4 – VILLA MALASPINA (ENG)

Villa Malaspina of Caniparola is located at the foot of the hills in the municipality of Fosdinovo.

The earliest structure on the site was a medieval square tower, almost certainly a military outpost, which is now incorporated into the northeast corner of the villa. This tower was already documented in 1231, referred to as “castrum quod dicitur Mons Johanes,” corresponding to the toponym “Montesagna.” In 1724, Gabriele III Malaspina built his summer residence on this site —that is now known as Villa Malaspina — giving it the form it still retains today. He completed the project of his predecessor, Carlo Francesco Agostino Malaspina, who passed away inside the villa in 1722.

The residence spans three floors and features a fortified-style sloping base. Originally, its main façade overlooked the bridge over the Isolone stream. The noble floor is accessed via a double-flight staircase, leading to a vast hall frescoed by Antonio Contestabile of Piacenza, an artist also active in Pontremoli. Another hall was frescoed in 1728 by Giovan Battista Natali from Pontremoli. The villa is surrounded by an extensive park and a refined Italian-style garden. Inside, it also houses a grand double-height hall and a magnificent library overlooking the garden, with stunning frescoes on its vaults and walls.

The garden, designed by Marquis Gabriele III Malaspina, consists of boxwood-lined flower beds, a central fishpond, and a hidden garden. On the opposite side, there is a large walled vegetable garden enclosed by an imposing wrought-iron gate.

Like many historic residences, Villa Malaspina also has its share of ghost stories. The most famous—and well-documented—one involves a mysterious apparition. In 1722, after the death of Marquis Carlo Francesco Agostino Malaspina, his two sons, Gabriele and Azzolino, reportedly saw a figure in a dressing gown at one of the windows. As they approached, they recognized their recently deceased father. They ran to the estate manager to have the house unlocked (as it was uninhabited), but upon searching inside, they found no one. Despite this, the Governor of Fivizzano believed their account and reported the incident to his superior.