Malgrate: Castello and Cycling Routes in the Bagnone Valley

Malgrate offers two clear starting points for planning a trip: the history of Castello di Malgrate and cycling routes in the Bagnone Valley. The village was an old feudal seat with a castle and a tall tower; at the same time, the Ciclovia dei Castelli in Lunigiana passes through Malgrate. For your choice, this means you can consider the village in terms of its historical significance or the named cycling routes. Both themes are specifically connected to Malgrate, but in different ways.

Castello di Malgrate and its history

The tall tower still controls access to the Bagnone Valley today. Its significance is therefore not just a matter of its architectural form: the tower is also defined by its role at the entrance to the valley. Together with the castle, it points to Malgrate’s former position as a feudal seat. The term refers to a historic seat of lordship and helps explain why the castle, tower and valley entrance offer a fitting perspective on the village’s history.

Castello di Malgrate also features a precisely dated renovation. In 1641, the central building was converted into a palace, incorporating the round tower. This detail combines two aspects of the same project: the conversion of the central building and the incorporation of the round tower. This makes it possible to understand the development of the Castello not only through its earlier role as a castle and feudal seat, but also through a specific architectural alteration.

Cycling routes in 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 puts the medieval villages in the Bagnone Valley at the heart of the theme; the route number gives the trail a specific designation. This combination of route title and number is useful for finding your way when exploring cycling routes in this area and looking specifically for this tour.

The Ciclovia dei Castelli in Lunigiana offers another cycling perspective. It passes through the Bagnone Valley via Mocrone and Malgrate. This description names specific places along the route as well as the valley. By contrast, Tour number 20 is identified by its inclusion in the Lunigiana Bike Area and its number. The practical points of reference therefore differ: for the tour, the number and its medieval-village theme are central; for the Ciclovia, it is the route via Mocrone and Malgrate.

San Lorenzo Church in Gragnana

The Church of San Lorenzo in Gragnana is mentioned in the description of the “Tour of medieval villages in the Bagnone valley”. There, it features alongside the medieval villages as a cultural point of interest. Its name offers a precise reference if you want to identify the tour not only by its general theme of “medieval villages”, but also by one of its individual features.

Malgrate for your hotel search

If you are looking for a hotel in Malgrate, these two themes can help structure your travel plans. First consider whether you are more interested in the village’s history—from its origins as an old feudal seat to the 1641 renovation of the Castello—or in a cycling tour. For cycling, you can choose between signposted route number 20 and the Ciclovia via Mocrone and Malgrate, each with different points of reference. This way, you can focus your hotel search on the theme that draws you to Malgrate in particular.

Discover more destinations: Cantiere-ponticello, Arpiola-pianturcano, Gragnana, Licciana-Nardi, Fivizzano, Podenzana, Massa, Colonnata

For the broader travel overview: Massa-Carrara.