Before we arrive in Castelnuovo Garfagnana, we find the town of Fosciandora, which lies on the left slope of the Media Valle, dominating the Apennine chains. The town of Fosciandora, divided into five hamlets, had an eventful history.

After it had been part of the rule of Lucca, it regained its unity in 1846. Before the spread of potato's cultivation, introduced in the 19th century, the town economy based upon the picking of wood natural products, most of all chestnuts.

Castelnuovo is the main town of Garfagnana.The town, which is situated at the junction between the river Serchio and Turrite Secca, is made up of 16 hamlets.

First under the rule of Lucca and then under the House of Este, Castelnuovo succeeded in increasing its wealth.
Noteworthy are the Fortress of Monte Alfonso (ordered by the Duke Alfonso II of Este), the path named after the poet Ludovico Ariosto and the Cathedral (consecrated to the SS. Pietro e Paolo) built in 1500 on the ruins of a pre-existing eleventh-century Romanesque church.

Inside there is a wonderful terracotta by Andrea della Robbia, the "Altar-piece of S. Giuseppe", the fifteenth-century Wooden Cross and the marble frame attributed to Civitali's workshop in Lucca. Not to forget is a visit to the Rocca (the Castle). This monument has a plan peculiar to Middle Ages building with little corner towers and a big squared tower in the middle, used also as prison.

The Rocca dates back to the 11th century but it was enlarged during the period of Lucca's rule. A long stretch of the city walls, extended later on by Paolo Guinigi, was constructed under Castruccio Castracani. During the domination of the Estensi the Rocca became the seat of the government and the house of Ludovico Ariosto. The monument, damaged during the two World Wars, has been afterwards restored.