The Malaspina fortress, Dante's host and its ghost
On a ridge between the Lunigiana and the Gulf of La Spezia, the Castello Malaspina di Fosdinovo is one of the best preserved castles in Tuscany: a powerful fortress of the thirteenth century with round towers, battlements and a panoramic terrace reaching from the Apuan Alps to the sea.
The Malaspina marquises who lived here were great patrons, and Dante Alighieri was their guest in 1306 during his exile, as recalled in the castle. The guided tour leads through frescoed halls, the armoury, the walkways and the prisons. The castle is also famous for its legend of the ghost of Bianca Maria Aloisia, a young Malaspina said to have been walled up alive for loving a stable boy.
Tip: the castle hosts artist residencies and summer events; some rooms can even be rented for an overnight stay.
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