Pontremoli is believed to have been first settled around 1000 BC. It was known in Roman times as
Apua. The commune later became an independent municipality in 1226 thanks to
Frederick II who chartered the free municipality, partly because of its mountainous terrain. This terrain in the valley of the Magra also made Pontremoli a target for numerous conquests from rival Italian and foreign lords. Pontremoli was controlled by various aristocratic families, including the
Malaspina (in 1319) and the
Antelminelli (in 1322). The conflict between the rival
Guelfi and
Ghibellini factions in the early fourteenth century resulted in the construction of the Great Bell Tower (
Il Campanone) to separate the rival camps. During these Medieval times Pontremoli was often visited by pilgrims travelling from
Canterbury (England) to Rome. In 1331 Pontremoli was sold by
John I of Bohemia to
Mastino II della Scala (Lord of
Verona). Pontremoli was later taken over by the
Visconti of Milan in 1339. In 1404 the ownership of Pontremoli once again changed hands as it was seized by the Fieschi family of
Genoa. However, by 1433 Pontremoli was again under the control of the Milanese. In 1495 Pontremoli was sacked by the troops of
Charles VIII of France. In 1778, it officially became a City. It stayed as part of Tuscany (with the exception of a period of
French control from 1805 to 1814) until it was transferred to Parma as part of a land exchange in 1847. The area was heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1834. In November 1847 Pontremoli was occupied (along with
Fivizzano) by the Duke of
Modena, due to a dispute over trade routes. It joined the wars of
Italian unification and became part of the unified Kingdom of Italy in the middle of the 19th century. ==
Frazioni ==