Liguria · La Spezia
Sarzana
The unofficial capital of the Lunigiana on the Magra plain, birthplace of Pope Niccolò V.
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- By car
- 54 min from Pisa
- By train
- Station in the comune
- Population
- 21,650
Known for
MASTRO GUGLIELMO
The 1138 painted chestnut cross in the cathedral, the first dated painted crucifix in art history, foundational work of Romanesque painting.
FORTEZZA FIRMAFEDE
Cittadella rebuilt 1487-92 by Giuliano da Sangallo for Lorenzo de' Medici, model of Renaissance military architecture in Liguria.
FESTIVAL DELLA MENTE
Founded 2004, the first European festival on creativity, held over a long weekend in late August at the Fortezza and Piazza Matteotti.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J11°
- F13°
- M14°
- A17°
- M21°
- J25°
- J28°
- A29°
- S25°
- O20°
- N16°
- D12°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. The sea is warmest in August at 28° and coldest in February at 13°. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
The festa: Andrea, 30 November
Why come
Sarzana sits on the Magra plain at the Liguria-Tuscany border, eighty kilometers from Parma and thirteen from the sea at Portovenere. The town inherited the episcopal seat of Luni in 1204, when Pope Innocent III moved it here away from the malarial plain, and the cathedral built for that new seat still anchors the centro storico. The walled center keeps its grid plan, with Via Mazzini and the cathedral square running through it and the Palazzo Roderio still doing duty as the town hall.
Above the town, on a ridge, a second fortress with a triangular plan looks down on the plain and the older one below. A future pope was born here in 1397. Between the hill fortress from the fourteenth century, the Renaissance rebuilding of the lower cittadella, and a cathedral that changed hands with a diocese, the town's layout reads as a record of who controlled the Magra plain and when.
Read on
Sarzana in our articles
The 6 best towns you can reach by train in the province of La Spezia6 towns, Sarzana among them.
The best coastal towns inside a nature park within 90 minutes of Pisa6 towns, Sarzana among them.
The best towns inside a nature park that have a serious restaurant in Liguria6 towns, Sarzana among them.
The best coastal towns you can reach by train within 90 minutes of Pisa7 towns, Sarzana among them.
How to get there
From Florence / Pisa (PSA), about 1 hour by car.
Genoa (GOA) is about 1h 31m away.
By car from the centre of Pisa 54 minutes or Parma 1h 32m.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
Coming from Pisa, Genoa or Florence?
Coming by train into Livorno Centrale? Sarzana is about 54 minutes away by road.
What to see
Fortezza Firmafede
The fortress replaced a medieval cittadella on the same ground. Giuliano da Sangallo's plan survives largely intact, with the bulk and angles of the walls still readable from the approach into town.
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
Late Gothic Tuscan cathedral, elevated to minor basilica in 1947. A cardinal born in the town, half-brother to a native-born pope, left his mark on the later additions.
Croce di Mastro Guglielmo
The cross hangs inside the cathedral it has occupied since the seat moved here. Signed by its maker, it is the object the town's Romanesque reputation rests on.
Fortezza di Sarzanello
Hilltop fortress on a ridge above the town, with a triangular plan rebuilt by Castruccio Castracani in 1322.
Centro storico
Walled centro on a grid plan, with Via Mazzini, the cathedral square, and the Palazzo Roderio still in use as the comune.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Sarzana fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
We recommend
Where to eat
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
Il Cardinale Vino e CucinaTrattoria
Il Cardinale Vino e Cucina holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and two Gambero Rosso prawns.
Pasticceria Gemmi il LoggiatoPasticceria
Pasticceria Gemmi il Loggiato holds a place on Italy's historic-locali register.
Piccolo RistoranteRistorante
Piccolo Ristorante has two Gambero Rosso forks (81/100) to its name.
RondòRistorante
One Gambero Rosso fork (77/100), at Rondò.
Through the year
What happens here
Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.
Marinella Fish Festivalfood festival
usually held in August. MangiareInLiguria - Sagre ed Eventi
Scartozzera Festivalfood festival
usually held across August and September. sagritaly.com
The Sunday letter
Sarzana got its letter. One town every Sunday, free. The photo, the food, the festa.
Living here
- Population 21,650
- Commuter belti
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Florence / Pisa, 1 h 3 min drive
- Market day Tuesday and Saturday
- Regional capital Genova, 1 h 22 min drive
Common questions
- What is Sarzana known for?
- Sarzana is the unofficial capital of the Lunigiana on the Magra plain, birthplace of Pope Niccolò V.
- Where is Sarzana?
- Sarzana is a comune in the province of La Spezia, in Liguria, at 21 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Sarzana?
- Florence / Pisa (PSA), about 1 hour by car.
- Can you get to Sarzana without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Pisa to Sarzana?
- About 54 minutes by car.
- When is the best time to visit Sarzana?
- Best in Apr–Oct. August is the warmest month, averaging 29 degrees, and December the wettest, with about 15 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Sarzana?
- Yes. Marinella Fish Festival and Scartozzera Festival. August is when the first of them falls.
- Which other towns are like Sarzana?
- Sestri Levante, Rapallo and Taggia.
- How many people live in Sarzana?
- 21,650 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 21 m
- Population: 21,650
- Surface area: 34.52 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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