Pieve Di Monti Di Villa: Church, Valley Views and Mountain Route

Pieve Di Monti Di Villa combines remarkable architectural history with a landscape defined by waterways, views over the valley and an uphill section of the Cammino di Santa Giulia. If, in Tuscany, you want to discover not only well-known art cities but also smaller places with clearly recognizable historical details, this location offers several different points of interest: a distinctive parish church, old residential buildings, a viewpoint and an access route from the direction of Bagni di Lucca.

The Pieve di San Giovanni Battista

The most important architectural detail is the Pieve di San Giovanni Battista. Its floor plan has the shape of a Latin cross. The building consists of a single nave, a broad transept and an apse; above them is a roof with a wooden truss structure. The broad transept crosses the single nave, thereby forming the basic shape of the pieve. This combination makes the church interesting not only as a sacred place but also as a clearly legible example of a distinctive floor-plan design. A Romanesque building phase from the 12th century is also visible in the apse. For your visit, this means that the older history of the place is shown not only in a date but also in a specific part of the building. Another historical point of reference is Casa Gabrielli. The residence dates from the 16th century and has two loopholes for arquebuses. Thus, alongside the pieve, a secular building is also in focus, whose external features point to a different period and a different function. About 300 metres south of the Church of San Giovanni Battista is the Oratorio della Madonna del Carmine.

Waterways, Valley Views and an Uphill Path

Pieve Di Monti Di Villa is surrounded by numerous waterways. The two most important are the Torrente Fegana to the west and the Camaione to the east. Pieve Di Monti Di Villa also offers views over the Camaione Valley. The church and historic houses therefore stand in contrast to surroundings shaped by waterways and valley views. For active days, variant T008VA02 of the Cammino di Santa Giulia is relevant. It leads from Fornoli via Granaiola uphill to Pieve Di Monti Di Villa.

Orientation and Getting There

Via Fillungo conceptually divides the village into two parts. This street is lined with distinctive residences and old buildings. Pieve Di Monti Di Villa is approximately 9 kilometres from Bagni di Lucca. The access route from the direction of Bagni di Lucca leads via Ponte a Serraglio, the La Cova turnoff and Granaiola.

Other Places in the Immediate Surroundings

For further orientation, you can then consider Fornoli (Fornoli), Crasciana (Crasciana), Casabasciana (Casabasciana), Longoio-Mobbiano (Longoio-Mobbiano), Benabbio (Benabbio), Lugliano (Lugliano), Montefegatesi (Montefegatesi) and Lucchio (Lucchio).

For the higher-level travel overview: Bagni Di Lucca.