The best traffic-free bike rides around Villafranca In Lunigiana

You can pass through by bicycle, but be careful, I passed through on 19/07/25 and you have to be careful, it is safe to pass but be careful!

small village but very suggestive and picturesque to pass by bicycle

The Borgo di Virgoletta is located in the municipality of Villafranca and was known as the “Verrucola dei Corbellari”, narrow and elongated to follow the crest of the hill, closed to the north by the large mass of the castle-palace that later belonged to the Malaspina; in the center of the village is the church of Saints Gervasio and Protasio with the bell tower, which a plaque informs us is 31 meters high, restored in 1953. The entire village offers itself almost like a treasure chest. As soon as you enter the door that looks towards Villafranca, here is the majesty placed in 1636 “for his devotion” by Andrea Rossi who entrusted his prayers to San Rocco and the Virgin with Child. From here to the castle is a succession of houses of medieval typology, with sandstone portals, often elegant, which still highlight the commercial past that the village had in the Middle Ages. An elaborate 16th-century oval-shaped coat of arms in marble informs us that the castle belonged to the Malaspina dello Spino Secco family.

Bagnone Castle is located on the highest hill and is clearly visible as soon as you enter the town. It is dominated by an imposing cylindrical stone tower, crowned by corbels of the plumbing system with archers and larger openings framed by frames. The tower remains the only surviving structure of the castle, which has now completely disappeared and is partly incorporated into smaller buildings of the villa of the Counts Ruschi-Noceti. The castle is privately owned and cannot be visited.

The Borgo di Bagnone is a medieval village on the Tuscan-Emilian pre-Apennine hillsides. It is characterized by the waterfalls that flow on the right side of the village, formed in the rock by the flow of the Bagnone Torrent. The oldest part of the village stands on the left side of the Bagnone Torrent, from which it took its name. The circular tower located in this area of the village served to control the valley's traffic and was connected to other similar towers: Malgrate, Groppoli and Mulazzo.

Ruins of the Malnido Castle, with the square dedicated to Dante Alighieri, ancient guest of the Malaspina, and the remains of the church of San Nicolò, the medieval road leads to the parish church of San Giovanni

by bike you pass

The village of Castevoli, tiny and intimate, stands on a spur overlooking the Mangiola valley. It is a place that seems made for silence and contemplation. Here, time seems to pass more slowly, and the castle, which stands in the center of the town, appears almost like a silent guardian of its history. It was one of the residences of the Malaspina family, who profoundly influenced the medieval history of Lunigiana. The castle of Castevoli, in particular, belonged to the “Spino Secco” branch of the family, which governed this part of the territory with a balance between authority and diplomacy. Unlike other more austere fortifications, that of Castevoli is a castle that has a double soul in its appearance: on the one hand, the defensive function, evidenced by the towers, the walls and the elevated position; on the other, the residential soul, which can be perceived in the internal courtyards, in the covered passages, in the sculpted portals and in the remains of noble rooms that suggest a past of daily life, meetings, hospitality and culture. Visiting it, you have the feeling of touching the traces of centuries of history. Some parts of the castle have been renovated today, others maintain a more rough and authentic charm, with walls covered in ivy and rooms that tell the story of the passing of time. From the patrol path or from some windows there is a splendid view of the valley, the deep green of the woods and the profiles of the hills, which change color with the seasons. Castevoli was not only a place of defense or government, but also a point of passage and meeting. The castle was in fact located along ancient local communication routes, and even today, a dirt road for cycling and walking connects the village to Gavedo, another nearby Malaspina center. Walking or cycling along that path, it is easy to imagine wayfarers, knights and messengers who once came and went between the courts of the Malaspina, bringing news, goods and stories.