Holiday apartment in Massa: local history and red marble

Massa between local history and red marble

The historic centre of Massa Sassorosso is worth seeing; the streets of Massa are rich in old buildings. A mountain of red marble rises above Massa and Sassorosso, flaking off in large slabs. For those interested in culture, the historic centre, the old buildings and the mountain of red marble stand side by side as distinct local features. The old buildings form part of Massa’s streetscape, while the red slabs give the mountain above the two villages its own surface. The colour and geological form complement the historic centre with a landscape aspect.

Church, piazzetta and the Paseo

The parish church of Massa Sassorosso is dedicated to the Archangel Michael, San Michele Arcangelo. Massa Sassorosso has the piazzetta “Largo Astor Piazzolla”, a square dedicated to Astor Piazzolla. Opening events held in 2013 and 2015 are associated with Largo Astor Piazzolla. Astor Piazzolla’s grandparents were married in this church. The church and piazzetta create different cultural accents in the village landscape. The years 2013 and 2015 mark the historical context of the opening events, not their current occurrence.

The “Paseo” is an exhibition trail dedicated to Astor Piazzolla. The outdoor exhibition route about Astor Piazzolla is located directly opposite the church. Opening events held in 2013 and 2015 are also associated with the outdoor route. The spatial juxtaposition of the route and the church connects the exhibition trail with the specific place linked to the musician’s family history.

A landscape with its own material

The red marble forms a distinct landscape feature alongside the old buildings and the historic centre. The mountain overlooking Massa and Sassorosso is therefore part of the landscape of both villages. The mountain’s surface is defined not only by its colour but also by its flaking into large slabs. This creates a clear change in the landscape between the built-up village centre and the red marble.

Getting there via roads and mountain passes

Massa Sassorosso is accessible by car. From Lucca, the route to Massa Sassorosso follows the SP20 “Ludovica” towards Castelnuovo Garfagnana, the SR445 “della Garfagnana”, the SP47 “di Canottola” and then the municipal road “Valligori-Massasassorosso”. From Modena, Massa Sassorosso can be reached via Passo delle Radici, the SP72 “del Passo delle Radici” and then the municipal road “Valligori-Massasassorosso”. There is also a national park route from Castelnuovo in Garfagnana to Castelnovo ne' Monti via Provincial Road 48 to Massa. When travelling there, the sequence of roads depends on the starting point: Lucca and Modena offer different connections to Massa Sassorosso. The final municipal road is the same for both car routes.

Other places

Other places: Corfino, Sassorosso.

To the main travel overview: Villa Collemandina.