Villa Basilica: Paper History, Ancient Paths and Local Cuisine

Villa Basilica: Paper History, Ancient Paths and Local Cuisine

Villa Basilica combines a paper-making tradition documented since 1344 with a historic centre, ancient forest paths and regional specialities. This creates a destination where cultural history, landscapes and local traditions can be discovered through paths, buildings and food.

The footpath to the Rocca di Villa Basilica begins in the historic centre and follows an old mule track through the forest. The Rocca offers extensive views across the valley. The church of Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta preserves a 13th-century crucifix attributed to Berlinghiero Berlinghieri. The road cycling route “Sui primi rilievi appenninici sino a Pariana” also begins at the church.

Paper History and Craftsmanship

The Via delle Cartiere connects Villa Basilica with Bagni di Lucca and features numerous paper mills of significant historical and cultural value. The road from Collodi to Villa Basilica passes a series of paper mills that together form an open-air museum of paper-making.

In the hamlet of Pracando, the Cartiera Nardi was built in 1863. It consists of five masonry buildings across three storeys and preserves original machinery as well as largely unchanged rooms that document the original production process. The chemist and pharmacist Stefano Franchi, who came from Villa Basilica, invented Cartapaglia, a straw paper, in 1834.

The hills around Villa Basilica were home to an active iron industry; weaponsmiths crafted swords and other blades for defence. Remains of a dolmen can be found in the Pietra Pertusa area. Archaeological excavations there uncovered a village from the 3rd century BC that was inhabited by the Liguri Apuani.

Paths, Plateau and Panoramic Views

A CAI Lucca hiking route from Villa Basilica to Pizzorne follows the Via della Polla Fresca, an old mule track along the valley of the Rio della Piastrata. The Altopiano delle Pizzorne has numerous marked paths to Pariana, Boveglio, Corsagna and Saltocchio. Its largely unspoilt landscapes offer wide views over the plain of Lucca, the Monte Serra range and the sea.

At the Parco Avventura Sospeso nel Verde, visitors move between trees on platforms and obstacles at different heights, including walkways, ropes, Tibetan bridges, zip lines, vines and suspension bridges.

Festivals and Flavours

The Festa di Santa Maria takes place in Villa Basilica on 15 August; it includes events, historical re-enactments and traditional dishes. On the Altopiano delle Pizzorne, the Sagra dei funghi e della polenta fritta has been held for many years in July and August.

Torta di Villa Basilica is a savoury rice pie with raised pastry triangles known in the local dialect as “becchi”. Salviato di Villa Basilica is a savoury pie of older origin whose main ingredient is new potatoes. Neccio flour is known as the “sweet flour of Villa Basilica” and is used almost exclusively for necci, frittelle and castagnaccio.

Other directly connected destinations include Pracando and Pizzorne.

For the higher-level travel overview: Lucca.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Castiglione di Garfagnana, Forte Dei Marmi, Minucciano, Campolemisi, Marlia, Castelnuovo Di Garfagnana.