Fortress of Ceserana

On a terraced hill, on the left bank of the Serchio River, stands the fortress of Ceserana in Fosciandora, a medieval fortification that in the 13th and 14th centuries was an important refuge during wartime events.

The structure has almost vertical walls, built with river stone. A patrol walkway runs almost the entire length of it and has small loopholes for small-caliber firearms. It is enclosed by two towers placed to guard the entrance to the village and the hills above it.

In the fifteenth century, particularly between 1467 and 1474, an intervention desired by the Este family revolutionized the Fortress in order to meet the demands of new defensive methods due to the introduction of larger and more powerful firearms and the proximity to the border of Lucca's new territories and domains.

In 1614, due to the conflicts between Lucca and Modena, conservation work was required as the fortress was in poor condition due to gradual abandonment in the previous century. However, the project was not fully completed due to the cessation of belligerence by the nearby village of Lupinaia, which is why today we find only one of the two massive semicircular towers originally planned.

The defensive perimeter of the fortress includes the Romanesque church of St. Andrea, which is distinguished by its white stone wall face and whose bell tower stands on the base of one of the defense towers.