Massa Sassorosso: Historic Center and Astor Piazzolla

Historic Townscape

The historic center of Massa Sassorosso is worth seeing for those interested in culture. The streets of Massa are rich in old buildings and give a visit to the historic townscape an architectural focus. When visiting Massa Sassorosso, you can include not only the center but also the streets of Massa in a shared walking tour.

Church, Piazzetta, and Astor Piazzolla

The parish church of Massa Sassorosso is dedicated to the Archangel Michael, San Michele Arcangelo. In Massa Sassorosso, there is the piazzetta “Largo Astor Piazzolla,” a square dedicated to Astor Piazzolla. The parish church bears the dedication San Michele Arcangelo, while the piazzetta bears the name Astor Piazzolla.

The “Paseo” is an exhibition trail dedicated to Astor Piazzolla. The outdoor exhibition route about Astor Piazzolla is located directly opposite the church where Astor Piazzolla’s grandparents were married. The opening events in 2013 and 2015 are associated with Largo Astor Piazzolla and the outdoor route. The church, piazzetta, and exhibition trail therefore each represent their own cultural connection in Massa Sassorosso. Astor Piazzolla appears at the Largo as its namesake and at the “Paseo” as the dedication of the exhibition trail.

Red Marble on the Mountain

The mountain towering over Massa and Sassorosso consists of red marble that flakes off in large slabs. When planning your trip to Massa Sassorosso, you can make a note of the red marble. Its large slabs give the mountain a distinctive surface structure that differs from the buildings and streets of the town. When visiting the town, you can consider the mountain with its red marble as a landscape feature and separate subject. When looking across Massa and Sassorosso, the mountain stands out from the built-up townscape of Massa Sassorosso.

Getting There by Car

Massa Sassorosso is accessible by car. To travel from Lucca to Massa Sassorosso, the route follows the SP20 “Ludovica” in the direction of Castelnuovo Garfagnana, the SR445 “della Garfagnana,” the SP47 “di Canottola,” and then the municipal road “Valligori-Massasassorosso.”

For planning the journey from Lucca, this sequence comprises several consecutive road sections leading to the access road to Massa Sassorosso.

From Modena, Massa Sassorosso can be reached via Passo delle Radici, the SP72 “del Passo delle Radici,” and then the municipal road “Valligori-Massasassorosso.”

A national park route from Castelnuovo in Garfagnana to Castelnovo ne' Monti follows Provincial Road 48 to Massa. This connection provides a different approach direction from the access routes from Lucca and Modena and includes Massa along the route between the two towns. The route via Provincial Road 48 complements the two access routes from Lucca and Modena with an additional direction to Massa.

For further orientation in the area, you can also visit Sassorosso.

For the higher-level travel overview: Villa Collemandina.