Arpiola-pianturcano: Parish Church, Castles and Nature

Arpiola-pianturcano is a destination for you if you would like to combine sacred architecture, historic sites, landscapes and regional products in a trip to Italy. The Chiesa di San Giuseppe is the parish church of Arpiola. Its façade features a lunette depicting the saint holding the Infant Jesus and standing against the backdrop of the church, as well as a circular rose window.

Church and Written Records

The Mulazzo archives preserve pre-state records from 1580 to 1865. If you do not want to consider churches and castles in isolation, these written records offer an additional cultural and historical perspective on Mulazzo and establish a clear chronological focus for your planning.

Castles and Ecclesiastical Traces in the Surrounding Area

Castello del Piagnaro is a castle in the area surrounding Arpiola-Pianfurcano. Castello di Madrignano is also a castle in this area. Castello Malaspina is a castle in the wider regional area surrounding Arpiola-Pianfurcano. This geographical distinction is important for your travel planning: here, the classification ranges from the surrounding area to the wider regional area. When making your selection, you can therefore distinguish between more nearby and more distant regional destinations, rather than assigning all the castles the same proximity to the town.

Curia Vescovile di Pontremoli is a church in the area surrounding Arpiola-Pianfurcano. Of San Pietro de Pisciula, also known as San Pietro de Felicibus, only a fragment of wall remains on the A15 at Arpiola di Mulazzo.

Waterfalls and Peaks

The area surrounding Arpiola-Pianfurcano also contains two waterfalls and two peaks: Cascata della colombaia and Piscio di Pracchiola are waterfalls, while Monte Marmagna and Monte Aquila are peaks. This gives you different types of landscapes to choose from according to your interests. You can consider waterfalls and peaks as separate focuses in your planning, without assuming a shared route.

Getting There and Regional Products

Bus route L16 runs from Aulla via Villafranca FS and Filattiera to Pontremoli, passes through Arpiola and Mulazzo, and serves the Arpiola Scuole stop. The timetable is valid from 4 May 2026. Aulla and Pontremoli are the two endpoints of this connection.

The local character also includes Macelleria Andrea in the hamlet of Arpiola in the municipality of Mulazzo. It offers almost exclusively meat from the region as well as numerous high-quality products from Lunigiana. If you include regional cuisine in your travel planning, you will find a specific connection here to Lunigiana’s products.

Mountain Biking Orientation

For mountain biking, the trails of Mulazzo MTB Adventure start at a car park near the town hall; a route board is located there. When planning your cycling trip, the car park near the town hall and the route board there are practical points of reference.

Further Destinations for Your Travel Planning

If you would like to extend your travel planning beyond Arpiola-pianturcano, you can find further destinations at Marina di Carrara, Podenzana, Bagnone, Prota, Pian di Molino, Cantiere-ponticello, Colonnata and Massa.

For the higher-level travel overview: Massa-Carrara.