The Booksellers of Pontremoli

The image of an itinerant bookseller stands outside a bookshop in Pontremoli

Imagine a time, in the centuries before printing was established, when books where hard to come by.   This was certainly the situation long ago in the remote and mountainous areas of Northern Italy. Printing of books did not arrive to the area until the late 15th century. What a miracle those early books must have seemed!

In the 16th century, itinerant booksellers began to travel from town to town, carrying baskets full of books. They reached the small hamlets throughout northern Italy, even venturing all the way to Germany, setting up temporary stalls to sell books.

These traveling booksellers came from the Lunigiana region of northern Tuscany, particularly from the towns of Pontremoli and Montereggio.  The selling of books became a family business, a tradition passed down from generation to generation.  Over time the work of the booksellers became more established. Today, many bookstores in northern and central Italy can trace their roots back to Pontremoli’s traveling booksellers.

I first noticed the books of Pontremoli in this stairwell leading up to the apartment I was renting.

I didn’t know much about this history before I visited Pontremoli last fall.  I was immediately struck by the fact that books were everywhere.  Books filled nooks along the staircase in the Airbnb apartment where I stayed.  Books sat outside shops in small baskets, payment on the honor system.  Books lined shelves in cafes and restaurants.  There was also a large shop selling new and used books in Piazza della Repubblica, right in the heart of the historic center.  Pontremoli seemed to be a city of books.

Just off Piazza della Repubblica was a courtyard filled with benches sculpted in the form of open books.  Each had a date, a title, an author’s name, and a snippet of text.  A similar book bench was found in the courtyard of the Piagnaro Castle high above town.  Curious!

New and used books displayed below an sign for the 2005 Premio Bancarella

A bit of investigation revealed that the book benches were related to an annual literary prize, The Premio Bancarella, awarded each summer in the city of Pontremoli. 

The prize has its roots in the city’s history of booksellers.  In fact, the Premio Bancarella is the only literary prize awarded by a committee made up exclusively of booksellers.  Unlike publishers and literary scholars, the booksellers know which books are popular with their customers, which ones are most in demand.  The prize is a connection from author to bookseller to reader.  And the term Bancarella, meaning stall, reflects those early booksellers who set up stalls in the smallest of towns.

Each year since 1952 a panel of booksellers has met to award the prize.  The first year the prize was awarded in nearby Montereggio. That year the winner was Hemingway for The Old Man and the Sea.  Since then the prize has been awarded each year in Pontremoli. The list of winners include Italian literary figures and authors from around the globe. 

In 2006 a category for books related to food was added, The Premio Bancarella della Cucina.  That may explain the large number of cookbooks found in the bookshop near where the prizes are awarded.

There are many things to love about Pontremoli, but the fact that the town is full of books is an added bonus.

A glimpse inside a Pontremoli book shop selling new and used books in a variety of genres

Pontremoli: A Walk, A Castle, and Prehistoric Rock Carvings

The Lunigiana region reaches from the northern part of Tuscany into Liguria, all the way to the coast. It is a unique area, quite different from the classic images of Italy. No grand cathedrals, huge museums, or rolling vineyards here. The region is mountainous, forested, and crossed by rivers. There are no large cities to be found, instead there are small medieval hamlets, many with ancient towers and castles. Some of the castles lie in ruins, complete or partial, but a few are remarkably well preserved.

Castello del Piagnaro, Pontremoli

One such castle is the Castello del Piagnaro in the town of Pontremoli. The castle dates from the 10th century, with cycles of expansion, destruction, and rebuilding over the ensuing centuries. Some components of the Castello have been lost to time, a drawbridge for example, and some elements are as new as the 15th century tower (if something that old can really be called new).

Today the restored castle compound stands guard high above Pontremoli and welcomes visitors to both the castle interior and the Museum of the Stele Statues of the Lunigiana which is housed within its ancient walls.

Half the joy of seeing the castle is the walk to it from the historic center of Pontremoli. The walk begins from the small main street and winds up even smaller alleys to the castle. Along the way are small shops, medieval buildings, arches, gates, views, and the occasional cat.

This sign marks a steep little alley that leads to the castle.

The walk winds uphill, but it is not terribly steep. For a less inspiring, but less strenuous, way to the castle take the elevator from Porta Parma at the north end of town directly to the castle grounds. I found the hike up to be definitely worth the effort. With stops along the way to admire the ancient buildings, chat with local residents, and enjoy the views to the town below it was a walk I would not have missed!

There is a ticket office just inside the castle gates where a combined ticket for the museum and castle can be purchased for 7 euro (4 euro for those over 65). From the ticket office you can enter the museum directly or cross to the castle entrance.

The museum is fascinating. Stele (not to be confused with the similar Italian word stelle which has a different meaning all together) are prehistoric carvings, representing human figures, found throughout the Lunigiana region. They have been housed in the castle museum since 1975 and are truly a treasure.

Both male and female figures are represented. The males seem to be warriors, armed with knives. The women, bare breasted, are adorned with necklaces. The dark rooms and dramatic lighting show the pieces off perfectly.

After the stele, it is time to wander through the castle. And I do mean wander - there are many rooms, courtyards, staircases, and roof top terraces to explore. Amazingly, there were no guards or “keep out” signs to be found, just freedom to explore and to wonder what life must have been like for the people who occupied this building over the centuries.

Perched high up on this hill, the castle offers spectacular views down the hill to the city and river below. Walking back down to the village, along a different small alley than on the way up, provides for another scenic walk through the oldest portions of Pontremoli.

A visit to Pontremoli, and a hike up to the castle, provides a wonderful contrast to the more touristed places in Tuscany and Liguria. It’s a special experience!

An Autumn Weekend in Pontremoli

For 5 days at the end of October and beginning of November my Italian hometown of Lucca hosts the huge Lucca Comics and Games event.   Picture 75,000+ people a day descending on the small, walled city and a series of white tents lining the historic walls and filling the piazzas.   It is an important economic event for the city and a big deal for afficionados of costumes, gaming, anime, superheroes and the like.  Lots of people love it, but for some of us it is simply crowds and chaos.  This year, after two pandemic years in which the festival was cancelled (2020) or scaled back (2021), the crowds were predicted to be bigger than ever.  That made it the perfect time to for me to plan an out-of-town escape. 

One of Pontremoli’s small alleyways - an invitation to explore!

 This year my “escape from comics” destination was suggested by Nancy, one of Two Parts Italy’s readers. Just as I was trying to decide where to go over comics, I received a lovely email from her asking if I’d ever been to Pontremoli.  She went on to say that she had just spent several days there and thought it was just the kind of place I would love.  She included photos and recommendations for things to do.  What serendipity!  I had never been to Pontremoli and receiving that email was all the inspiration I needed.  I quickly found that I could get to Pontremoli by train from Lucca in under 2 hours.  I found a lovely Airbnb apartment to rent and a friend who was ready to share the adventure.  The more I read about the town, the more excited I was to visit. I am so glad that Nancy took the time to write to me!

Pontremoli is a village in the Massa-Carrara Province of Tuscany, population around 7000.  The town lies in the historical region of the Lunigiana, which straddles the regions of Tuscany and Liguria.  It is a region of mountains, forests, rivers, old towers, castles, and small medieval hamlets.  The Via Francigena, the pilgrim’s route between Canterbury and Rome, crosses the area including right through Pontremoli. 

Pontremoli’s historic center as seen from one of the foot bridges over the Torrente Verde

 Like many of the medieval towns in the region, Pontremoli has a well-preserved centro storico (historic center) which feels a world apart from the more modern town beyond.  The centro storico is wedged between two rivers, the Torrente Verde and the Fiume Magra.  The rivers are crossed by a series of old stone bridges.  Ponte is the Italian word for bridge and Pontremoli means trembling bridge.  Perhaps the original, ancient wooden bridges trembled, but today the bridges are rock solid. 

Several of the bridges are for foot traffic only. Strolling across them gives views of the green riverbanks, parks, medieval buildings, and the Castello del Piagnaro which sits high above the village. 

My companion and I quickly settled into the habit of a daily walk across the Ponte della Cresa to the north, down the green space along the Torrente Verde, across the Ponte Stemma on the south, and to the tip of Pontremoli where the Torrente Verde joins the Fiume Magra, forming one larger river. A green and peaceful park sits at this spot, quiet other than the sound of the tumbling waters of the two rivers. 

During this October visit the trees where changing colors and the fallen leaves made for a special landscape during our walks.

The Torre del Cacciaguerra, Pontremoli

 The historic center stretches between two tower gates along what is basically one long street, although the street name changes several times from Via Cavour to Via Armani to Via Garibaldi. 

Along the way are two side-by-side piazzas, the Piazza della Repubblica and the Piazza del Duomo.  Long ago the two piazzas divided the town between two opposing groups, the Guelphs and Ghibellines, preventing all-out conflict. 

A very tall campanile (bell tower), built in 1322 as part of a city fortress, stands between the two piazzas and is known by two names – The Campanone (meaning really big bell tower) and the Torre del Cacciaguerra (Tower of the War Fighters). 

Today there are no warring factions and the two pretty squares are ringed with cafes and shops. The piazzas are also where the Saturday market is held. Visiting a local Saturday market is a great cultural experience in any small village and the one in Pontremoli was no exception. Local produce, especially from the fall harvest, made for a colorful market.

The route to the castle

 Off the main street are several alleys which climb up towards the castle.  The walk is uphill but not terribly steep and the experience of wandering through the medieval castle village is well worth the climb.  The castle also houses a museum with pre-historic rock carvings called Stele.  More on the castle and the Stele in a future post !

 Pontremoli was a perfect fall getaway and wonderful spot for a long weekend.  Views over the river, the sound of rushing water, green spaces, changing leaves, and stone bridges made for a perfect weekend escape.

Adding to the fun, we found some wonderful restaurants serving local dishes such as Testaroli (a type of large round crepe) with Pesto and Frittelle di Farina di Castagna (little fried chestnut flour cakes) con Ricotta. 

For morning coffee and a pastry, the Antica Pasticceria e Caffè degli Svizzeri with its scrumptious pastries and beautiful liberty-style café, can’t be beat. 

Where the Torrente Verde joins the Fiume Magra