Lunigiana is nowadays divided between Liguria and Toscana ( it comprises the Massa Carrara province , and part of the provinces of Lucca and La Spezia ) ; the name comes from that of Luni , the roman colony founded in 177 b.C. , a very important harbor , first military and then commercial . The basin of the river Magra is the heart of this area that is surrounded by the sea , the Apuan Alps , the Apennines and the mountains that close the head of the Vara valley .

In this area, up to now, 80 stele statues have been found, both in the valley, hilly areas, and even in mountainous regions up to an altitude of 700 meters. However, the areas that have yielded the highest number of monuments are the alluvial terraces of the Magra River and its tributaries, ranging from 150 to 350 meters above sea level. Conversely, the northwestern coastal area appears to be almost devoid of findings, except for the stele statues found in La Spezia at a depth of 12 meters and the stele of Lerici. The valley of the Vara River also shows a scarcity of findings, with the only example being that of Zignago.

Analyzing the distribution of findings, several recurring characteristics have been identified. Some clusters can be observed, such as in Pontevecchio, where nine stele statues have been found, eight of which, according to the accounts of those who first saw them, were vertically inserted into the ground, aligned closely together with their faces pointing westward. In the Selva di Filetto, 11 stele statues have been discovered, and in Malgrate, six stele statues were recovered. Small groups have also been found in Minucciano, the Monti di Licciana Nardi area, Filattiera, Canossa, and La Spezia. (This is a recurring aspect in other areas of Europe as well).

Certainly, these areas must have held a particular value as ford points, strategic resting or converging points along roadways. In particular, ridges, mountain passes, sun-exposed environments, and watercourses were chosen. They not only provided primary resources for survival but also served as the first natural routes for movements related to pastoral and hunting economies, as well as connections with neighboring areas. Archaeological research indeed attests to contacts and exchanges between northwestern Tuscany, where the Lunigiana region acts as a hinge, and the Ligurian and northern Padanian territories during the era when these monuments were erected. Along this communication axis, through Mount Bardone, the current Cisa Pass, the main internal Roman road artery, the “Lucca-Parma” route, was established, later followed by the medieval Via Francigena.