Massa

Massa, city of culture, along the Via Francigena

Thanks to its strategic position along the Via Francigena, Massa was place of visit of pilgrims who came from France to Rome.

It was a possession of the bishops of Luni before 1000, but more traces, still present in the city today, are those of the Malaspina and Cybo-Malaspina who dominated Massa from 1440 for three centuries.

In the heart of the city you can find Piazza Aranci surrounded on three sides by orange trees and on the fourth side by the Ducal Palace, built in 1550, with its flaming red façade. Inside there is a beautiful courtyard.

Positioned above the city, there is the Malaspina Castle. A square tower flanked, further down, from three cylindrical towers enclosed by a crenelated wall characterizes the oldest part.
The city is full of restaurants and shops.