Discover Santa Maria Del Giudice

Santa Maria Del Giudice combines medieval religious buildings, distinctive trails on Monte Pisano and its own culinary tradition. This creates a destination where culture, landscape and regional history can be explored in different ways – from visiting a Romanesque pieve to hiking through Mediterranean vegetation.

Romanesque architecture and medieval religious buildings

The cultural profile begins with the Pieve Santa Maria Assunta. The present building dates from the 12th century and thus reflects the town’s long ecclesiastical history. The Pieve San Giovanni Battista provides another focal point: its present form dates from the second half of the 12th century, while it is also considered an important example of Pisan-Lucca Romanesque architecture. If you would like to choose historic architecture not only by its age but also by its regional character, this building offers a particularly clear point of reference. Another facet of the cultural heritage is the Eremo di San Giorgio della Spelonca. It was founded in 1190 by the “black hermits.” The present complex is a small medieval single-nave church that was rebuilt several times up to the 19th century. It is precisely this combination of medieval origins and later alterations that makes the Eremo an independent destination within the town’s history.

Trails on Monte Pisano

For an active day out, there is the Anello di Santa Maria del Giudice. The route is 8 km long, runs on Monte Pisano and is rated moderate. The Sentiero 00 provides another point of orientation: from the town, it follows a small, winding, easily walkable road to the pass at Moriglion di Penna. From the pass, the Eremo di San Giorgio della Spelonca can be reached on foot. The landscape itself also distinguishes the individual trails. A Lucca-Trek route from Santa Maria Del Giudice to the Eremo della Spelonca passes through olive groves, garrigue and a holm oak forest. Another Lucca-Trek route begins in Santa Maria Del Giudice and leads to the archaeological site of Monte Cotrozzi through lush Mediterranean maquis. This allows you to choose between a route with a historic destination and one with an archaeological destination, without both landscape experiences feeling the same.

Zuppa Paesana and local tradition

The local cuisine includes the Zuppa Paesana of Santa Maria Del Giudice. Wild herbs from Monte Penna are considered a fundamental ingredient of this tradition. The soup is also associated with an annual festival held in August, which began in 1973. This event refers not to a general Tuscan theme, but to a specific culinary tradition of Santa Maria Del Giudice. If you would like to extend your travel plans beyond Santa Maria Del Giudice, you can also discover Monsagrati, San Pietro A Vico, San Concordio Di Moriano, Cerasomma, Monte San Quirico, Farneta, Chiatri and San Macario In Monte.

For the broader travel overview: Lucca.