Il Castello Malaspina di Mulazzo in Lunigiana: conoscenza, conservazione e valorizzazione

The Malaspina Castle in the village of Mulazzo (Italy) belongs to the complex system of historical castles of Lunigiana; in this territory, located on the northern part of Tuscany, there are the so-called ‘hundred castles’ belonging to the two branches of Malaspina family: the ‘Spino Secco’ and the ‘Spino Fiorito’. In the Middle Ages, Mulazzo represented the head of the feuds belonging to the ‘Spino Secco’, placed on the right side of the Magra River, facing the village of Filattiera, on the left side of the river, belonging to the ‘Spino Fiorito’. The ‘Lords of the Castle’ dwelled in the castle of Mulazzo, as opposed to the ‘Lords of the Palace’, who dwelled in the northeastern part of the village. Equipped with a small tower, surrounded by a moat, and served by the Malaspina aqueduct, it was founded on an unstable terrain, and for this reason, was abandoned quite soon. Nowadays, the fortification is in a state of ruins, and there is an urgent need for documentation, analysis, and development of strategies to preserve and make the site accessible. Therefore, the present study aims to develop strategies for its restoration and enhancement.