Discover Villa Campanile

Villa Campanile combines sacred history with paths through the Cerbaie and along the Via Francigena. Anyone looking for accommodation for their stay can combine culture, local history, and a walking journey here without limiting the day to just one attraction.

Sacred History and Visible Reminders

The village is home to an oratory dedicated to Saint Peter of Alcantara. The small oratory was opened for public worship on December 8, 1900, and served as a subsidiary church of the parish church of Orentano. It is therefore one of the places where the religious history of Villa Campanile can be experienced in particularly tangible form.

The oratory's furnishings and history also include a statue of Saint Peter of Alcantara. It was blessed and consecrated on November 13, 1920, by the Bishop of Pescia, Monsignor Angelo Simonetti. When the church was restored in 1963, stone from Filettole was used for the facade; an artistic mosaic depicting the Good Shepherd was also completed. Those interested in church art and religious traditions will find several interconnected themes here: the oratory's dedication, the statue, and the later design of the building.

The name of the village also points to its history. Villa Campanile was formerly called Villa di Campanile. The name derives from the residence of a Franciosini di Castelfranco, who owned land there in the 18th century. Another commemorative site is the Monumento ai Caduti: a stone plaque monument to those who fell during the period after 1918 and before 1950.

Paths Through the Cerbaie

Several clearly described route connections are available for active days. Section 200 of the Colline delle Cerbaie routes leads from Orentano to Villa Campanile. From Villa Campanile, another route follows the Via Francigena to Altopascio. This information allows you to plan your trip around different sections of the route: one connects Orentano with Villa Campanile, while the other leads from the village toward Altopascio.

Near Villa Campanile, the Via Francigena passes through the dense forests of the Cerbaie and then continues along the historic paved path to Galleno. This makes it possible to combine a visit to the village with the landscape and pilgrimage route. The route continuing from Villa Campanile also passes the Lago di Sibolla Regional Nature Reserve, an internationally significant wetland. For planning your day, you can therefore choose between focusing on local history or on paths, woodland, and the nature reserve.

Local Character and Trip Planning

The Festa del contadino is also part of the area's local identity. Editions of this event took place in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2024. The different years do not make the festival an automatically recurring current program; they do show, however, that the event was part of life in Villa Campanile in several years.

When choosing accommodation in Villa Campanile, it is worth deciding in advance what pace of travel you want. Culture enthusiasts can focus on the oratory, its furnishings, and the local history. For a more active trip, the Colline delle Cerbaie routes and sections of the Via Francigena are ideal. Those who would like to add nature can combine the continuing route with the Lago di Sibolla Regional Nature Reserve. In this way, Villa Campanile remains a manageable base for very different kinds of days: sacred history, historic paths, woodland, and a festival shaped by the region define the character of the village.

For the broader travel overview: Castelfranco Di Sotto.