Discover Renaio: Hiking Trails and Heritage

Renaio brings together hiking trails, chestnut landscapes and local heritage. If you are planning a stay, you can divide your time between the CAI trail towards Porticciola, the path to Cima Abetaio and cultural stops. The village lies at an altitude of about 1,000 metres and overlooks the valley of the Corsonna stream.

Woodlands, Chestnuts and Mountain Scenery

The area around Renaio is characterised by extensive chestnut groves and coppice woodland; mushroom gathering is also associated with this landscape. A high concentration of centuries-old chestnut trees with very large trunk circumferences, classified as monumental trees, can be found within a small area. Nearby is the Rifugio Alpino Giovanni Santi, at 1,308 metres in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, in a beech forest. From Renaio, you can organise nature and scenery excursions to Monte Giovo and Lago Santo Modenese.

Hiking Trails and High Points

CAI hiking trail 20 runs from Renaio via Vetricia and Pian Caciaia to Porticciola. It lies in the Apennine group of Monti Omo and Giovo; the trail climbs from 1,010 metres at Renaio to 1,750 metres at Porticciola. For orientation, you can read the information in different ways: the CAI trail focuses on the sequence of places and elevations, while the path to Cima Abetaio gives an approximate walking time and information about the trees.

A 2022 account describes a waymarked hiking trail from the car park in Renaio, passing the Chiesa di San Paolino and leading to Cima Abetaio in about half an hour. It mentions wooden direction arrows and information boards listing the names of the trees and their trunk circumferences. Check local conditions and the state of the waymarking before setting out.

History and Architecture

The Via dei Remi passes through Renaio, climbs up to the church and descends to the Piana. There, the route splits into the Vecchia Via dei Remi and the Nuova Via dei Remi. Mainly during the 16th and 17th centuries, the route was used to transport long beech poles and fir trunks by oxen to a large shed called the Arsenale. The wood came from the Apennine slopes of the Garfagnana and from forests beyond the ridge, including those near Cutigliano and Abetone.

The Oratorio di San Paolino was built in 1771 as a single-nave church without a transept. Its gabled façade has a loggia with three arches leading into the church. The description “single-nave, without a transept” refers to the floor plan; the loggia gives the façade its distinctive three-arch design. The Chiesa di San Paolino also has an ornate memorial plaque listing eight names in connection with the commemoration of the First World War. The Via dei Remi and the Oratorio thus offer two different cultural perspectives: the former transport of timber and the village’s architectural history.

A September Tradition

Renaio’s religious Quarantore tradition is traditionally celebrated on the third Sunday in September. If you would like to plan your stay around it, check the specific dates before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Vagli Sotto, Verciano, Villa Basilica, Corsanico, Torre, San Romano In Garfagnana, Capannori, Trassilico

Go to the main travel overview: Lucca.