Culla: Hiking Trail 107, Olive Terraces and Local History

Culla among Olive Terraces, Hiking Trail 107 and Memorial Culture

Culla combines surroundings shaped by olive groves and olive terraces with a clearly described hiking trail and a multifaceted local history. The area offers views of the Camaiore plain, Lake Massaciuccoli and the coast. You can therefore consider the landscape and local history separately: as a hiking area with a set route and as a place with churches, monuments and memorials.

Hiking between La Culla and Monte Gabberi

Hiking Trail 107 connects La Culla with the Foce di San Rocchino and leads over the panoramic summit of Monte Gabberi. Its detailed route begins in La Culla, passes through Case ai Lecci to Monte Gabberi and then continues to San Rocchino. The stated elevations are 470 metres for La Culla, 605 metres for Case ai Lecci, 1,108 metres for Monte Gabberi and 801 metres for San Rocchino. This clearly identifies not only the destination but also the sequence of landscape points. The mountain road to Sant’Anna di Stazzema is also relevant for orientation around Culla. It is 10 kilometres long and climbs from the Versilia plain via Monteggiori and La Culla. Culla can be reached by car and on foot. The area therefore combines a described road route with an independent option for reaching the village on foot, without allowing a specific walking time or difficulty level to be inferred.

Churches, Monuments and Historical Traces

The Church of S. Antonio da Padova e SS. Angeli Custodi stands in Culla. A Medici boundary stone was found near it, marking the border of the Captaincy of Pietrasanta. There is also a bronze monument created by Alfredo Belluomini in 1981 next to the church. It depicts a man equipped with a helmet and rifle; the names of the war victims are inscribed on the stone base. Another bronze sculpture by Romano Cosci near the church depicts Don Giuseppe Vangelisti. Memorials can also be found outside the immediate vicinity of the church. A wooden cross has stood on the road to Sant’Anna since 1996 in memory of Don Giuseppe Vangelisti. Volunteers set out from Culla to give the victims of the Sant’Anna massacre of 12 August 1944 a dignified burial. Within the municipality of Camaiore, La Culla is one of the historic rural settlement centers.

Local History and Traditional Customs

The origins of Culla date back to the 16th century. The first inhabitants were workers in the local iron mines of Monte Arsiccio and Argentera. In the 17th century, Culla was divided between the state of Florence and the Republic of Lucca. This political past is particularly vividly illustrated by the boundary stone that was found. The Festa della Madonna is also documented as a tradition. It was described as an event held every three years on the first Sunday in May; the next edition was scheduled for 2020. This information belongs to the documented history of the festival and does not give a current event date. For further destinations, you can also view Retignano, Terrinca, Palagnana, Farnocchia and Levigliani.

For the broader travel overview: Stazzema.