Discover Terrinca: church, procession and Big Bench

Terrinca lies at the foot of Monte Corchia, surrounded by chestnut forests. A hamlet of Stazzema, it combines a mountain setting with traces of different centuries. Terrinca offers several distinct points of interest to help you plan your trip: archaeological finds and early written sources, the church and small sacred structures, the procession of San Rocco, and the green Big Bench at Passo Croce. From there, views extend across the Apuan Alps and the coast bordered by the Ligurian Sea.

History in archaeological finds and written records

Cist graves and grave goods dating from the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC have been found in the Terrinca valley. The earliest written records of Terrinca, by contrast, date from 766 AD, during Lombard rule in Italy. Archaeological finds from before the Common Era therefore sit alongside a written record from much later. The gap makes the different historical layers tangible: the grave finds date back several centuries before the earliest written records.

Church and sacred art

The Church of Saints Clement and Columbanus was built in the 9th century and has three naves. The date places the building in its historical context, while its three-nave layout describes its spatial design. The area around Terrinca is considered an open-air museum of sacred art: numerous wayside shrines and small roadside chapels broaden the view from a single church building to the sacred landscape as a whole.

The Terrinca route passes through the hamlet of Alla Vincentella, where there is a marginetta, a small wayside chapel. It was restored in 1954 and contains a marble icon of San Leonardo dating from 1628. The dates refer to different things: 1954 to the restoration of the marginetta, and 1628 to the icon.

Procession and patron saint’s festival

The procession of San Rocco is a regular fixture in the annual calendar. It takes place every year on the evening of 15 August and precedes the patron saint’s festival on 16 August. If you are planning a visit for this occasion, the order matters: the procession takes place on the eve, and the festival the following day. Plan your trip according to which of the two traditions is most important to you.

Access and scenery at Passo Croce

Terrinca lies on the road between Seravezza and Levigliani; after the Canale delle Lame, the route follows Via d’Arni and passes through San Rocco. You can use these named landmarks to help plan your journey.

The green Big Bench is at Passo Croce, just outside Terrinca, a hamlet of Stazzema. It offers views of the Apuan Alps and the coast bordered by the Ligurian Sea. This viewpoint therefore brings together two landscape features: the mountains and the coast.

The stamping and passport point for Big Bench No. 160 is at Circolo Arci “Le Tanacce” A.P.S., Piazza XXV Aprile 5 in Terrinca. If you plan to get your stamp, check access with the Circolo in advance.

Discover more destinations: Palagnana, Retignano, Farnocchia, Levigliani, Culla

For the main travel overview: Stazzema.