Sarzana, Medieval commune in La Spezia Province, Italy
Sarzana is a small town in eastern Liguria, a few kilometers from the sea and the Apuan Alps. Stone city walls enclose the old core, where streets cross and lead to squares with light-colored facades.
The town was founded in the 10th century when inhabitants of the abandoned Roman colony of Luni moved here. Genoa and Florence contested control over this strategic point on the Via Francigena several times during the 14th and 15th centuries.
The name Sarzana possibly derives from a Roman settlement that now lies beneath the narrow lanes and porticoed squares. Market vendors line up along the central street, where bookshops and antiquarian dealers recall the town's literary tradition.
The center is compact and walkable, though cobblestones can be slippery when wet. Most shops and eateries close on Sunday afternoons and for midday breaks several days a week.
Every August, an antiquarian book fair turns the streets and squares into a maze of book stalls where collectors hunt for rare volumes. Some dealers travel from other regions specifically to take part in this event.
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Fortezza di Sarzanello
910 m
Sarzana Cathedral
255 m
Parco naturale regionale di Montemarcello - Magra
3.3 km
Roman Amphitheatre of Luna
7.6 km
Luni National Archaeological Museum
7.1 km
Castle of Castelnuovo Magra
4.8 km
Necropolis of Cafaggio
5.1 km
Pieve di Sant'Andrea, Sarzana
128 m
San Francesco
336 m
Villa Malaspina
3.1 km
Castle of Ameglia
5.3 km
Santa Maria Maddalena church
4.9 km
Bocca di Magra Roman villa
6.8 km
Teatro degli Impavidi
323 mAudiovisual Museum of the Resistance
6.2 km
Santa Croce
169 m
San Remigio
5.3 km
Castello della Brina
3.6 km
Palazzo Roderio
4 m
Diocesan museum of Sarzana
373 m
Oratorio dei Bianchi
5.2 km
Malaspina Castle
5.5 km
San Vincenzo
5.3 kmOrto Botanico di Montemarcello
5.3 km
Chiesa del Carmine
193 m
Chiesa di Santa Caterina
1.4 km
Oratory of San Girolamo
289 m
Oasi
8.8 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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