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Towns of the area

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Montignoso

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Inhabitants in 1991: 9.158

The municipal territory of Montagnoso extends for 16,67 square kilometres between the sea and the Apuane, “last land” of the low Lunigiana. Ancient Lords castle, in 1938 the municipality was suppressed and became part, with Massa and Carrara, of the new community of Apuania, it was reconstituted in March 1946.

The Castellum Aginulfi, positioned on the hill near the present day centre, considered itself the first historic nucleus of Montignoso. Considered by the Byzantines as a point of great strategic importance conquered by Longobardo Rotari in the VII century, other than being restructured it became a stable Seat of Noble Guilds. Toward the year one thousand, the Bishop of Luni had the jurisdiction over one third of the castle. In XIII century Montignoso passed under the dominion of a branch of the Lords of Vallecchia and Corvaia, who established themselves in the fortress and took the name of Nobles of the Castle. But the disputes among the powerful neighbours (Pisa, Lucca, Genova, Firenze) whose influence they could not escape, constituted the real driving force of the political events of Montignoso. Finally, with the decline of Pisa, it came under the dominion of Lucca in the second half of the XIII century, the community was annexed to the Vicariate of Pietrasanta. The jurisdiction of Lucca over Montignoso lasted even when Pietrasanta, in 1514, passed to the Fiorentini and, if one makes an exception of a bloody contrast with Massa in 1538, Montigonos’s history did not see any particular turbulence until the advent of the Napoleonic armies. The French, on the other hand left it under the government of the Lucca Princes Baciocchi, to whom they owed the land reclaims of the marshes which extended along the most part of the coast. In 1847 the community passed to the Estensi and remained under them, despite the peoples discontent, until 1859. Among the illustrious personages of Montignoso is the diplomat and politician Carlo Sforza (1872-1952).

Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford


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