Casola in Lunigiana, the village the Romans called "Casuli" is a Comune within the Province of Massa and Carrara and a part of the historical territory of the Lunigiana, bordering on the Garfagnana to the east. Casola has frazioni, towns that rely on Casola for administration. The most compelling of these for the inquisitive tourist are listed below.
Casola was part of a variant of the Via Francigena pilgrimage trail that took a route to the Garfagnana. Evidence is provided by l’ospedale di San Nicolao di Tea, now just a faint set of ruins on a high plain above Regnano. Pieve di San Lorenzo in nearby Minucciano, first mentioned in 1148, also attests to the presence of this variant. It retains the original Romanesque features inside, complimented by local works of art.
This remote outpost is, as you might guess, a land of ancient rites and festivals. On May day the Canto del Maggio is celebrated in song, literature, dance, and in ancient costume.
To understand the territory and its people, make a trip to the user-friendly ethnographic and archaological museum called Museo del Territorio dell'Alta Valle dell'Aulella in the heart of medieval Casola.
Enjoy the peace and quiet, the ancient architecture and festivals of this land of antique traditions.
Food and Festivals of Casola
Marocca di Casola is a dense bread made with chestnut flour, once a staple of the Lunigiana. There is another spcialty bread from a town just outside Casola called Castello di Regnano. Il pane di Regnano is made from wheat flour and local potatoes and cooked in a wood fired oven. The bread is not produced commercially, so you might have to attend the Sagra del Pane di Regnano, a food festival held on the third weekend in July in Casola.
Chestnuts are celebrated in festivals all over the Lunigiana in October and early November.
Towns of Note, Comune di Casola
- Codiponte: Pieve Cornelio e Cipriano, 12th century but with evidence of existing before 793 AD. Town of 200 was along the Via Francigena.
- Ugliancaldo: Church of Sant'Andrea (15th Century) and l’oratorio di San Rocco del XVIII.
- Regnano: a little outside town is the ruins of the Longobard castle called castello di Monte Fiore. Many trekking trails start from here.
- Offiano: La Pieve di San Pietro di Offiano, Romanesque Church along the Tea Pass, in a very scenic position as shown in the picture below.
For more pictures of the Lunigiana, see our Flickr Lunigiana Album.
Map
Top Vacation Rentals in the Comune of Casola
La Casetta del Poggiolo
Right in the village of Codiponte and built in the Medici-style in the 1700's to be the owner's main and fancier living quarters to the 800 year old farm-house, il Poggiolo. 2 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom, Sleeps 4.
Luscignano Cottage
I can't stop taking pictures of Luscignano, the village on the ridgetop in the photo above. This cottage has a view and is amazingly affordable. It is located 5km from Casola, which lies to the east.
Argigliano at the Foot of the Apuan Alps
Need something larger? This two bedroom house near the Apuan Alps Regional Park and Pieve San Lorenzo sleeps 6 and has a pool and internet. Available for weekly rentals.
