City walls of Albiano
Despite the fact that it once housed an important medieval castle, today we are not able to know precisely its origins of the small mountain village of Albiano, the absence of documentation prior to the year 1000 can only lead us to suppose a Roman foundation, its toponym clearly of Latin origin it is the only element available.
After the year 1000 we begin to have the first news, initially it belonged to the fief of the Malaspinas, then in 1231 Opicino Malaspina and his uncle the Marquis Corrado divided the feudal assets and the castle of Albiano became part of the fief of Corrado Malaspina, who in 1270 with the appearance of the Lucchese in Alta Garfagnana he will sell it to Gherardo di Gragnana, progenitor of the future Lords of Albiano and Putigliano, in 1287 the Municipality of Lucca will succeed in annexing the castle of Albiano, which in the Statute of Lucca of 1308 will initially be placed under the jurisdiction of the Vicaria of Camporgiano, indicating it among the “Lands” located beyond the border between the Val di Serchio and the Val di Magra.
After Castruccio Castracani’s death, Spinetta Malaspina regained possession of the castle, only to lose it again in 1345 on the occasion of the attempt by Castruccio’s sons to take possession of the Republic of Lucca. We find the castle of Albiano already belonging to the Vicaria of Castiglione, this change of jurisdiction probably occurred with the restoration of the fiefdom of Spinetta Malaspina was not the last, in the political events that followed, the Republic of Lucca will establish in various phases, initially the Podesteria of Casoli (Casola in Lunigiana) and later (half of the 15th century) the Podesteria of Minucciano, bringing together under its jurisdiction the few “Lands” that remained loyal to it, including the castle of Albiano.