Filattiera is located in the upper Lunigiana embraced by the mountains of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. Here the hilly terraced landscape of wheat, barley, vineyards and olive trees, softens towards the beautiful river plain of Magra, area of local interest, which here flows between crops of fodder and corn. The name of Filattiera derives from Fulacterion, the Byzantine term for strategic fortifications. The medieval village, perched on the hill to control the valley floor, houses the church of San Giorgio of the twelfth century. Inside there is the Plaque of Leodegar, a marble epigraph of 752, commemorating the death of an important figure, perhaps a bishop, in charge of eliminating pagan idols in the Lunigiana.
The Via Francigena crosses Filattiera and the hamlet of Ponticello, a well-preserved medieval centre. Characterized by stone buildings, squares, courtyards and alleys, Ponticello has many covered passages and tower houses, similar to the nearby village of Caprio. The Pieve di Santo Stefano, on the Via Francigena, is another medieval masterpiece to visit.
