Discover Capannori

Capannori between culture, landscapes and trails

Capannori combines historic culture, protected landscapes and various opportunities for active days. Here, you can combine museums and church art with villas, hiking trails, a cycling loop and regional cuisine. The focus is not only on individual sights: the municipality showcases different sides of the Tuscan plain and its hills, allowing you to plan your outings according to your interests and desired pace.

Museums, churches and villas

A good cultural starting point is Museo Athena, the municipal museum of the municipality of Capannori. It is housed in a three-storey 17th-century palace and includes an archaeological and an ethnographic section. Another historical highlight is the Pieve di San Gennaro. It was probably founded in the age of San Frediano in the 6th century and preserves an intact Romanesque pulpit dating from 1162. The pulpit is signed by Maestro Filippo.

The villas are also part of the area’s distinctive cultural heritage. Around 150 large and small villas can be visited in the Capannori area. Wealthy merchants from Lucca built them from the 15th to the 19th century; they were active in trade and banking. An approximately 700-metre-long cypress avenue leads to Villa Torrigiani. The Quercia delle Streghe can be reached via the vicinal road descending from San Martino in Colle.

Hiking, cycling and astronomical perspectives

If you would like to include some exercise in your days, the municipality’s northern hiking network offers 17 routes through the hilly and mountainous area of the Pizzorne plateau. The Pizzorne is part of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. The trails pass through forests and offer panoramic views over the plain of Lucca. In this way, the hiking experiences differ clearly from the cultural destinations in the built-up and villa area.

The Via Francigena also runs through Capannori in two variants. The northern route crosses the green heights of the Pizzorne, while the southern route passes through the landscape of Monte Pisano. Both variants can also be travelled by bicycle. Another option for a cycling tour is Le Ville della Lucchesia, a cycling loop starting in Capannori and intended for exploring the beauty of the plain of Lucca.

The Astronomical Observatory of Capannori (OAC) is an observing station on Mount Gallonzora near the village of Vorno. This specific location adds a glimpse into astronomical research to the trails and cultural destinations, without requiring you to combine the different subject areas into a single excursion.

Protected nature, camellias and regional flavours

The Bosco del Bottaccio is recognised as a Special Conservation Zone (IT5120101) and as a Ramsar site under the name “ex lago e padule di Bientina”. Another natural attraction is the Camellietum Compitese garden, which is home to more than 1,000 camellia varieties. In the Borgo delle Camelie, the side roads are closed to traffic; they run between houses and small vegetable gardens.

For combining landscapes and culinary enjoyment, Capannori is one of the most important areas of the “Strada del Vino e dell’Olio Lucca Montecarlo Versilia”. This tourist and culinary route extends across the hills of Lucca, Montecarlo, Versilia and the Serchio Valley. This allows you to alternate between culture, nature, cycling and hiking days, and the region’s wine and olive oil culture when choosing your activities.

More destinations for orientation

For a more detailed selection of further destinations, you can also open Camigliano, Gragnano, Matraia, Carraia, Colle Di Compito, Massa Macinaia, Petrognano, Pieve Di Compito, Ruota, Valgiano, Lappato, San Ginese Di Compito, Vorno, S.Andrea In Caprile, Lammari, Lunata, San Leonardo In Treponzio, Corte Polito, All'erta and San Gennaro.

For the higher-level travel overview: Lucca.