Pian di Molino – Village Center, Bridge and Alpine Views
Accommodation in Pian di Molino
Pian di Molino is a very small village with a few stone houses and one of the ten villages that make up the Pioero. Its panorama includes a stream, fields and the Apuan Alps in the background. The settlement, buildings and landscape provide different points of reference from which to appreciate the village’s small scale and history.
Village Center and Building History
The Oratorio di Sant’Antonio Abate marks the eastern end of Pian di Molino’s settlement. Its interior consists of two bays with cross vaults, separated by a central arch. A bay is a section of a building’s spatial layout; here, the architecture can therefore be described as two vaulted sections separated by an arch. This layout makes the oratory’s interior structure easy to understand.
A bridge is another defining feature of the village’s built environment: the “Ponte sul torrente Lucido - Pian di Molino” crosses the Aulella on three shallow segmental arches, each with a span of 18.5 metres. A segmental arch is flatter than a semicircular arch. The repeated arch shape and equal span of the three arches give the bridge a clearly articulated structure. Nearby, the Oratorio della Madonna del Popolo also stands along the road leading to Pian di Molino and the Pieve di Viano.
Landscape and Paper-Making
The panorama is more than a mountain backdrop: the stream and fields are part of it too, with the Apuan Alps in the background. This combination of watercourse, cultivated landscape and mountains describes the surroundings from several perspectives.
Paper-making is part of the area’s industrial history. A report dated 26 March 2024 describes the Europaper s.p.a. paper mill in Pian di Molino as a business that has produced straw paper since the 1950s. This adds an industrial aspect to the picture of the small village and links its history to the processing of an agricultural raw material.
Getting There and Finding Your Way
From Fivizzano, you can reach Pian di Molino via the SS63 in about 15 minutes. At Cormezzano, the route turns into the Lucido Valley and continues via Gassano and Gragnola. The travel time is approximate. Check current road conditions before setting out so you can plan your journey accordingly.
The route from Aulla to the starting point of CAI trail 192 in Equi Terme also passes through Fivizzano, Gassano, Gragnola and Pian di Molino. After Monzone railway station, it branches off towards Equi Terme before Monzone Alto. This description places Pian di Molino along the approach to the starting point; the village itself is not the trail’s starting point. If you plan to hike in Equi Terme, check the trail conditions separately before setting out.
Discover more destinations: Aulla, Gragnana, Malgrate, Colonnata, Podenzana, Mulazzo, Fivizzano, Corlaga.
For the regional travel overview: Massa-Carrara.
