Where: Camaiore - Mount Rondinaio (near the town of Torcigliano)

When: III sec. BC - High Middle Ages

During some surveys near the Castellaccio of Lucese, a minor high ground of Mount Rondinaio which borders the Lucese pass to the South, ceramic materials referable to Greek - Italic amphorae dating back to III - II centuries BC have been found. They could be related to the Ligurian Apuan people, together with some more recent clays, which could date back to the High Middle Ages. It could probably be a castelliere, that is a protohistorical small fortified settlement: traces of it can be find in the dry walling which surrounded the top of the hill. The castelliere was placed along the ridge of the mountain, in a position in which was possible to control aloof the Lucese pass and the connection trail to Garfagnana.

Archeological evidence indicates the presence throughout the territory of a series of hill settlements  which date back to the half of II century BC. Their purpose was to control and to block any possible access from the mountain to the plain and they were occupied by the Ligurian - Apuan people.

There is also a lot of material coming from the sides of Mount Rondinaio and Mount Vallimona. They are mostly offensive weapons, such as: hundreds of "acorn missiles", that is, small lead balls which were used as slingshot bullets; a fragment of pilum (javelin); a spearhead; an iron cusp; a bronze arrowhead. Several coins who date back to he II century BC have been found, too. One of them has the image of the Carthaginian goddess Tanit (that is maybe dating back to the passage of the Alps by Hannibl during the Second Punica War) and another one is a coin from Velia, an important Roman city of Campania. Besides weapons and coins, there were also objects of daily use, such as  bronze little rings and "armelline" (bracelets), a lead dice and a little bronze statue, probably related to he cult of the Lari.

These  weapons are an archeological evidence of the conflicts that have existed between the Romans and the Ligurian - Apuan people after the founding of Lucca and Luni between 180 and 177 BC. Since the Roman military campaigns didn't succeeded in eradicating the Apuan tribes from their territories, the Lucca's praesidia should have been involved during the II century BC in that hard conflict. It is possible that the Apuan mountains offered an access to the plain and that the series of praesidia from Rondinaio to Vallimona had to have the purpose of blocking that access, or, that on Mount Rondinaio the last Apuan rebels had castled in an extreme attempt to get back the ancient locations of their people.(cit. Dr. Giulio Ciampoltrini).

Materials are exhibited at the Civico Museo Archeologico of Camaiore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        Clay  fragments                                                                                                  Acorn missiles                                   Velia coin                                            Bronze little ring

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Iron cusp