Discover Pieve Fosciana

When looking for a hotel in Pieve Fosciana, it helps to decide what you want to focus on during your stay: culture, hiking, nature watching or a festival will lead to different itineraries. MuGar and historic churches offer a different experience from the Via Vandelli, the lakes or seasonal events. If you are planning your trip around a particular festival, its location and date are especially important.

Culture and history

MuGar – the Garfagnana Archaeological Museum – is located in Pieve Fosciana and houses archaeological artefacts discovered in the Garfagnana. A bronze cuirass from Cima la Foce is on display there. It dates from the Late Bronze Age, around the 11th century BC, and is considered almost unique in Italy. The parish church of San Giovanni Battista was built in the Romanesque style around the 11th century. The castle tower of Sillico dates from a different period, the 12th to 13th centuries. A Bronze Age museum object and medieval architecture thus represent distinctly different historical periods.

San Magno is also one of Pieve Fosciana’s monuments worth visiting. The Eremo di Capraia was completely renovated on the initiative of the local population and the municipal administration. The Regoli family mill is still in operation. These different sites and features range from archaeological finds and religious buildings to a renovated hermitage and traditional milling.

Hiking trails and landscapes

The Via Vandelli is a long-distance hiking trail about 150 kilometres long, divided into seven stages. It connects Modena with Massa, crosses the Garfagnana and leads to Pieve Fosciana, where it meets the Via Matildica del Volto Santo. Its length and number of stages give a clear sense of scale: this is a long-distance route, not a short walk around town. When planning, both the extent of the trail and its meeting point with a second named route are relevant.

At Lago di Pontecosi, there are year-round opportunities for walking, fishing and birdwatching. The three activities appeal to different interests: getting around on foot, fishing or observing birds. Prà di Lama is the only lake of natural origin in the Garfagnana and is fed by underground springs. The lakes therefore offer different experiences: activities are the focus at Lago di Pontecosi, while Prà di Lama is distinguished by its natural origin and spring water.

Summer festivals and local specialities

Several summer festivals take place at specific times and locations. The Festa dei pastori is held every year on the last Sunday in July at Lame di Capraia. The annual “Divini & Sapori” festival takes place in Sillico on the first weekend of July. In Pieve Fosciana, the Festa del Formenton 8 file is celebrated every year on the Sunday before August begins. As these recurring events are tied to specific weekends or Sundays, check the exact date before you travel.

Pieve Fosciana’s traditional Tasting Walk takes place in early August and features local specialities prepared according to centuries-old recipes. During Sillico’s Renaissance festival, dedicated to the village’s bandits, the village’s two entrances are closed with large gates. The events therefore differ not only in timing but also in character: from culinary specialities to a festival tradition featuring closed village entrances.

Discover more destinations: Pontecosi, Sillico, Vagli Sotto, Minucciano, Motrone, Molazzana, Castelnuovo Di Garfagnana, Altopascio.

Return to the main travel overview: Lucca.