Borgo a Mozzano is a town and ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions (''Regions of Italy, regioni'') and provinces (''Provinces ...

'' in the

province of Lucca The province of Lucca ( it, provincia di Lucca) is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lucca. It has an area of and a total population of about 390,000. There are 33 ''comuni'' (singular: '' comune'') in the p ...

, in northern

Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

(

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

), located on the Serchio River.

History

The town is mentioned for the first time in 879, when a document mentioned one place ''In loco Mozzano prope Decimo''. Later it was held by the Soffredinghi family, and then by the

Republic of Lucca The Republic of Lucca ( it, Repubblica di Lucca) was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Lucca in Tuscany, which lasted from 1160 to 1805. Its territory extended beyond the city of Lucca, reaching the surr ...

. After the end of the Lucchese independence, it was part of the

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany ( it, Granducato di Toscana; la, Magnus Ducatus Etruriae) was an Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In ...

and, from 1860, of Unified Italy.

Main sights

Borgo a Mozzano is dominated by the presence of

Ponte della Maddalena Ponte della Maddalena is a bridge crossing the Serchio river near the town of Borgo a Mozzano in the Italian province of Lucca. It's one of numerous medieval bridges known as ''Ponte del Diavolo'', the " Bridge of the Devil", it was a vital ri ...

also called "del Diavolo" (Devil's Bridge).

Matilda of Tuscany Matilda of Tuscany ( it, Matilde di Canossa , la, Matilda, ; 1046 – 24 July 1115 or Matilda of Canossa after her ancestral castle of Canossa), also referred to as ("the Great Countess"), was a member of the House of Canossa (also known as ...

is believed to have commissioned the bridge which was later renovated by Castruccio Castracani. The Devil's Bridge is located on the SP2 one kilometer north of downtown. The bridge's majestic structure is a popular tourist attraction of the area. The

Gothic Line The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence along the summits of the northern part of ...

, a German

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

military defence line, passed through the comune. Sections of this fortification are well preserved and guided tours of the interior can be arranged. The church and convent of San Francesco in Borgo a Mozzano was a monastery but now houses a home for the elderly. The 12th-century church of San Martino in Greppo, Borgo a Mozzano is located in the Diecimo district of the comune. The 19th-century suspension bridge, Ponte delle Catene, Bagni di Lucca or Bridge of Chains, links Chifenti in Borgo a Mozzano to Fornoli in the neighbouring comune of Bagni di Lucca.

Transportation

The town of Borgo a Mozzano is centrally located between the Garfagnana and the Lucchesia, and can be easily reached by car with the SS12 "Brennero" or the SP2 "Lodovica". The nearest major airport (50 min drive) is the Galileo Galilei International Airport of

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the c ...

. The comune has two train stations, Borgo a Mozzano and Diecimo- Pescaglia, which are served by the line Lucca-Aulla.

Notable people

* St. John Leonardi, founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca * Giuseppe Antonio Luchi, painter * Nicolò Fazzi, footballer * Federico Mattiello, footballer

Asteroid

Asteroid 44717 Borgoamozzano, discovered by Italian amateur astronomer Sauro Donati in 1999, was named in honor of the town. The official was published by the

Minor Planet Center The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Function T ...

on 27 August 2019 ().

Sister cities

* Martorell,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

* Ålesund,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and th ...

References

External links

Official website

Borgo a Mozzano tourist information website
Cities and towns in Tuscany {{Lucca-geo-stub