Colombiera-Molicciara: Church History and Mining

Colombiera-Molicciara can be explored through several themes: the development of the Sacro Cuore parish, former lignite mining and the plain’s water landscape. This distinction is useful for travellers, as church history can be traced through dates and buildings, while industrial history extends to the memory of miners who lost their lives in accidents.

Church History in Molicciara

The area’s ecclesiastical development can be traced through three precisely dated changes. On 18 June 1937, the Sacro Cuore area in Molicciara was elevated to an independent curacy; on 11 February 1939, it was elevated to a parish. On 1 June 1953, the parish of Molicciara was elevated to a provostry. This sequence shows a development through several stages: curacy, parish and provostry are distinct ecclesiastical statuses. The Sacro Cuore church and the rectory were built by the first parish priest, Father Mario Andolfatto. Alongside the institutional changes, these are two buildings associated with the parish’s early history.

Lignite and Remembrance

Colombiera and Molicciara developed around lignite mining facilities. Several shafts and associated industrial buildings were concentrated between the two settlements. During this period, Molicciara was known locally as “La Miniera” (“The Mine”); mining is thus also reflected in the hamlet’s historical name. A Santa Barbara memorial event in 2024 included a visit from the stele in Colombiera to Shaft No. 1 near Piazza 1° Maggio. The stele is dedicated to miners who lost their lives in workplace accidents. The visit linked the remembrance of the miners with a specific, named site in the area’s mining history.

Plain and Water Engineering

The plain where the hamlet of Molicciara lies is crossed by the Torrente Bettigna. A section of the Canale Lunense is also located on the same plain. This canal is a water-engineering structure built for irrigation in the 19th century. The technical history of irrigation thus adds to the view of the landscape: the Canale Lunense serves a different function from the Torrente Bettigna, which crosses the plain.

Past Cultural Events

On Sunday, 17 September 2023, the “Festa nell'aia, Festa dei nuovi nati” took place from 4 p.m. in the green area of the Centro sociale di Molicciara. The programme included creative play workshops and musical performances for children and adults. A theatre series was scheduled for the evenings of 17, 18, 22 and 23 June 2026 in the open-air theatre arena of the Centro Sociale Comunale di Colombiera. Both refer to past dates and should not be understood as current event listings.

Fully Accessible Library

The Biblioteca Civica “Michele Ferrari” in Colombiera-Molicciara is fully accessible. It provides a practical point of reference for travellers who need step-free access when finding their way around the area.

Discover more destinations: Valeriano Lunense, Bonassola, Ameglia, Pegui, Vignana, Nicola, La Foce, Pitelli

For the broader travel overview: La Spezia.