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 ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' 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 pro ...

, in northern

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

(

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 re ...

), 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 th ...

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 river ...

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 th ...

is believed to have commissioned the bridge which was later renovated by

Castruccio Castracani Castruccio Castracani degli Antelminelli (; 1281 – 3 September 1328) was an Italian '' condottiero'' and duke of Lucca. Biography Castruccio was born in Lucca, a member of the noble family of Antelminelli, of the Ghibelline party. In 1300 he ...

. 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 Defense line, defensive line of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Generalfeldmarschall, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's la ...

, 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 opposin ...

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 Bagni di Lucca (formerly Bagno a Corsena) is a comune of Tuscany, Italy, in the Province of Lucca with a population of about 6,100. The comune has 27 named frazioni (wards). History Bagni di Lucca has been known for its thermal springs since th ...

Transportation

The town of Borgo a Mozzano is centrally located between the

Garfagnana The Garfagnana () is a historical and geographical region of central Italy, today part of the province of Lucca, in Tuscany. It is the upper valley or basin of the river Serchio, and thus lies between the main ridge of the Northern Apennines t ...

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 cit ...

. The comune has two train stations, Borgo a Mozzano and Diecimo-

Pescaglia Pescaglia is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Lucca in the Italian region Tuscany, located about northwest of Florence and about northwest of Lucca. Pescaglia borders the following municipalities: Borgo a Mozzano, Camaiore, Fabbri ...

, which are served by the line Lucca-Aulla.

Notable people

* St.

John Leonardi Giovanni Leonardi (1541 – 9 October 1609) was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and the founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca. Biography He was the youngest of seven children born to middle-class parents in Diecimo (now ...

, founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca *

Giuseppe Antonio Luchi Giuseppe Antonio Luchi, also known as il Diecimino, (July 17, 1709 – May 12, 1774) was an Italian painter. He was born in Diecimo, now within Borgo a Mozzano, in the now Province of Lucca. He initially trained under a doctor Azzi of Castelnuovo, ...

, 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 ...

on 27 August 2019 ().

Sister cities

Martorell Martorell () is a municipality that forms part of the Baix Llobregat Comarques of Catalonia, comarca, in Catalonia, Spain, primarily known for its medieval Pont del Diable, Devil's bridge. It lies at the confluence of the Llobregat and Anoia Rive ...

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") , i ...

Ålesund Ålesund () sometimes spelled Aalesund in English, is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal County, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre and the centre of the Ålesund Region. The town of Ålesund is the administrative ...

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 t ...

References

External links

Official website

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