Palazzo Malaspina, built in Pontremoli at the end of the eighteenth century, has a beautiful and important facade decorated in stucco by the Portogalli workshop. The building is located in the south-eastern area of the city of Pontremoli, in the center of the ancient district which developed from the 12th century on the only road which, starting from the Castelnuovo gate, led to the Fiorentina gate, near the Church of San Giacomo del Campo, already site in the late Middle Ages on the Via Francigena of a shelter for pilgrims heading to Santiago de Compostela.

Between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the Marquises Malaspina of Mulazzo built their family palace: wanting to give their palace a characterizing imprint, they called to decorate both the facade and the interiors a well-known plasterer from Como, who had been working for decades in Lunigiana Pietro Portogalli who Pontremoli had given ample evidence of his artistic abilities.

On the facade stands out a scroll in which the motto dated 1707 is written “Don’t tell me if you don’t know about yourself, think about yourself and you will tell about me” which tells of ancient rivalries between local noble families.

It is currently in use by the Municipality of Pontremoli which has decided it was the seat of the Municipal Library (it will probably be moved to the Palazzo dell’ex Tribunal) and of some voluntary associations