ART & CULTURE

Luni and its archaeological excavations

Luni is a historic hamlet in the Magra Valley located at the foot of the Apuan Alps, not far away from the Magra River. It’s easily accessible by car, it takes just a few minutes time from the Bocca di Magra locality, and offers the unmissable opportunity to visit its open-air archaeological site, in fact Luni is home to the National Archaeological Museum which includes finds from the ancient Roman city of Luna uncovered thanks to the archaeologists incessant research. The guided tour winds through the ancient Domus inside the walls and also includes a visit to the Roman Amphitheater.

Cafaggio Necropolis

The pre-Roman Necropolis of Cafaggio, founded by the Apuan Ligurians, stands at the foot of a hill on the right bank of the Magra River in the Cafaggio locality in the municipality of Ameglia. Discovered in 1976 following some excavations, the Necropolis is located between the 4th and 3rd century BC.

The Golden Butterfly Phenomenon on the San Lorenzo Mountains

On the San Lorenzo Mountains, every year, during the summer solstice and in the following twenty days, it’s possible to admire the natural spectacle of the Golden Butterfly: it’s a sacred megalithic site since the third millennium BC where the light of the setting sun, passing through a hole created by a set of four stones, forms the stylized image of a gold-colored butterfly on a rock in front of it, creating a magical and unique effect. This Menhir can be reached through the different paths of the Montemarcello Magra Park.

Carrara Marble Quarries

The Carrara Marble Quarries, famous all over the world for the extraction of the precious White Marble since pre-Romanesque times, are located on the west side of the Apuan Alps, especially above the town of Carrara, about 15 km away from the locality of Bocca di Magra. Guided tours of the suggestive basins of Colonnata, Torano and Fantiscritti are recommended. The marble extracted from the Marble Quarries of Carrara was used in the past by renowned sculptors, including Michelangelo, for the creation of numerous works of art, in particular the famous Pietà.

The Stele Statue Museum in Pontremoli

We are in the historic Lunigiana area, here the discovery of numerous Stele Statues gave birth to the Lunigiana Stele Statue Museum housed since 1975 inside the Piagnaro Castle of Pontremoli. It’s one of the most important megalithic phenomena in Europe. The Stele Statues are sculptures carved on sandstone representing human busts, both female and male, dated between the 4th and 1st millennium BC.