Castello Malaspina di Fosdinovo

Castello Malaspina di Fosdinovo

Castello Malaspina di Fosdinovo
4.5
About
The Castle, a feud of the branches of the Malaspina del Ramo Fiorito holdings from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century, is of great importance historically, and above all, architecturally. The construction of the massive fortress, which merges with the underlying sandstone rock so the whole structure seems carved in stone, began in the second half of the twelfth century.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles417 reviews
Excellent
206
Very good
156
Average
33
Poor
16
Terrible
6

Teresa D
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Solo
Very good tour from the custodian. Some attractive and interesting furnishings, decoration, history, nice sized castle. Included a quick tour of the guest area. We didn't meet the phantom, as far as we were aware, but the place has a certain atmosphere. Stunning views over the neighbouring planes.
Written 2 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jill P
12 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022 • Couples
We had a wonderful tour in the castle with the sweetest guide - who only spoke Italian. He really tried his best and translated using Google, but we enjoyed the tour and got the information on a piece of paper to read while we went. The castle is rough and holds some dark secrets. Very interesting.
Written 17 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cannuckk
Langley, Canada359 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Couples
We had booked and bought tickets online several days before our scheduled tour. The website included full English descriptions, and the booking engine allowed us to request ( or so we thought) an English tour. So we were somewhat dismayed to find out on arrival that the staff in the ticket office appeared to have no idea that any tickets had bern sold online, or a request for an English tour had been made. They explained that the tour we had booked would be in Italian only, since they had two guides off sick. Assuming that were true, and having provided our email when booking online, we might have expected they would alert us to that fact before our arrival and offer a refund or an alternative tour date. We had actually asked via email two days before our tour ( no one answered the phone) if we could delay our visit for a day, but we never got a response. Clearly whoever handles online booking does not communicate with the staff at the castle.
Long story short, we did the Italian tour, since we were there anyway and had driven over an hour from Lucca to do the tour, We were given an information sheet in English that had had short explanations of some sights on the tour to follow along with but it was pretty clear that we weren’t getting anything near a complete narrative, despite some translation help from some other tour participants who had a bit of English. Having seen many other Italian castles over the years, we weren’t looking to see yet another facility, but to hear the stories associated with it. As a result, we were rather disappointed with our experience.
The ticket office staff tried to make things right by giving us free of charge a small book ( in Italian) detailing the castle; although that was a nice gesture, what they probably should have done was offer a complimentary future visit when an English tour was available.
I think this is an attraction probably worth the 10 euro admission, but at this point I’m not sure I’d suggest online booking as an option for a non Italian speaker. Maybe better to drop by if you are in the area, enjoy the village and the views, and ask if a tour is available in your preferred language prior to purchasing your ticket.
Written 17 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Arttraveller
Province of Rome, Italy19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
I have visited the castle today for the first time. It is very preserved and walking along the rooms and the external areas was really interesting.
The guide was able to keep our attention narrating stories mixing historical and fantastic details.
Written 11 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alessandro F
Milan, Italy26,346 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020 • Solo
With this name is reported the presence of this castle in 1084 and from 1340 it became the castle of Marquess Malaspina .
During centuries the Malaspina offsprings enlarged and made it a home of delight
Written 27 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ray B
Saint Helens, OR598 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019
Be aware there are other Malaspina castles, in Carrara, Filattiera, Virgoletta, Terrarossa, Tresana, and Licciana Nardi. The Malaspina family was rich and powerful and controlled the Lunigiana region. This is their Fosdinovo castle and it is incredible. So rich in history. At 1500 meters above sea level, it has a commanding view of the valley below and the sea beyond. The castle dates to 1100, it was bombed by the allies in WWII but restored soon after. Period furnishings from the renaissance are throughout the castle. The kitchen, the horse stables, the weapons, the fescoed walls are all here.
We paid 16 euro for the two of us and had a personal tour of the castle. While the man who gave us the tour spoke limited English, he had a cheat sheet in English and was easy to understand. He knew the history of the place and was very interesting.
So many stories. Dante Aligheri wrote his Divine Comedy in this castle! One of the Ladies of the castle took secret lovers from the village and disposed of them down the secret trap door. There's also the story of how workers in the 1940's rebuilding the destroyed parts of the castle discovered a full skeleton behind a wall. The castle is rumored to be haunted. Good stuff! The Castle sits at the top of Fosdinovo, andis an excellent village to explore. Take the Sarzana exit off of the A12 Autostada, and drive about 15 minutes through the country and up the hill. Well worth it.
Written 16 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ElenaS1
13 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2018 • Family
No crowd of tourists, well preserved, interesting tour, nice view on Cinque Terre. Check their website for tour hours, not to arrive at the closed gate
Written 15 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jayne H
Keighley, UK160 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Couples
What an amazing castle that we had the privilege of staying in for 2 nights. The castle has an amazing history dating back to 12th century
Tours are well worth doing
Written 1 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Trekhaak
Eindhoven5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2018 • Family
We received a very nice tour by a new English speaking guide in the castle. There was nobody else then our family so it was also a private tour. He explained everthing in detail, very much recommended! Also marvelous views from the castle up to the sea coast.
Written 11 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Vincenzo Colombo
Laurentides, Quebec, Canada51 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2017 • Friends
I visited Castello Malaspina, as part of my personal plan to discover the lesser known cultural gems of Italy. I vaguely had scholastic reminiscences of Dante's friendship with the Malaspina familiy. What surprised me most is the vibe of positive cultural energy of the guided tour and the beauty of the surrounding landscape. I recommend to include this experience if one wants to combine culture and romance in travel.
Written 7 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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CASTELLO MALASPINA DI FOSDINOVO: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Castello Malaspina di Fosdinovo