The Museum of Lunigianese Stele Statues is located in the Piagnaro Castle in Pontremoli, Massa Carrara. Its collection, of great fascination, exhibits and narrates one of the most important phenomena of European megaliths. The Stele Statues, male and female human figures represented in abstract forms, were carved in sandstone by the populations that lived between the 4th and 1st millennium BC and still remain a partly unresolved enigma today. These prehistoric and protohistoric images are characterized by a “carabiniere hat” head and a U-shaped face, classified by archaeologists into three typological groups (A, B, C). They were created between the Copper Age and the Iron Age and have survived through the centuries to reach us, often undergoing deliberate concealment, reuse, and repurposing that have frequently altered their shape and function. Today, the Stele Statues are effectively the identity symbol of Lunigiana, the valley of the Magra River, along which all the findings are distributed. The Museum of Stele Statues is the most representative in Italy in terms of the number of collected specimens and documentation on discovery sites, the raw materials used, and the techniques of craftsmanship.

History

The Museum of Stele Statues has been housed since 1975 within the evocative setting of the Piagnaro Castle. The birth of the museum is attributed to the passionate and forward-thinking efforts of Professor Augusto Cesare Ambrosi. After conducting research in the 1950s and 1960s and creating an initial archaeological collection in the municipality of Casola in Lunigiana, he strongly advocated for the Stele Statues to be gathered together in a prestigious location in Pontremoli. The museum underwent a new exhibition layout (inaugurated in June 2015) that nearly doubled the exhibition space, allowing for further enhancement of the Stele Statues within the premises of the Piagnaro Castle. The elegant and essential exhibition is enriched with modern multimedia content, amplifying the charm and allure of the Stele Statues.

Site

The Piagnaro Castle is located on the hill overlooking the historic center of Pontremoli and is an integral part of the city’s defensive system along with the walls and towers that protected the medieval village. Built around the year 1000 for defense and road control purposes, it represented the last bastion of defense for the citizens of Pontremoli on several occasions. Its name derives from the “piagne,” sandstone slabs traditionally used in Lunigiana to build roofs, which are still visible within the structure today. Having served military functions and as a barracks for a long time, it was later converted into a school and subsequently became a private residence. After a period of abandonment, it has been completely restored in the last 30 years thanks to numerous restoration campaigns. The current architectural complex, the result of numerous reconstructions and expansions, is characterized by an imposing keep (built in the early 15th century) located at the highest point of the hill, dominating the entire fortification. It still bears traces of the ancient raised entrance with a drawbridge. In front of the keep stands an impressive building, formerly used as a barracks. The remaining part of the castle features defensive structures from the 16th and 17th centuries, equipped with artillery and firearms. It has a large courtyard surrounded by mighty bastions with connecting ramps and corner turrets. In addition to the museum, the castle also houses a reception point for pilgrims traveling along the Via Francigena.

Documents

• Statute
• Statue Stele Museum Regulations