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Sarzana - the City

Sarzana, is the second most populated district in La Spezia province. Thanks to its position, the city was always an important communication crossroads for Tuscany, Liguria and Emilia-Romagna; a strategic centre also for agriculture and commerce of great prominence and, already in Medieval times, an important religious and judicial centre, being the bishop’s seat and home to the district court. The city stands at the foot of the Sarzanello hill, a stronghold which is part of the rugged area skirting the nearby Alpi Apuane range of mountains where stands one of the two fortresses defending the peoples of this area. Close to Sarzana runs the Magra river and the two stretches of water called the "Bozi".

The populated centre is a few kilometres from the coast of the Ligurian Sea and from the boundary with Tuscany. Its geographical position makes Sarzana a true “border post”, a point of contact between diverse customs, traditions and history. Traces of the Roman castrum (fort) can still be seen, with the typical arrangement dictated by the north-south (Cardus) and east-west (Decumanus) road layout, native to the city, above all in the perpendicular arrangement of the internal road network. This orderliness is gradually lost over time with the expansion of the populated area. The city has preserved until now the image of the original Medieval centre, in spite of the later fortification work on the city wall, the donjons and above all the Cittadella, which dramatically altered its previous urban aspect, giving it from then on the aspect of a walled city, dominated by the solid mass of the Firmafede fortress.

The division into quarters goes back to the start of the 13th century on the transfer of the bishop’s seat to Sarzana which added to its importance leading to its remarkable urban expansion. These quarters are: Centro Storico (the historical centre), Crociata, Battifollo, Bradia, Grisei, Sarzanello, Trinità-Ponti di Ferro, Falcinello, Grisei-Ghiaia, Marinella, Nave-Fortezza-San Michele, San Lazzaro and Santa Caterina-Olmo-Boettola, while the municipal districts are Falcinello, Marinella di Sarzana and San Lazzaro.

The city is also characterized by its remarkable cultural dynamism and activity. There are many events throughout the year in the area, including:

• A street market called “Soffitta nella strada”: a market event featuring both antique and modern items
• Calandriniana: an extemporary painting event
• Festival della Mente: a festival dedicated to creativity, development of ideas and the creative process
• Festival Internazionale del Teatro di Strada(international street theatre festival): theatre event taking place in the roads and squares of the centre

Sarzana is situated at the crossroads between the once state highway and now provincial highway 1 "Aurelia" and state highway 62 of the Cisa and has its own motorway exit on Autostrada A12. Sarzana has a railway station on the Genoa to Rome line on the stretch between La Spezia and Pisa.