, instead, you can find the Sangiovese, Malvasia Nera, Ciliegiolo, Cannaiolo, Colli di Luni Ross DOC, Vino Rosso IGT Toscana and the "Merla" (a biotype of Cannaiolo with a small dose of Colorino).

Among the typical dishes of the fosdinovese tradition we recall the Testarolo (fosdinovese variant), the castagnaccio and the pattone. The testaroli ("testaròi" in fosdinovese dialect) made in Fosdinovo differ from the lunigianesi ones for smaller size, different preparation and because they are not cut, seasoned and served in a dish, but they are filled with olive oil, pesto, grated pecorino cheese, mushroom sauce, salami, stracchino cheese or other things (also sweet food like hazelnut spread), rolled up and eaten like a sandwich. There is a feast dedicated to the testarolo on the fourth weekend of July in Fosdinovo. The castagnacci, instead ("castignà" in fosdinovese dialect), are one of the many typically fosdinovesi dishes where they use chestnut flour, scented with rosemary or blended with pine nuts and orange peel. You can try them for example at the Chestnut Festival that is held on the third Sunday of October. Finally, the pattone are dishes prepared with chestnut flour and water, cooked on chestnut leaves and served rolled up with ricotta cheese and/or hazelnut spread.