Pontremoli is a city in the province of Massa-Carrara, Tuscany, Italy. Literally translated, "Pontremoli" means "Trembling Bridge" (from the Italian "tremare" - "to tremble"), with the commune having been named after a prominent bridge across the Magra. It is situated in the upper valley of the Magra, 40 km north by east of La Spezia by rail and 49 miles SSW of Parma.

Pontremoli is believed to have been first settled around a thousand years before Christ. It was known in Roman times as Apua. The commune later became an independent republic in the 12th and 13th centuries, partly because of its mountainous situation. 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 to Rome.

Between the XII and the XV centuries the history of Pontremoli was quite dynamic and many owners (from Mastino II della Scala to the Sforza family) succeeded over the time until 1650 when it was made part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.