Malaspina Castle
| Malaspina Castle | |
|---|---|
| Rocca Malaspina (Italian) | |
| Malaspina | |
 Malaspina Castle as it appears 2023 | |
Interactive map of Malaspina Castle | |
| 44°01′56″N 10°08′46″E / 44.032224°N 10.14603°E | |
| Type | Hillfort |
| Periods | medieval |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Nearest city | Massa |
The Malaspina Castle is located in Massa, Italy. It crowns the top of a rocky hill and dominates the wide underlying plain and part of the Tyrrhenian coast. From the 17th century the main purpose of the castle was military and it served as a prison until 1946.[1] The castle was subsequently restored and reopened to the public.[1]
History
The first record of a castle here dates back to 1164.[1] In 1269 because of political discords with local inhabitants it was leveled to the ground by the army of the nearby city of Lucca.[1] The castle became the seat of the Malaspina family, marquises of Massa.[1] It was visited by Dante Alighieri, who supposedly envisioned the descending circles of Hell, that inspired the corresponding part of his Divine Comedy.[2] According to legend, Dante saw the great funnel-shaped cave lying below, surrounded by a series of ledges with the slopes converging to the stream.[2]
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