Follo, Liguria

Follo ( in Ligurian: Folo ) is a municipality with 6422 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) in the Italian region of Liguria. Politically it belongs to the province of La Spezia.

Geography

The village is located about 8 km north of the provincial capital, La Spezia, about 77 km south-east of the regional capital is Genoa and about 330 km north-west of the Italian capital Rome in the climatic classification of Italian communities in the zone D, 1433 GG. Follo is located on a major connecting path between the upper and middle Val di Vara, the Gulf of La Spezia and the Sarzanaebene. Due to its strategic location, the community is a stopping place for travelers to La Spezia, Sarzana and Brugnato in the upper Val di Vara. The river Durasca forms the south border of the municipality of Vezzano, also is the spot on the river Vara. Other neighboring municipalities are Beverino, Bolano, Calice al Cornoviglio, Podenzana (MS) and Riccò del Golfo di Spezia.

Follo belongs to the Comunità Montana della Bassa Val di Vara e media and forms with its territory a part of the Natural Park of Monte Marcello Magra.

To Follo include the districts ( Frazioni ) Bastremoli, Carnea, Follo Castello (also called Follo Alto ), Follomonte, Piana Battolla, Piano di Follo, Sorbolo, Tivegna, Torenco, Valdurasca and Via Romana.

History

Follo originated in the Middle Ages and was first mentioned in writing in 1197. The name comes from the words Fullo or follare ( Walken) in 1224 took over the Republic of Genoa, the rule in place and expanded the existing town walls, significantly, of which only parts are visible today. In the 14th century, Castruccio Castracane took power in place, then ruled by the Visconti, the Sforza and the Malaspina. The statutes ( capitula et seu Statuta civilia et Criminalia loci et Communis Folli ) are taken from the year 1578th 1797 the place came to Genoa again and belonged to the district giurisdizione del Golfo di Venere. Since 1923, the town belongs to the province of La Spezia.

Attractions

• Chiesa di San Leonardo, parish church in the district of Castello Follo ( Alto)
• Chiesa di San Martino, parish church in the village of Piano di Follo has already been mentioned 950.