Discover Ciciana: Church Art, Nativity Play and Trails in the Pizzorne

Ciciana between the Pizzorne, the Plain and Church Art

Ciciana lies at the beginning of the Pizzorne hills. From here, you can see the city of Lucca and the towns of the Lucca plain, surrounded by the Monti Pisani and the hills of Valdinievole. This gives you a concrete way to experience a place whose character is revealed through its landscape, church art, a multi-scene nativity play and distinctive trails.

San Bartolomeo and the Presepe poliscenico

The Church of San Bartolomeo in Ciciana has early medieval origins and was rebuilt in 1284. Inside, it preserves two 16th-century frescoes. One depicts a Crucifixion with Saints Roch and Frediano; the other shows the Madonna with Saints James, Sebastian and Agatha. On the exterior, above the entrance, there is also a valuable bas-relief depicting Saint Bartholomew. The church thus brings together several clearly distinguishable testimonies: its early history, the two religious artworks and the relief on the façade. Another special feature is the Presepe poliscenico di Ciciana. The multi-scene nativity play depicts the events from the Annunciation to the arrival of the Three Kings, alternating between daytime and nighttime scenes. In Ciciana's sacristy, it had been set up for over 50 years by 2023. Its history also extends beyond an interruption: after several years of pause, the nativity play continued uninterrupted from 1972 onward. Those interested in local traditions and sacred art will therefore find here not merely individual scenes, but a form of religious theatre documented over several decades.

Trails with Different Highlights

If you would like to combine culture and physical activity, several described routes lead to different attractions. La Sgambata del Ponte is a hiking event held in October. It passes through the panoramic hills of Ciciana and Tramonte and climbs uphill to the imposing, light-coloured Convento dell'Angelo. This event therefore focuses both on the landscape of the hills and on a specific destination along the route. The Mulattiera di Ciciana runs below the Church of San Bartolomeo. After a few metres, a path branches off it towards the church. This route establishes the connection between a historic path and the church building precisely where the route passes San Bartolomeo. The Itinerario di Tramonte–Ciciana also includes a section of the Via Garfagnina that runs towards the village of Ciciana. For your selection, this means that you can learn about local history through the church and the nativity play, or view Ciciana through its documented paths, hills and trail sections, without combining the individual experiences into a single circular route.

More destinations for your orientation

For further searches, you can also open the linked location pages [San Concordio Di Moriano](San Concordio Di Moriano), [Piaggione](Piaggione), [San Macario In Monte](San Macario In Monte), [Nozzano Castello](Nozzano Castello), [Balbano](Balbano), [Santa Maria Del Giudice](Santa Maria Del Giudice), [Chiatri](Chiatri) and [Monsagrati](Monsagrati) .

To the overview of the wider region: Lucca.