Filicaia: Local History, Chestnut Forests and Farro Tradition

Filicaia combines landscape, local history and regional festival culture. The topics range from agriculturally used slopes and the medieval town layout to the church, villa, monument and historic route connections.

Landscape between Forest and Agriculture

The landscape of Filicaia is characterised by dense chestnut forests, cultivated fields and wide meadows. Terraces created by people make the slopes suitable for agriculture. As a result, wooded areas and open spaces lie alongside cultivated slopes, without agricultural use disappearing from the landscape. The cultivation of Farro is also widespread in Filicaia. Farro is therefore part of local agriculture and at the same time provides the connection to the Festa del Farro.

Anyone planning an individual trip based on landscape and local history can combine Filicaia’s wooded and open areas with its medieval town layout. For travellers interested in local history and landscape, this combination provides a concrete basis for planning: the town layout, terraces and chestnut forests can be combined with the route connection of the Via del Volto Santo.

Church, Villa and Monument

The Chiesa di San Rocco is the parish church of Filicaia. Villa Turri was built in the 19th century in the Neoclassical style. Alongside the medieval town layout, this means that there is a parish church and a clearly dated Neoclassical building.

Another historic testimony is the Monumento ai Caduti di Filicaia. It was erected in 1925 and inaugurated in November of the same year. It was restored in 1978; on 5 November of the same year, the monument was inaugurated again. The 1978 restoration followed its construction and first inauguration in 1925. Guido Cheli is considered the creator of the monument. It depicts a naked infantryman with a helmet and dagger, as well as an eagle at the top. The monument is made of locally sourced white marble and is located on Via Francesco Vecchiacchi in Filicaia.

Filicaia on a Road and Historic Route

For geographical orientation, Filicaia extends along the SR445 della Garfagnana. The village lies beyond Il Poggio in the direction of Castelnuovo. Filicaia is also located on the Via del Volto Santo, a branch of the Via Francigena. The Via del Volto Santo is considered a medieval mountain route that connected the Lunigiana and Garfagnana with Lucca. The SR445 describes Filicaia as a village along a road; the Via del Volto Santo establishes a connection to a historic route between Lunigiana, Garfagnana and Lucca. For travel planning, the road location beyond Il Poggio in the direction of Castelnuovo and the historic route connection can therefore be considered separately.

Farro and Local Festival Culture

The Festa del Farro celebrates the rich local gastronomic tradition, particularly Farro della Garfagnana. On every evening of the event, it includes live performances and musical entertainment for audiences of all ages. The evening events expand the connection to Farro with a cultural setting.

Further local pages: Casciana

For the overarching travel overview: Camporgiano.