Discover Diecimo

Diecimo combines ecclesiastical architectural history with paths through the landscape of the Serchio Valley. Those seeking not only famous art cities but also historical traces and a quieter cultural focus during their stay in Tuscany will find several distinct points of interest here: the Oratory of San Martino in Greppo, the Chapel of San Giovanni Leonardi, the Pieve di Santa Maria a Diecimo, and the Via Matildica del Volto Santo.

Historical traces in and around Diecimo

The Oratory of San Martino in Greppo was first mentioned in documents in 979. Its architecture is clearly structured: it consists of a single rectangular hall and a semicircular apse. This provides a concrete insight into a very early period of the area's history, without the architectural description being overshadowed by later additions. The history of travel is also among the documented themes around Diecimo. A nearby hospice was first mentioned in 1205 and served travelers crossing the Serchio Valley. The place therefore represents not only sacred buildings, but also a historical connection between regional movement and support along the valley. In Diecimo itself, the Chapel of San Giovanni Leonardi is located in his birthplace. San Giovanni Leonardi was born in 1541 in Diecimo near Lucca. On August 8, 2006, he was declared the patron saint of pharmacists. The association's headquarters in Giovanni Leonardi's birthplace also include a museum dedicated to him. A visit here therefore allows you to combine local history, a specific historical figure, and an institutionally supported memorial offering.

Parish church, olive groves, and historic routes

The Pieve di Santa Maria a Diecimo has three naves and a semicircular apse. Its spatial structure clearly distinguishes it from the single-nave Oratory of San Martino in Greppo. Comparing several sacred buildings therefore provides not only individual sights, but also different architectural forms within the same cultural setting. The route to the Pieve Matildica di Diecimo leads through olive groves on the valley floor. This specific landscape experience complements the history of the churches and the town with a view of the agriculturally shaped surroundings. At the same time, the Via Matildica del Volto Santo reaches Diecimo at the Pieve di Santa Maria. Diecimo can thus also be viewed in connection with a historically named route of regional significance, without equating the individual buildings or sections of the route. For further orientation, you can also include Gioviano (Gioviano), Ponte Della Maddalena (Ponte Della Maddalena), San Donato (San Donato) and Valdottavo (Valdottavo). Diecimo thus remains the starting point for a targeted search for other places, while the historic buildings, the paths through the olive groves, and the connections to the Serchio Valley define the town's own profile.

For the broader travel overview: Borgo A Mozzano.