The history of Mulazzo is deeply intertwined with that of the Marquis Malaspina, a noble family of ancient lineage who shaped Lunigiana through castles, fortified villages, and towers. The cultural and documentary heritage of this family is now preserved and promoted in the Malaspina Archive-Museum, established thanks to Dario Manfredi, who catalogued thousands of documents related to the family. The museum houses over 9,000 books, 600 periodicals, and 25,000 handwritten documents, particularly related to the navigator Alessandro Malaspina.
Opened in 2005 and located in the historic Palazzo Malaspina in Mulazzo, the Malaspina Archive-Museum is dedicated to safeguarding this cultural legacy. Alongside it are the Alessandro Malaspina Foundation, founded in 2007, and the Centro di Studi Storici Alessandro Malaspina, established in 2021. Together, these institutions promote research and the appreciation of the historical and cultural heritage of the Malaspina family.
Among the key figures of the Archive-Museum is Alessandro Malaspina, renowned for his famous transoceanic expedition (1789–1794) aboard the corvettes Descubierta and Atrevida. Commissioned by the Spanish Crown, the mission aimed to explore and document Spanish possessions. This scientific journey, one of the most significant of the 18th century, had ambitious goals: to create maps, and study regions from botanical, zoological, and mineralogical perspectives, while also gathering information on the customs and traditions of indigenous peoples.
The museum also features documents concerning some of the most influential women of the Malaspina lineage, including Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina and her daughter Maria Beatrice d'Este Cybo-Malaspina. Both were women of remarkable intellect and refinement, who shone in the Italian and European courts of the 18th century—a time when women increasingly participated in literary salons and Enlightenment-era political discourse.
