Discover Biassa: Church Art, History and Hiking Trails

Biassa combines a village documented since at least the 13th century with church art, medieval traces and signposted hiking trails. San Martino and the historic centre are as important for finding your way around as Route 504, which leads from Biassa to the Gulf of La Spezia and into the park area. The village also lies on the road to the Cinque Terre. A stay here therefore brings Biassa’s own history, trails and landscape into focus.

San Martino and the historic village

The church of San Martino is already listed in a property register from 1248. The present-day church is an extension of an old Romanesque chapel. One of its notable works of art is a precious repoussé bronze panel: it comes from Germany and dates to the 15th century. San Martino thus brings together different periods, from the earlier chapel to the later artwork.

Old stone houses stand close together around San Martino; their beautiful doorways shape the village’s appearance. Together with the church, they give Biassa’s architectural heritage a tangible form: alongside its church history, the village’s closely knit architecture comes to the fore.

Medieval traces

The Rocca di Coderone was built for defensive purposes in the mid-13th century. Below the fortress stood a settlement with a church dedicated to Santa Maria Maddalena. Only a few ruins of this settlement remain. The surviving sites point to different aspects of the past: the defensive structure and an earlier settlement with its own church.

Route 504 and hiking trails

Route 504 (formerly No. 4) Sant’Antonio–Schiara leads from Biassa via a beautiful staircase on the hillside to the Gulf of La Spezia. At the Sant’Antonio pass, it enters the park area at an altitude of 508 metres. The Menhir di Biassa is another destination along the route: a monolith topped by a small cross that may be of pre-Christian origin.

On the Pegazzano–Brampane–Biassa circular hike, trails 523 and 504 start from the same small piazza. If you plan to include either trail, check its condition shortly before setting off. Information about the starting point, route and destinations helps distinguish the named sections without assuming a walking time or difficulty level.

Tramonti and local traditions

In the wider Tramonti area, dry-stone walls and small plots planted with vines shape the landscape. Historically, the plots belonged to the communities of Biassa. Viticulture was also part of the village’s former economy; it took place on the western, sea-facing slope in the Tramonti locality. This history of the landscape adds the area’s agricultural past to its architectural and church history.

The Festa di San Martino is Biassa’s traditional patron saint’s festival and is recognised as a historical and traditional festival. The recognition documented in November 2024 noted that the festival had already been held for more than 25 years at that time. San Martino is also listed as a traditional festival in the 2026 programme of Pro Loco Insieme per Biassa.

The programme for the 2025 edition of “Biassa nel Medioevo” included historical reenactments; future editions may differ. If you are planning to travel for a festival, check the specific dates and programme in advance. This helps distinguish the long-standing patron saint’s festival tradition from the programme for a particular event.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Le Grazie, Carrodano, Ponzano Superiore, San Terenzo, Monterosso Al Mare, Manarola, Fiumaretta di Ameglia, Santo Stefano Di Magra.

Back to the main travel overview: La Spezia.