From village to village

From village to village, a slow itinerary among the secrets of the Piana di Lucca.

From the winding roads that lead to the hilltop villages, from the small squares that look out like terraces, one can enjoy wide views of the hills surrounding the Piana di Lucca. A short journey through agricultural and natural landscapes offers the tranquillity and atmosphere of the most secret Tuscan countryside. We mention a few that are worth visiting with their great and small secrets, for a stay dedicated to relaxation, art and culture.

On the footsteps of the pilgrims of the Via Francigena

The footsteps of the Francigena pilgrims, who still today cross it in large numbers, echo in the courtyards around the church of San Jacopo and the imposing tower that houses the “Smarrita” (it is up to you to find out what it is…). Altopascio stands around the medieval building of the Hospedale of the monks who founded the Order of the Knights of Tau in the 11th century. The ancient walls surround it for a long stretch, as they once did, and the entrance is still through the two original gates. In addition to the symbol of Tau that can be found almost everywhere, there is the tradition of bread that can be found fragrant in the village bakeries. A traditional bread, kneaded and baked in large loaves, to feed.

A visit to the Museum of the Francigena will clarify everything and will take you with your imagination on the roads of half of Europe.

Pane al pane, vino al vino

(lit: “bread to bread, wine to wine”, that is “Call a spade a spade”)

Wine, on the other hand, a worthy companion of the table, is the identifying feature of the landscape of the nearby village of Montecarlo, lying on the ridge of a hill designed by the rows of vines, that is the acknowledged historical centre of local wine-making. The name is a dedication. In 1331, the people of Lucca defeated the Florentines in an epic battle with the help of Emperor Charles V of Bohemia. Now, in the streets of the village, one can listen to good music in peace in a very small theatre, enjoy the view from the Cerruglio rock, taste excellent local wines, stroll in the quiet streets of the village or in the surrounding woods where extraordinary encounters are made: the Carrara oak, the largest shade in Tuscany, the “most beautiful oak in Italy”, a tormented foliage, more than 40 meters tall, that touches the ground under the weight of witches and demons that have been gathering on its branches since the 15th century, the tree that inspired Collodi’s episode of the murderers in Pinocchio.

A tasting break in some wine cellar is a must. Where else to find so many scents and aromas, if not here?

What if it was the work of Leonardo?

A little further up, inside the austere parish church of San Gennaro, there is a precious early medieval pulpit and a terracotta angel, the only one attributed by many critics to the hands of Leonardo da Vinci. From here, a little further up the Pizzorne plateau, amidst chestnut and fir woods, one can reach Villa Basilica along a road of 19th-century paper mills. Since the Middle Ages, valuable blades and fine papers were produced here, on which great works were copied and later printed, such as, for example, the first Italian edition of the Encyclopaedia in 1758.
A visit to the nearby Paper Museum will reveal the local secrets of this ancient art.

At the foot of Monte Pisano, water, oil and camellias

On the opposite hills, the Compitese area gathers a group of villages at the foot of Monte Pisano. The fame of this area is mainly due to the numerous springs of very light water, for which all the inhabitants of the piana di Lucca are great admirers, divided between fans of the various springs and fans of the excellent extra virgin olive oil that is produced and pressed in this area. The gentle touch is given by the camellias that, cultivated as early as the 18th century, have become a characteristic feature of the gardens of historic villas and domestic gardens.
In November and April, do not miss the Camellia Festival. In the remaining months, one can visit the Camelieto del Compitese with its collection of multicoloured flowers.