Aquilea: Local Cuisine, History and Hilly Landscape

Aquilea is located in the Morian Hills. Local cuisine includes Zuppa di Aquilea, while historic traces can be found at Castellaccio and San Leonardo. The nearby area and the wider region also feature palaces, a museum and several mountains.

Local Cuisine and the Sagra della Zuppa

The Sagra della Zuppa di Aquilea is a traditional local festival featuring a communal meal based on typical regional recipes. The festival combines the communal meal with food stalls offering Lucchese soup and other specialities. This gives local cuisine a tangible connection between the festival, the recipes and ingredients from agriculture.

Only local agricultural ingredients are used for Zuppa di Aquilea. These include the red Lucca bean, black curly kale from Lucca – “braschetta” lucchese – and wild field herbs. Depending on the season, the variety of field herbs in Zuppa di Aquilea can include up to 40 different types and varieties. The herbs are therefore the part of the recipe that is explicitly tied to the season.

Community Park and Historic Traces

Aquilea has an equipped community park covering an area of 20,000 m² next to the church.

The remains of the old Church of San Leonardo stand at Castellaccio near Aquilea. The surviving building of the old Church of San Leonardo probably dates back to the 12th century.

On 22 September, the village committee organised a historical and cultural walk at Castellaccio di Aquilea to mark the 74th anniversary of the Battle of Castellaccio di Aquilea. The walk was intended to convey the history of Castellaccio from 1100 to the present day, including the events of 24 September 1944.

Route Along the Gothic Line

A route along the Gothic Line begins at the ruins of Castellaccio di Aquilea. From there, panoramic views extend over the Lucca plain and the Serchio Valley. For those interested in culture, this route leads from the historic starting point at Castellaccio into a landscape vista over the Lucca plain and the Serchio Valley.

Destinations in the Surrounding Area

The Villa Reale palace is located near Aquilea. Mount M. Moraglio is also nearby. In the area around Aquilea are Villa Mansi palace, the Gabinetto di Storia Naturale museum, Santini Palace and the summit of Monte Crocefisso. In the wider region are Mount Monte Matanna and Mount monte Procinto.

Villa Reale, Villa Mansi and Santini Palace are palaces; Gabinetto di Storia Naturale is a museum, Monte Crocefisso is a summit, and Monte Matanna and monte Procinto are mountains.

Other places for planning your trip are Piaggione, Mastiano, Monsagrati, Nozzano Castello, Chiatri, Ciciana, Pieve Di Brancoli and Farneta.

To the higher-level travel overview: Lucca.