Castello Malaspina di Fosdinovo hosts weddings, receptions and private parties, with a frescoed hall for up to 120 guests, a garden for aperitifs and bedrooms inside the castle itself. The castle stands above the village of Fosdinovo, in the province of Massa-Carrara, in the Lunigiana area of northern Tuscany.
Seminars and company events
The official site does not offer meetings, seminars or corporate events. Its private events page covers weddings, receptions and private parties. A company that wants a dinner or an aperitif in the castle can ask, but the venue does not sell business formats today. The castle also runs guided visits and an aperitivo in the castle, which could be the base for a small group outing.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are the main event use. Receptions take place in the frescoed hall, and the hydrangea garden serves for welcome drinks or outdoor receptions with a view of the castle walls. The bedrooms let the couple and close family stay overnight. The venue offers a free site visit to check dates and plan services. The site does not say whether civil ceremonies can be celebrated in the castle, or whether it can be booked for exclusive use.
Rooms and capacities
The frescoed hall seats up to 120 guests for a reception. The hydrangea garden is the outdoor space. Guests staying in the castle also have use of lounges, a Renaissance loggia with tables and a panoramic tower for reading.
Accommodation
The rooms page lists eight bedrooms, each with its own name and decoration. Torretta and Le Bifore are the largest at 90 square meters, each for two adults and a child. Gialla, Pappagalli, Lorenzoni, Rondini, Azzurra and Artisti range from 15 to 25 square meters, for two adults. The wedding page mentions ten rooms for up to 20 guests, so confirm the count when you book. The castle presents the stay as quite different from a standard hotel.
Catering
The site does not describe a restaurant or a catering service for receptions. Organisers should ask whether the castle works with its own caterer or lets the couple choose one.
History and setting
The castle has roots in the 12th century and was linked to the Malaspina family for close to nine centuries. The family descends from the Obertenghi, documented in 945, and a painting in one of the rooms illustrates the legend of how the name came about. Dante Alighieri spent more than a year at the Malaspina court in Lunigiana and was received at Fosdinovo to settle a dispute with the bishops of Luni. The room linked to him, the Camera di Dante, a former chapel, can still be seen. The castle also keeps a ghost story: Bianca Maria Aloisia, daughter of the marquis, is said to have been walled up in 1620, and stains on the throne room ceiling are tied to the tale.
Getting there
The castle is on Via Papiriana in Fosdinovo, Massa-Carrara. The nearest towns are Sarzana and La Spezia in Liguria, and the nearest major airport is Pisa. The road up to the village climbs through the hills, so coach access should be checked with the castle in advance.
