astelnuovo di Garfagnana, the main town and heart of Garfagnana, is situated at 277 m above the sea level at the confluence of the Serchio river with Turrite. The whole territory (28,50 Km2) has about 6.000 inhabitants and different hamlets such as Antisciana, Cerretoli, Colle, Croce di Stazzana, Gragnanella, Palleroso, Rontano and Torrite. It is the administrative and commercial centre of the valley where every thursday, since 1430, a traditional open market takes place. The most ancient historical documents about Castelnuovo date back to the year 740, formerly in the XIV century it became a very important transit centre. The building of the bridge, dates back to this period, wanted by Castruccio Castracani, to connect the castle with Cellabarotti’s district known today as Ponte Santa Lucia (S. Lucia’s bridge). In 1430 weary of continuos battles and an uncertain future the inhabitants set themselves free from the Lucchese yoke submitting voluntary to the Estensi gaining this way remarkable privileges and reaching the maximum development.

It became vicarship and capital of the province. Among the various Este’s governors the foremost are Ludovico Ariosto (1522-1525) and Fulvio Testi (1640-1642).

Another monument of remarkable interest is the cathedral entitled to S. Pietro and S. Paolo; it arose in the year 1500 over the ruins of a pre-existent Romanesque church of the XI century. In the interior an altar piece in terracotta of Della Robbia school, “Pala di S. Giuseppe”at the base of which you can notice the coat of arms of the municipality of Castelnuovo: a blue rampant lion on a yellow field, the XIV century wooden crucifix, the marble frame ascribed to the Lucchese school of Matteo Civitali.

The fortress of Mont’Alfonso, built at the end of 1500 by the architect Marco Antonio Pasi, rises on a hill overlooking the town of Castelnuovo.

Don’t to miss out the Monastery of S. Joseph, built in 1632 under the command of Duke Alfonso III d’Este and here he became a Franciscan friar by the name of Father Giambattista. His funeral monument is located inside the church. It is said that Alessandro Manzoni was inspired by him and his earthly life for the character of Father Cristoforo, in the novel the Betrothed.

The Alfieri Theater, built in 1860, recently restored and open to the public, is one of the largest in the Province, second only to the “Giglio” of Lucca.