Lunigiana is the part of Tuscany that links up with the Gulf of Poets and Liguria to the west and Emilia-Romagna, gastronomic heart of Italy, to the north. Whilst it is dominated by the Apuan Alps (from which Michelangelo insisted that his marble had to come) and the Appennines (made famous by Eric Newby in his book 'Love and War in the Appennines'), it has beautiful sandy beaches on its coast at places such as Marinella and Marina di Massa. It truly does have mountains, rock pools, sun and sea.
The Lunigiana derives its name from the port of Luni, established by the Romans at the mouth of the River Magra. So rich and splendidly adorned with marble was this port, that the Normans destroyed it, mistaking it for Rome. Today you can see the ruins of this once great trading place. Historic sites are not restricted to Roman remains, however, as the Lunigiana is scattered with castles built in mediaeval times by the Malaspina family, whilst in Aulla the Brunella fortress of Aulla castle (many of you may have read of this in Kinta Beevor's 'A Tuscan Childhood') nowadays houses the Lunigiana Museum of Natural History. There are countless ancient natural sites such as the caves near Equi Terme (site of the natural sulphur baths).