Borgo of Gragnanella (Borgo di Gragnanella)

The village of Gragnanella, a hamlet in the municipality of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, located 491 metres above sea level, preserves almost intact the historical urban layout that developed throughout the late Middle Ages and the modern age. The phenomenon of depopulation and degradation that inevitably ensued has been partly curtailed here by the careful maintenance of the vernacular architecture, which also derives from the seasonal reuse of the place, made possible precisely because of the widespread architectural quality that defines it. The compact, approximately circular central core, with internal pathways that penetrate with narrow vaulted passageways into the building units, following the ruggedness of the site, reveals a castrensian geometry that can be traced back to an earlier phase of fortification, on which successive building phases that are difficult to date can be observed. Worthy of note in the centre of the village are the church of San Bartolomeo Apostolo, of Romanesque foundation, and the slender square bell tower, probably carved from a late medieval tower, the base of which is crossed by a narrow vaulted passageway that forces access to the interior of the tower only by means of a suspended gallery connected to a steep stone side staircase.