The main communication route between Garfagnana and Lucca, both in the Medieval and the Reinaissance period, ramified in many alternative ways. They mainly followed the banks of the river Serchio. In that period the main route from Gallicano to Castelnuovo di Garfagnana was the Monteperpoli route. However, the village of Ceserana was an important and alternative junction for communication. Heading torwards Lucca there was a lower road running along the hills on the orographic left of the river, it connected Ponte di Ceserana with Pontis Populi (nearby from the present Campia Bridge). It then led to Barga, passing through Casciobalbo (now Castelvecchio Pascoli).
Another route towards Barga passed at a higher level through Lupinaia, Treppignana, Albiano.
In the opposite direction, from Ponte di Ceserana you could reach Pieve Fosciana and Castiglione along the so called “Strada del Balzo”, touching Bargecchia. This route was really important during the Este period, when Castiglione was an enclave of Lucca. In that period the citizens of Lucca preferred going through Pontis Populi - Ponte di Ceserana – Strada del Balzo - to go to Castiglione, rather than pass through the more guarded Monteperpoli route. Moreover, via Monteperpoli they were obliged to pass by Castelnuovo. Another relevant way was the “Saltello” way that passed through the namesake Appennine pass, thus allowing to reach Emilia Romagna.
