An emotional journey between past and present
Discover the history, anecdotes and curiosities related to the world of Lunigiana emigration in this majestic fortress of the Malaspina family.
The Castle
Lusuolo Castle is a military fortification that stands on the right bank of the Magra River controlling the Via Francigena, one of the main high medieval roads. The castle originally belonged to the Malaspina family of Spino Secco, but in 1450 it fell into the hands of the Genoese Campofregoso family, which partially demolished it.
The Marchesi Malaspina di Lusuolo, in the middle of the rivalries between Florence, Genoa and Milan for controlling Lunigiana and the riots of their subject, gave the fief and lordship then to the Grand Dukes of Tuscany. The castle was then expanded by the Florentines in the early 1600s
The Museum of the Emigration of the People of Tuscany
The rooms of the castle currently host the Museo dell’Emigrazione della Gente di Toscana (Museum of the Emigration of the People of Tuscany), created in 2004 by the collaboration between the Emigration Documentation Center, operating at the Mountain Community of Lunigiana, the Region of Tuscany, the Council of Tuscans Abroad and the Municipality of Mulazzo with the aim of learning about and enhancing the phenomenon of Tuscan emigration in the world. It was conceived and organised on two levels: a material and a virtual one.
In the first, set within the walls of Lusuolo Castle, there is a library, a conference room and a space for viewing or listening to audiovisuals. This is where the museum exhibit is developed, offering the tour of the exhibition “People of Tuscany,” with the stories of those who had the need and desire to leave for foreign lands, enriched by objects and documents of the time and “animated” by the projection of video-documentaries with strong emotional involvement.
Openings calendar 2025
Here is the complete calendar for 2025:
How to reach the Castle – PLEASE NOTE – At the moment the road connecting Ponte Magra and the Castle of Lusuolo is closed to traffic. To reach the castle from Mulazzo / Pontremoli / Villafranca you need to cross the village of Campoli – Municipality of Mulazzo.
- From April 19: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10:00 to 12:30 – Admission and guided tour at 10:15 – 11:00 – 11:45.
- May: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10:00 to 12:30 – Admission and guided tour at 10:15 – 11:00 – 11:45.
- June: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10:00 to 12:30 – Admission and guided tour at 10:15 – 11:00 – 11:45.
- July: from Thursday to Sunday from 10:00 to 12:30 – Admission and guided tour at 10:15 – 11:00 – 11:45. On Saturday and Sunday also from 16:00 to 18:30 – Admission and guided tour at 16:00 – 16:45 – 17:30.
- August: from the 1st to the 10th and from the 28th to the 31st, from Thursday to Sunday from 10:00 to 12:30 – Admission and guided tour at 10:15 – 11:00 – 11:45.
From August 11 to 24, every day from 10:00 to 12:30 – Admission and guided tour at 10:15 – 11:00 – 11:45.
Every Saturday and Sunday in August also from 16:00 to 18:30 – Admission and guided tour at 16:00 – 16:45 – 17:30. - September: Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 12:30 – Admission and guided tour at 10:15 – 11:00 – 11:45.
- October: Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 12:30 – Admission and guided tour at 10:15 – 11:00 – 11:45.
- November: Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd November from 10:00 to 12:30 – Admission and guided tour at 10:15 – 11:00 – 11:45.
