Aquilea – Zuppa di Aquilea, Castellaccio and the Morian Hills

Aquilea between local cuisine and history

Aquilea combines several facets that you can consciously weigh against one another when choosing a destination: a local food culture rich in tradition, evidence of the area's history, and a location in the Morian Hills. The Zuppa di Aquilea is particularly characteristic. At the same time, the historical traces around Castellaccio span the medieval past to the events of the 20th century. This allows you to shape your stay around regional cuisine, culture, and landscape without any single attraction explaining the place on its own.

The Sagra della Zuppa di Aquilea

A special highlight of the local character is the Sagra della Zuppa di Aquilea. This traditional festival includes a communal meal centred on typical regional recipes. During the Sagra, food stalls offer Lucchese soup and other specialities. This means that you encounter not just the name of a dish, but a specific form of local food culture: the soup appears as part of a communal celebration rather than merely as an individual speciality on a menu. The Zuppa di Aquilea is made exclusively with local agricultural ingredients. These include the red Lucca bean, black curly kale from Lucca, also known as “braschetta” lucchese, as well as wild herbs. The herbs give the dish a seasonal dimension in particular: depending on the time of year, their variety can comprise up to 40 different types and varieties. If you would like to get to know regional cuisine not only through familiar names but also through ingredients and traditional preparations, Aquilea therefore offers a clearly defined culinary point of reference.

A community park and the hillside location

Next to the church, Aquilea has an equipped community park covering an area of 20,000 m². It adds a specific place within the village to the culinary and historical focus. Together with its location in the Morian Hills, this connection makes Aquilea's landscape aspect visible without reducing it to a general description such as “Tuscan landscape”. This gives you three different priorities to choose from when planning your trip: the festival, historical themes, or the local surroundings.

Castellaccio, San Leonardo and the Gothic Line

In Castellaccio near Aquilea stand the remains of the old church of San Leonardo. The surviving building of the old church probably dates from the 12th century. This cautious chronological classification is part of the historical picture: it points to a long past without deriving a more precise date from the tradition. The history of Castellaccio was also presented during a historical and cultural walk. The village committee organised it on 22 September to mark the 74th anniversary of the Battle of Castellaccio di Aquilea. The walk covered the history of Castellaccio from 1100 to the present day, including the events of 24 September 1944. This date and the historical framework belong to a past occasion and should therefore be understood as contemporary historical context, not as an indication of a current events programme. A route along the Gothic Line begins at the ruins of Castellaccio di Aquilea. From there, you can enjoy a panorama over the Lucca plain and the Serchio Valley. This adds a landscape perspective to the remains of San Leonardo and the history of the area. If you would like to combine historical sites with a defined themed route during your stay, this starting point is an independent aspect of Aquilea. If you would like to compare other places from the same selection, you can find [San Macario In Monte](San Macario In Monte), [Ciciana](Ciciana), [Montuolo](Montuolo), [San Concordio Di Moriano](San Concordio Di Moriano), [Balbano](Balbano), [Arsina](Arsina), [Monte San Quirico](Monte San Quirico) and [Mastiano](Mastiano).

For the overarching travel overview: Lucca.