Borgo a Mozzano: a village and a spectacular bridge

Borgo a Mozzano is a town of just over 7,000 inhabitants placed at 97 meters above sea level along the river Serchio valley in the province of Lucca, which is about 21 km. Borgo a Mozzano was once an important service center for the surrounding area, at the end of the thirteenth century it became the seat of the Podestà and then in the mid-sixteenth century it became the seat of the Vicar. The village belonged to Lucca from the Middle Ages until 1847, when it was annexed to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

A SPECTACULAR MEDIEVAL BRIDGE

The main attraction of the village is the famous Ponte della Maddalena or the Devil’s Bridge (Ponte del Diavolo), a medieval bridge that crosses the Serchio at the end of the village going towards the Garfagnana. The bridge is an impressive building for its beauty, formed by arches of various sizes is a classic medieval bridge that was built in the fourteenth century.

In addition to the bridge, Borgo a Mozzano also features other interesting buildings: the Oratory of the Crucifix, which houses some 16th century sculptures. The former convent of San Francesco, with a beautiful internal cloister, today the building is intended for a rest homeand the former cloistered convent of the Teresian Sisters.

While the parish church of San Jacopo, a three-nave building dating from the 11th-12th century, has fine wooden carvings and some sculptures from the 15th and 16th centuries. The squat bell tower of the church dates back to the time of Matilde di Canossa (11th century). The Palazzo del Vicario, a Renaissance building which today houses the municipality. Two kilometers from Borgo a Mozzano in the Catureglio locality is the fifteenth-century Villa Guinigi.

Ponte del Diavolo (Devil’s Bridge) or Ponte della Maddalena (Magdalene’s Bridge), Borgo a Mozzano, Lucca. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

Borgo a Mozzano

USEFUL INFORMATION:

Weekly market in Borgo a Mozzano: Friday
Weekly market, every Friday from 8.00 to 13.30.

Tourist Information Office – Borgo a Mozzano
via Umberto I, 3 Borgo a Mozzano (LU)
Tel and Fax: 0583 888881
Hours: Monday to Friday 09:00 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 18:30. Saturday 09.00 – 13.00. Sunday Closed

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• AA. VV. “Toscana” Guide Rosse Touring Club Italiano, 2007
• Gucci Natale; De Falco Anna “Il fascino e la funzione. Il ponte della Maddalena detto «del diavolo»” 2010, Pacini Fazzi
• Ghiringhelli Giorgio “Il ponte del Diavolo nelle vecchie stampe” 2007, Casagrande
• Lera Guglielmo “Il ponte del Diavolo. Illustrazioni e leggende” 2003, Pacini Fazzi