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FILATTIERA
Capital of the Byzantine Lunigiana, then the capital of the
Malaspina government, Filattiera is one of the oldest villages in
Lunigiana. The medieval heart of the village is perfectly intact,
dated back to the 13th century, with the Cappella Castrense dedicated
to San Giorgo which used to be connected with the castle and the
powerful watch-tower. Walking around Filattiera is like reading
a history book, as there are so many remains from different periods,
such as the Castello dei Malaspina, the church and the hospital
of San Giacomo. But Filattiera is worth a visit especially for the
marvellous Pieve di Sorano, a Romanesque architectonic pearl built
along the Via Francigena, probably on the ruins of some Early Christian
buildings.
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After
having been restructured with great care, the Pieve di Sorano today
shows its beauty and also features an enigmatic legend, which is thought
to hold some truth. In fact, inside the church there is a memorial
tablet from the 7th century which tells the story of a mysterious
religious man who came to Sorano and broke the stele of the pagan
idols, starting to predicate in order to convince the inhabitants
to convert to the Christian religion and to build a Christian church.
In reality, only few whole steles from the Early Christian period
have been found in the surroundings. In the neighbourhood you should
visit the villages of Valle della Capria with palaces and towers,
the marvellous Rocca Sigillina, Gigliana and the plateaux of Logarghena.
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HILLS
