Bibola is an ancient village perched on the hills south of Aulla, overlooking and controlling the Aulella Valley. During the Byzantine period, in the early 7th century, Bibola was mentioned in the itinerary of the Anonymous Ravennate, which listed a series of fortifications along the route from Luni to Lucca. These included Pulica, Bibola, Rubra (now Terrarossa), and Corneda. It is believed that Bibola was one of the Byzantine kastrons (fortified settlements) built to defend the port of Luni. The Byzantine settlement likely occupied the area where the remains of the Malaspina castle and its tower now stand.
In the Middle Ages, Bibola was connected to the nearby castle of Burcione—now lost—both positioned to control a variant of the Via Francigena. Fortifications throughout the Magra Valley, including those in Bibola, communicated via smoke signals and mirrors from tower to tower, linking Bibola with Filattiera, Grondola, and the castles of Bastia, Monti, Lusuolo, and Castiglione del Terziere.
