Vallico di Sotto: Village History and Hiking Trails

Vallico di Sotto has preserved the characteristic features of a medieval village. The history of its church, ironworking and archaeological finds in the surrounding area give the place several historical dimensions. You can also choose from a variety of routes when planning your trip: an easy hike on unpaved roads, a circular route with named high points, and the Sentiero del Lupo. This lets you make local history or the landscape a focus of your stay.

Village history and cultural traces

In 1357, the church of Vallico Sotto was made an independent parish and permanently dedicated to San Giacomo Maggiore. Like Fabbriche, Vallico Sotto was a centre of ironworking and therefore attracted Lombard craftsmen. The tradition of playing palla elastica is also part of the village’s history and probably dates back to the ancient Romans.

In 1975, female and hermaphroditic bronze statuettes were found near Vallico di Sotto, in the Grotta di Casteltendine, also known as Tana, Grotta di Castelvenere and Buca di Casteltendine. They are estimated to be about 2,500 years old. The finds therefore point to a much earlier period than the medieval village setting that has been preserved. Along the route near Vallico Sotto, a marble icon dated 1674 can be found on an old wall.

Hiking and finding your way

Vallico di Sotto is directly accessible by car. An easy, less demanding hike follows unpaved roads around the village and offers mountain panoramas, clear mountain air and immediate access to the Tuscan landscape. This hike is focused on keeping the level of difficulty low; on the circular route, the named stops and elevations help you follow its course.

The circular route starts and ends in Vallico Sotto at 480 m. Its stops follow this order: Vallico Sopra (654 m), San Luigi (870 m), Foce Palodina (1,084 m), Monte Palodina (1,170 m) and Foce Pompanella (940 m), before returning to Vallico Sotto (480 m). The elevations rise from the starting point through Vallico Sopra, San Luigi and Foce Palodina to Monte Palodina, then descend at Foce Pompanella before the route ends at the starting point.

Sentiero del Lupo and Monte Palodina

The summit of Monte Palodina can be reached from the Sentiero del Lupo via a short detour of a few minutes. From there, the view stretches across the Apuan Alps and the whole of the Garfagnana to the green peaks of the Apennines. Near Vallico di Sotto, the small church on the San Luigi mountain pasture was converted into an information point on the Sentiero del Lupo. The Sentiero del Lupo thus offers both sweeping landscape views and an information point on the San Luigi mountain pasture.

The Sentiero del Lupo can begin at an old mill on the Turrite Cava, where the Rio Silvano flows in. From there, a mule track follows the Rio Silvano to Vallico Sotto.

Discover more destinations: Giuncugnano, Vagli Sotto, Castelnuovo Di Garfagnana, Trassilico, Cardoso, Campolemisi, Piaggiori, Molazzana

Return to the main travel overview: Lucca.