The Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park rises between the sea of Tuscany and the plains of Emilia-Romagna, with a ridge that runs at an altitude of 2,000 meters. The park boasts unique natural and environmental qualities, as well as a thousand-year-old culture protected in the memory of the places and people who still inhabit them.
In Lunigiana, as in other areas, traditions, folklore and the ancient trades of shepherds, woodcutters and farmers have contributed to the characteristic Apennine landscape and have been the glue between the people and the territory, recounted in the centuries-old stone of villages, castles, churches, parish churches and majesties.
In this sense, the "Gates of the Park" are places of excellence, with a precise name and function, that invite visitors to read, learn about and appreciate the many natural, cultural and scientific meanings of the National Park. They also provide safe parking for cars, drinking water, tables with benches and night lighting.
Contents
1.
Parish Church of Sorano: Gate of the Parish churches
2.
Licciana Nardi: Gate of the Ancient villages
3.
Comano: Gate of the Knights
4.
Monte Giogo: Gate of the Sky
5.
Rometta: Gate of the Three parks
Parish Church of Sorano: Gate of the Parish churches
Parish Church of Sorano: Gate of the Parish churches - Credit: Sigeric SC
In the centuries around the year 1000, a rich system of parish churches and castles dotted the territory of the Apennines. The parish churches, witnesses to a profound religious and civil history, were places of worship and faithful, located in the most evocative places, in panoramic and strategic positions along the ancient routes of pilgrims and merchants.
The Gate of the Parish churches (Porta delle Pievi) is that of Santo Stefano di Sorano in Filattiera, on the SS 62 Cisa road, located in the center of Lunigiana, along the ancient route of the Via Francigena, an archaeological and spiritual site. Unique for its superb structure with three apses (11th century), it still preserves a beautiful specimen of a Stele Statue.
Licciana Nardi: Gate of the Ancient villages
Licciana Nardi: Gate of the ancient villages - Credit: Sigeric SC
The ancient village of Licciana has all the typical features of the villages in the area and in the Park: a very ancient origin, a network of narrow alleys sometimes in tunnels along a stretch of what was once the ancient Via di Linari, stone buildings with austere profiles and shops that are both ancient and contemporary at the same time.
Like other places in the Park, the Italian history of the Risorgimento passed through here, giving Licciana its second name: Nardi, after Anacarsi Nardi, a native of Apella di Licciana (where the Park visitor center is located), martyr in the Vallone di Rovito together with the Bandiera brothers.
Comano: Gate of the Knights
Comano: Gate of the Knights - Credit: Lunigiana World
Comano is located in the upper valley of the Taverone stream, on the border with the Emilia-Romagna region. The territory is typically alpine with peaks exceeding 2,000 meters. Numerous trails are suitable for hiking, horse riding or mountain biking, while streams and small lakes are suitable for trout fishing.
The village of Comano bears the tradition of horse breeding and the fair of the same name, which has given rise to the large equestrian center and theater. Here, the Lagastrello Pass is a natural crossroads of the ancient roads and bridleways of the Apennines: horses, donkeys and mules have been the means of transport for men and goods for centuries.
Monte Giogo: Gate of the Sky
Monte Giogo: Gate of the Sky - Credit: Lunigiana World
From the summit of Monte Giogo, at an altitude of 1600 meters, in Comano, the Gate of the Sky (Porta del Cielo) dominates an infinite 360° panorama.
Here, between the sky and the sea, the gate tells of all the landscapes of the sea and Apennine Parks next to the parabolas of a disused military structure from where the gaze sweeps towards the Cisa Pass, the Apuane Alps, the Val di Magra, and then merges with the sea.
Rometta: Gate of the Three parks
Rometta: Gate of the three parks - Credit: Parco Nazionale dell’Appennino Tosco-Emiliano
A square made of Apuan marble and sandstone where the water of a fountain flows in the center: Pietro Cascella's last great work is the symbol of the three natural systems of the Apennines, the Apuan Alps and the Ligurian Sea.
The square in Rometta, municipality of Fivizzano, is designed and structured to host convivial moments of the local market and the information point also sells typical food and wine products from Lunigiana and the three Parks.
