Malgrate: Castle and Cycling Routes in the Bagnone Valley

Malgrate combines two themes that can give your trip to Tuscany a clear focus: the town’s history and the routes through the Bagnone Valley. The castle and its tall tower reflect Malgrate’s historical role; at the same time, different route descriptions lead into the valley region or pass through Malgrate. If you are considering the town as a possible place to stay, you can first weigh up whether you would like to focus mainly on its history or on cycling.

Castle and access to the valley: Malgrate’s history

Malgrate was an old feudal seat with a castle and a tall tower that still commands the entrance to the Bagnone Valley today. The castle therefore represents not just a building, but also the town’s connection to access into the valley. If you are interested in the history of medieval towns, this connection is a concise starting point: the castle, the tower and the role at the valley entrance form a shared picture of Malgrate.

The building history of the Castello di Malgrate also offers a specific historical point of reference. In 1641, the central section was converted into a palace, incorporating the round tower. The date places the renovation in time, while the description identifies the central section and the round tower as parts of this process. You can therefore look at Malgrate’s history from two perspectives: its earlier role as a feudal seat and the changes to the castle. For architecture enthusiasts, the appeal lies precisely in considering its function and architectural development together.

Cycling routes through the Bagnone Valley

The “Tour of medieval villages in the Bagnone valley” is part of the Lunigiana Bike Area and is signposted as route number 20. Its name alone puts the medieval villages of the Bagnone Valley in the spotlight. The Ciclovia dei Castelli in Lunigiana is another route: it passes through the Bagnone Valley via Mocrone and Malgrate. The information offers different points of reference: for the first route, its name and number are important; for the Ciclovia, it is the route through the places named.

The “Tour of medieval villages in the Bagnone valley” also includes the church of San Lorenzo in Gragnana. This means the theme encompasses not only medieval villages but also a specific church. If you choose routes based on their cultural points of interest, you can consider this aspect alongside the place names. The Bagnone Valley also connects the themes in different ways: the castle highlights access to the valley, while the Ciclovia follows a route through it. This makes the connection between Malgrate’s history and the regional cycling routes tangible without treating the two routes as the same.

What role should Malgrate play in your trip?

This makes the choice more specific than a general wish to visit Tuscany: the focus then is either the Castello and access to the valley or the named Lunigiana routes.

If you are travelling with family or in a group with different interests, you can weigh the two themes separately. The castle’s history offers a cultural point of interest, while the routes bring an active element to your plans. Not everyone needs to choose the same focus for Malgrate to be part of your group’s discussion. This lets you assess the town according to your group’s interests rather than expect a general recommendation for every kind of stay in Tuscany.

Discover more destinations: Colonnata, Zeri, Casola In Lunigiana, Pontremoli, Podenzana, Massa, Filattiera, Prota.

For the broader travel overview: Massa-Carrara.