SARZANA
COSA FARE A SARZANA
Visit Sarzana
Sarzana is a town near La Spezia, in the valley of the Magra River, on the popular Ligurian coast of northwestern Italy. It is close to the Cinque Terre villages.
Its position on one of the most important Roman trade routes to France, the famous "Via Francigena", has made Sarzana a coveted city over the centuries by Florentines, Genoese and Pisans.
Discovering Sarzana
Your visit will focus around the fortresses and in and around Piazza Matteotti. Piazza Matteotti is the center of city life and is a large square surrounded by a good number of interesting buildings, some with arcades and some now cafes and restaurants, as well as a starting point for your tour of medieval Sarzana.
Fortresses
Sarzana is known above all for its medieval fortifications which include two castles: the Fortress of Sarzanello (the ancient Bishop's Palace) and the Firmafede Fortress, built by the Pisans when Sarzana was a border town between the Republic of Genoa and the Medici estates. .
The Firmafede Fortress is surrounded by a deep moat and has a circular tower surrounded by a courtyard, which is accessed through a second courtyard. Around these courtyards is the main quadrilateral of the defensive walls with the tallest towers at each corner. On the east side there is a third rectangular courtyard bordered by a curtain wall separated from the main body of the castle, and at the corners of which there are three lower towers.
The Rocca di Sarzanello is the upper fortress (also called Castruccio, from the name of the leader Castruccio Castracani Antelminelli, who lived here from 1314 to 1328). It has a rhombus shape formed by two juxtaposed equilateral triangles. The first of these faces the city and is protected by three corner towers; the second protects access to the fortress. The two parts are connected by a bridge.
Religious monuments in Sarzana
Sarzana Cathedral: Also noteworthy during the visit to Sarzana are the religious buildings, including the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, built between 1204 and 1474 in Romanesque-Gothic style. The facade of the cathedral, in white marble, has a portal with a Gothic rose window and, on the right side, a crenellated bell tower.
Statue on Cathedral in Sarzana
The interior of the cathedral is divided into three naves and a wooden coffered ceiling. The church contains important works of art by Francesco Solimena (1657-1747, one of the most important personalities of the late Italian Baroque) and Domenico Fiasella (1589-1669, painter with a passion for the play of light and shadow typical of Caravaggio), of which we can admire the Annunciation in the Church, together with various Renaissance sculptures. See also the cross painted on wood and dated 1138 by Maestro Guglielmo. The majestic figure of Christ stands perfectly on the bottom of the cross. The symbolism is very strong: Christ's face is serene and his eyes are wide open, a symbol of Christ in triumph and alive. This cross in the Sarzana cathedral is considered the oldest painted wooden cross in the world.
The Parish Church of Sant'Andrea is the oldest religious building in Sarzana, dating back to the 10th-11th century. The facade is decorated with a sixteenth-century portal and surmounted by an eight-pointed star called "Sidus", symbol of the Elders of the municipality of Sarzana.
The Church of San Francesco is located on a square just outside the city walls. with a semicircular window on the facade that illuminates the interior. Above the portal there is a seventeenth-century lunette depicting the "Virgin and Child". The church has a Latin cross plan. In the left transept is the tomb of Castruccio Castracani's son, Guarnerio Antelminelli (who died in 1324).
The Oratorio della Misericordia has a central plan, with a single nave, and four large chapels on the main axes.
Other highlights of Sarzana
The historic center of Sarzana is full of historic buildings built by noble families, such as the Palazzo Neri with its frescoed interior halls. The garden with the well of the old Convent of the Poor Clares is another original architectural element of the palace - here because the palace was built on the site of the convent.
Palazzo Magni Griffi is a significant example of 18th century classicism (the style is a prelude to the advent of neoclassicism - the facade has no decorative element, leaving only the geometry of the structure itself).
Palazzo Podestà Lucciardi is an example of neoclassical architecture, designed by Carlo Barbino in the nineteenth century. On the roof, the terrace forms a classical temple.
Palazzo Picedi - Benettini was built in the late Renaissance Tuscan style - the base is decorated with ashlar iron grates. Also worth seeing near the city walls of Sarzana are Villa Ollandini and Villa Carena.
Sarzana kitchen
The traditional cuisine of Sarzana includes dishes such as "Paniza", "Sgabei", "testaroli" and "focaccia" with oil and salt,
Sarzana is a town near La Spezia, in the valley of the Magra River, on the popular Ligurian coast of northwestern Italy. It is close to the Cinque Terre villages.
Its position on one of the most important Roman trade routes to France, the famous "Via Francigena", has made Sarzana a coveted city over the centuries by Florentines, Genoese and Pisans.
Discovering Sarzana
Your visit will focus around the fortresses and in and around Piazza Matteotti. Piazza Matteotti is the center of city life and is a large square surrounded by a good number of interesting buildings, some with arcades and some now cafes and restaurants, as well as a starting point for your tour of medieval Sarzana.
Fortresses
Sarzana is known above all for its medieval fortifications which include two castles: the Fortress of Sarzanello (the ancient Bishop's Palace) and the Firmafede Fortress, built by the Pisans when Sarzana was a border town between the Republic of Genoa and the Medici estates. .
The Firmafede Fortress is surrounded by a deep moat and has a circular tower surrounded by a courtyard, which is accessed through a second courtyard. Around these courtyards is the main quadrilateral of the defensive walls with the tallest towers at each corner. On the east side there is a third rectangular courtyard bordered by a curtain wall separated from the main body of the castle, and at the corners of which there are three lower towers.
The Rocca di Sarzanello is the upper fortress (also called Castruccio, from the name of the leader Castruccio Castracani Antelminelli, who lived here from 1314 to 1328). It has a rhombus shape formed by two juxtaposed equilateral triangles. The first of these faces the city and is protected by three corner towers; the second protects access to the fortress. The two parts are connected by a bridge.
Religious monuments in Sarzana
Sarzana Cathedral: Also noteworthy during the visit to Sarzana are the religious buildings, including the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, built between 1204 and 1474 in Romanesque-Gothic style. The facade of the cathedral, in white marble, has a portal with a Gothic rose window and, on the right side, a crenellated bell tower.
Statue on Cathedral in Sarzana
The interior of the cathedral is divided into three naves and a wooden coffered ceiling. The church contains important works of art by Francesco Solimena (1657-1747, one of the most important personalities of the late Italian Baroque) and Domenico Fiasella (1589-1669, painter with a passion for the play of light and shadow typical of Caravaggio), of which we can admire the Annunciation in the Church, together with various Renaissance sculptures. See also the cross painted on wood and dated 1138 by Maestro Guglielmo. The majestic figure of Christ stands perfectly on the bottom of the cross. The symbolism is very strong: Christ's face is serene and his eyes are wide open, a symbol of Christ in triumph and alive. This cross in the Sarzana cathedral is considered the oldest painted wooden cross in the world.
The Parish Church of Sant'Andrea is the oldest religious building in Sarzana, dating back to the 10th-11th century. The facade is decorated with a sixteenth-century portal and surmounted by an eight-pointed star called "Sidus", symbol of the Elders of the municipality of Sarzana.
The Church of San Francesco is located on a square just outside the city walls. with a semicircular window on the facade that illuminates the interior. Above the portal there is a seventeenth-century lunette depicting the "Virgin and Child". The church has a Latin cross plan. In the left transept is the tomb of Castruccio Castracani's son, Guarnerio Antelminelli (who died in 1324).
The Oratorio della Misericordia has a central plan, with a single nave, and four large chapels on the main axes.
Other highlights of Sarzana
The historic center of Sarzana is full of historic buildings built by noble families, such as the Palazzo Neri with its frescoed interior halls. The garden with the well of the old Convent of the Poor Clares is another original architectural element of the palace - here because the palace was built on the site of the convent.
Palazzo Magni Griffi is a significant example of 18th century classicism (the style is a prelude to the advent of neoclassicism - the facade has no decorative element, leaving only the geometry of the structure itself).
Palazzo Podestà Lucciardi is an example of neoclassical architecture, designed by Carlo Barbino in the nineteenth century. On the roof, the terrace forms a classical temple.
Palazzo Picedi - Benettini was built in the late Renaissance Tuscan style - the base is decorated with ashlar iron grates. Also worth seeing near the city walls of Sarzana are Villa Ollandini and Villa Carena.
Sarzana kitchen
The traditional cuisine of Sarzana includes dishes such as "Paniza", "Sgabei", "testaroli" and "focaccia" with oil and salt,
