Hello dear friends,
Finally, this morning I finished this post that I'm going to share with you, about this beautiful place I visited a few months ago. It's a charming village located in Tuscany, and it's called Volegno. It's a fraction of the municipality of Stazzema in the province of Lucca. Probably, unlike other provinces like Siena, the province of Lucca is less famous for its villages, but here too, there are beautiful hidden gems to discover.
I found many cats in this village.
This particular place is situated at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level, right within the Apuan Alps regional park. However, what struck me the most is the fact that only sixty-five people live here, which might seem few, but it's quite a number for a place like this.
This is the model where you can admire the whole village.
the church
The most important tourist attraction in this lovely village is undoubtedly the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Inside, you can find paintings that date back to the sixteenth century. Unfortunately, like many churches I encountered during my explorations, they are almost always closed because these parishes have been partially abandoned and are not used for religious functions.
Nevertheless, like all the villages I've shared about, this one is also very welcoming, and the people are very helpful. They always try to exchange a few words with you. In fact, a local lady told me that the origins of this village date back to Roman times. Nearby, there was an important quarry that was used for stone extraction. This stone was used for architectural purposes as well as for building roads. She mentioned that this quarry remained active until a few years ago. Naturally, when the stone extraction ceased, the village gradually depopulated. Now, the people living here are elderly and can afford to live here because of their pensions. Therefore, they are financially independent.
This was used to transport pieces of stone, then the wood.
What always strikes me as I walk through these streets is the fact that the walls are always decorated with something artisanal. For example, I saw things made of bronze, although I have to say that many houses were closed and seemed uninhabited for a long time.
I also found some working tools that were probably used for stone extraction. Moreover, as you could see from some photos, at the entrance of the village, there is a beautiful model where you can see the village in scale. Tourists can understand how the village is laid out.
Today, one of the prevalent economic activities in this area is chestnut production, and there is also a bit of tourism. In recent years, there has been a rediscovery of these villages, also because, as you can see from the photos I shared, this village is completely immersed in nature. Surely, this aspect attracts many people who wish to immerse themselves in nature and engage in activities like hiking.
Certainly, if I have the opportunity and return here, also because I love walking in nature, and exploring new trails, I will do so. In fact, those who live here told me that there are two important archaeological sites here, including several caves that are interesting to visit.
I thank you for reading this post, and as usual, I hope to have introduced you to a new place in Tuscany. See you next time! Have a great day, everyone!