Gioviano: Views, Rughe and Historic Churches

Gioviano Between Views and Local History

The Prata viewpoint offers panoramic views over the Serchio Valley. The Antro della Paura near Gioviano is a limestone cave shaped like a passageway approximately 30 metres long that narrows towards the end. The Prata viewpoint and the Antro della Paura therefore provide two different focal points for a visit to Gioviano.

Rughe, Castello and Parish Church

Gioviano’s narrow, winding lanes are called Rughe and lead uphill to the Castello. Today, only a few fragments of the walls of Castello di Gioviano remain. The parish church now stands on the site of the former Castello di Gioviano. The climb along the Rughe therefore leads to the remains of the Castello and to the church site on the former grounds.

Churches with Several Historical Layers

The Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta was extended and remodelled over several periods, most recently in 1920 after the earthquake. It contains frescoes by Pellegrino Lamberti and a 17th-century organ by Crudeli, which was recently restored. The Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta brings together alterations from several periods with frescoes by Pellegrino Lamberti and Crudeli’s restored organ.

Oratorio di San Bartolomeo and Oratorio di San Rocco

The Oratorio di San Bartolomeo was founded in the village of Sartana before the year 1000. From Gioviano, the Oratorio di San Bartolomeo can be reached by a short walk. Gioviano is also home to the 16th-century Oratorio di San Rocco. The Oratorio di San Bartolomeo in Sartana thus stands in contrast to a 16th-century oratory in Gioviano. The short walk to Sartana complements the sites in Gioviano with an independent route to an oratory whose foundation dates back to before the year 1000, and thereby leads across a second locality. If you would like to compare religious buildings during a trip to Italy, Sartana and Gioviano offer two oratories from centuries that are far apart.

Pietro Barsanti and the Historical Context

Pietro Barsanti was born in Gioviano on 30 July 1849. The corporal’s remains were transferred to Gioviano on 2 June 2003 in a solemn ceremony. Barsanti was a Mazzinian and Freemason and was shot at Castello Sforzesco in Milan in 1870 after becoming involved in an attempted uprising. Barsanti’s biography stretches from his birth in Gioviano to his execution by shooting at Castello Sforzesco in Milan.

Via Clodia and Individual Planning

In the area of Borgo a Mozzano, Gioviano is connected to point 17 of the Via Clodia. When choosing a hotel in Gioviano, you can tailor the focus of your stay to local history, religious buildings, views of the landscape and the village’s lanes.

Further Destinations

Ponte Della Maddalena, Diecimo, Valdottavo, San Donato

To the higher-level travel overview: Borgo A Mozzano.