Discover Massa E Cozzile

Massa E Cozzile is an interesting destination for travelers who want to combine culture and landscape in a manageable Tuscan setting. In Massa, the character of the place is already evident in its layout: the settlement lies at an altitude of about 223 m on a hill where the valley of the Torrente Borra widens into a depression open to the south. Between the fortified townscape, historic buildings and paths across the slope, a varied picture emerges for your tour of discovery.

Walls, gates and a clearly legible town layout

Massa is a fortified settlement surrounded by walls, watched over by towers and accessed through gates. A fortress stands at its highest point. This arrangement not only shapes the silhouette, but also explains the special connection between the steeply rising road, the parish church and the fortress. The buildings developed along this road in a herringbone pattern that can still be recognized today. At the southern entrance lies Porta ai Campi. Its present appearance probably dates from the early years of the 14th century. Porta Fontana is a medieval gate in the ring of walls and has remained almost completely intact to this day. The two gates complement the fortified townscape characterized by walls and towers. The Museo di San Michele is also part of the cultural landscape. It consists of the San Michele chapel and two exhibition halls that originally belonged to the architectural complex of the Convent of the Visitation. On the Croci plateau, in the area around Massa, the Santuario della Beata Vergine del Carmelo was also founded in the early years of the 17th century on the site of a wayside shrine that preserved a fresco depicting the patron saint.

Paths over ridges and through the surrounding area

If you would like to include some exercise alongside exploring the townscape, the documented routes offer different points of focus. The Margine coperta – Massa route follows Via Vacchereccia along the ridge descending from the town of Massa. On this route, you pass the old Pasquini and Armani villas. The path thus connects the route over the ridge with individual historic buildings. The Massa-Croci-Cozzile circular route is 5.3 km long and has an elevation difference of 200 m. Its details make the extent and elevation profile clearer than those of the Margine coperta – Massa route, for which the route and villas are primarily described here. When planning, you can therefore distinguish between a path with historic buildings along the route and a specifically measured circular route. A further regional perspective is provided by the Strada dell’Olio Borghi e Castelli della Valdinievole. In the local inns, agriturismi and restaurants, oil and local specialties are sampled. Regional cuisine thus complements Massa’s historic impressions with a culinary dimension. Further destinations for additional orientation include Campo Tizzoro, Panicagliora, Stiappa, Montale, Agliana, Piteglio, Pianosinatico and Limestre.

For the overarching travel overview: Pistoia.