Marquisate of Fosdinovo

The Marquisate of Fosdinovo was a small fiefdom, led by a Marquess, that existed in the Italian peninsula between 1355 and 1797. It was based around Fosdinovo, a city east of La Spezia, and was ruled by the Malaspinas, a prominent Italian family, throughout its existence.

Founding of the Marquisate
The Marquisate of Fosdinovo was established around 1355 when Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg visited the area and granted the rank of Marquisate to Galeotto I Malaspina. The area Galeotto I took control of had been owned by the Bishops of Luni and had been occupied by Lucca not long before this. In 1393, Galetto I died, and his sons split the Marquisate into small territories for themselves.

Under Gabriele II (1467 - 1508), the Marquisate developed and expanded significantly. in 1468, an oratory was built, followed by several other religious buildings in the next few decades.

End of the Marquisate
Carlo Emanuele became the ruler of the Marquisate in 1759, thirty years before the French Revolution and the Revolutionary Wars began. Eventually, the fiefdom was occupied by the Republic of France. With the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars and the establishment of the Congress of Vienna, Fosdinovo was put under the control of the Duchy of Modena and Reggio. Towards the end of the 19th century, descendants of the Marquises that formerly ruled over the country regained possession of the town's castle. They still own it to this day.