Walled hill village on the Caprione, in the Montemarcello-Magra-Vara Park: 15th-century gate, Poetic Road, viewpoints, trails and how to get there.
Welcome to Montemarcello
Montemarcello is a walled hill village, a frazione of the municipality of Ameglia (province of La Spezia), on the Caprione promontory inside the Montemarcello-Magra-Vara Regional Natural Park. It stands at about 250 m above sea level, has a few hundred inhabitants and belongs to the association of the Borghi più belli d’Italia (the most beautiful villages in Italy). From the top you look over the Gulf of Poets, the islands of Tino and Tinetto, the Magra plain and the Apuan Alps.
It is a place to walk slowly. The village takes one or two hours: a fifteenth-century gate, a square, the church of San Pietro, a short street lined with poems and three viewpoints. The rest of the day goes on the park’s trails, which start here or pass through.
Three things to know before you go. There is no railway station: Sarzana is the reference point, then you need a bus or a car. There are no beaches in the village: the sea is at Bocca di Magra, the other frazione of Ameglia. And the famous descent to Punta Corvo has been closed by a 2023 order, which many guides do not mention.
Montemarcello is in Liguria (Riviera di Levante, Golfo dei Poeti, province of La Spezia).
What to see
The centre is small and needs no map. Enter through the gate, walk the grid of lanes, stop in the square, then go out to find the viewpoints. The park has dedicated three of them to poets linked to these places.
The entrance to the walled village is a fifteenth-century gate with a relief of the Virgin. The walls date from the same period: Genoa granted permission to build them in 1485, and in 1487 the village was besieged and burned by the Florentines. The name comes from Mons Marcelli, mentioned in a document of the bishop of Luni in 1286; the story of the consul Marcellus in 155 BC is a tradition without proof.
The lanes cross in a grid, a layout the Touring Club compares to a Roman castrum (a hypothesis, not an established fact). The central square came after the war: houses destroyed in the 1944 bombing were not rebuilt and the space stayed open. There is also a round tower, privately owned and not open to visitors.
The parish church is dedicated to the patron saint, whom the village celebrates, according to tradition, on 29 June. Sources disagree on dates: the building was built and enlarged between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. Inside, look for a marble altarpiece of 1529 attributed to Domenico Gar and a fourteenth-century wooden triptych. Opening hours are not confirmed: if the door is shut, try again later in the day.
On via Don Calisto De’ Marchi, the lane that heads down towards Punta Corvo, ten lecterns carry poems by authors such as D’Annunzio and Marinetti. The project is by La Marrana arteambientale and was inaugurated on 22 June 2024 during the Notte Romantica. New verses were added in 2025.
The park dedicated three viewpoints to the poets of the Gulf. The village viewpoint honours Franco Fortini, who lived in Montemarcello and is buried here, and looks to the Apuan Alps. The Punta Corvo one honours Giovanni Giudici. The Batteria Chiodo one honours Vittorio Sereni and looks over the mouth of the Magra. The park gives no access times. Do not go down the closed trail to Punta Corvo (see below).
An early twentieth-century fortification, part of the defences of the Gulf of La Spezia. According to the Borghi più belli d’Italia entry it now houses an inn, a hostel and an events room. The year of construction and opening times are not confirmed: call ahead if you want to eat or sleep there.
Just outside the village is La Marrana, an environmental art park founded in 1996 by Grazia and Gianni Bolongaro: about 4 hectares and 37 works, including pieces by Kounellis and Fabre. It opens only on specific occasions. 2026 dates are not confirmed: check La Marrana’s own website.
On the top of Monte Murlo (365 m) stands the botanical garden of the Caprione. Trail 437 leads there from La Gruzza (15 min, 115 m of ascent). Note that the park’s pages contradict each other: one says it is closed pending renewal of an agreement with the municipality of Ameglia, another publishes an opening calendar. Do not count on it: write or phone the park before climbing.
Trail 436 from Montemarcello to the beach of Punta Corvo takes 1 hour with 260 m of ascent, via a long staircase. It has been closed since order no. 3 of 12 April 2023 by the mayor of Ameglia, because of falling rock from the cliff; the ban covers both the walk down and arrival by sea. In October 2026 the park still shows it as closed and we found no revocation. Check the order of the municipality of Ameglia and the park’s notice before going. For beaches and the sea, head to Bocca di Magra, which is also the start of the trail to Punta Bianca.
Where to stay
There are very few rooms in the village. If you want silence and evening walks, choose Montemarcello, but book early; not all places open in winter. We name no properties because we have not verified them.
Getting there
Leave the A12 at Sarzana or Carrara and continue towards Ameglia and Montemarcello. The centre of Ameglia is about 5 km from the village. The provincial road SP 28 links Cafaggio with Lerici. Distances from Lerici, Sarzana and La Spezia are not verified: allow some time for the climb.
Montemarcello has no station. The park gives Sarzana, on the Pisa–Genoa line, as the reference; from there you need an ATC bus or a taxi. La Spezia is another possible base.
The service is run by ATC La Spezia. The line number, times and holiday service are not confirmed: ask the user service (freephone 800 322 322 within Italy) before leaving, and plan your return.
The reference airports are Pisa, the most convenient for the Levante, and Genoa. Distances from Montemarcello are not confirmed.
We found no official 2026 information about parking. The centre is small and the lanes narrow: follow the signs and do not park in reserved bays. For news on traffic, check the website of the Municipality of Ameglia.
By car
A12, Sarzana or Carrara exit, then the road to Ameglia and Montemarcello
By train
No station: Sarzana is the reference, then ATC bus or taxi
By plane
Pisa (most convenient for the Levante) or Genoa; distance not confirmed
The guide
The Caprione is a promontory of Mediterranean scrub and woods, with trails marked by the park. Numbers, times and ascents below come from the official table (one-way times). The full details, with closure notices, are on our page about the trails of Montemarcello and the Caprione.
Bring hiking shoes, water and a waterproof jacket in autumn and winter; hat and sunglasses in summer. Check weather alerts before setting out. If you are not experienced, the park’s environmental education centre runs free guided walks with limited places, by booking. Details on the website of the Montemarcello-Magra-Vara Park.
There are few places to eat in the village and not all open year round: ask on the spot. We have no verified opening times, so we name none. Expect the cooking of the Levante: fish, vegetables, olive oil and Vermentino dei Colli di Luni. If you walk a long trail, plan lunch in Lerici, Tellaro or Bocca di Magra.
The Notte Romantica of the Borghi più belli d’Italia takes place in June (the 2026 date is not confirmed). For the rest of the summer, ask the Pro Loco of Montemarcello.
Weather
April-June and September-October for trails; avoid the hot hours in summer
Forecast: MET Norway (Yr), CC BY 4.0 licence. Updated hourly.
Montemarcello weather: 10-day forecast and climate →
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea | Off season | Off season | Off season | Off season | Possible | Possible | Possible | Possible | Possible | Off season | Off season | Off season | |||||||||||||||||
| Sightseeing and hiking | Possible | Possible | Good | Ideal | Ideal | Ideal | Good | Good | Ideal | Ideal | Good | Possible | |||||||||||||||||
| Crowds | Quiet | Quiet | Few people | Busy | Busy | Busy | Very busy | Very busy | Busy | Few people | Quiet | Quiet | |||||||||||||||||
| Don't miss | Jun San Pietro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
IdealGoodPossibleOff season
Crowds:QuietFew peopleBusyVery busy
Gallery
FAQ
No, it is on a hill of the Caprione promontory. The nearest sea is at Bocca di Magra, another frazione of Ameglia.
One or two hours for the village. With an official trail it becomes a day.
No. The reference is Sarzana station, then an ATC bus or a taxi.
The trail has been closed by an order of 12 April 2023 and the park still shows it closed in October 2026. Check the order and the notice first.
At the Monastery of Santa Croce in Bocca di Magra (trail 434, 30 min), not at Montemarcello.
The park’s pages contradict each other: one says closed pending an agreement, another gives a calendar. Contact the park first.
The park’s website does not list one. Its offices are in Sarzana, via A. Paci 2, open Tuesday and Thursday 9 to 12; visits by appointment only.
The park gives 3 h 15 with 340 m of ascent, via Montemarcello. It does not publish distances.
Only on specific occasions. Check the art park’s site for 2026 dates.
April to June and September to October for walking. Avoid the hot hours in July and August.
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