Montecarlo

Montecarlo is an enchanting town immersed in the hillside surrounding the province of Lucca, known mainly for its great wines.

 

The historic center of Montecarlo is well preserved and is still surrounded by a fortified wall. Symbol of the town is the Fortress, also called the Rocca del Cerruglio, which dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries.

 

It is composed of a main tower of a semi-circle shape, a smaller tower, two other towers with a square layout, the Torre dell’Apparizione tower and the Torre di Santa Barbara tower, which forms an imposing triangular structure.

Places of interest include the Chiesa Collegiata di Sant’Andrea, the Pieve di San Piero in Campo, built in 46 AD, and the small Teatro dei Rassicurati, which was frequented by opera maestro Giacomo Puccini.

 

For nature lovers, Montecarlo boasts fototpaths among olive groves and vineyards, immersed in the greenery and silence of the surrounding countryside. Another suggestive itinerary is that which leads to the town of San Martino in Colle, where along the slopes of a hill, on can find an enormous, 500-year-old oak tree.

 

According to local legend, witches would gather for the Sabbath under the foliage of this centuries-old tree, earning it the nickname ‘Oak of the Witches’.