Overview
The hinterland of Versilia is dotted with small villages that are worth a visit if you are on holiday in one of the seaside resorts in the province of Lucca. Among these, Forte dei Marmi, Viareggio and Camaiore stand out.
Historical stage of the Via Francigena, Camaiore derives its name from the Latin “Campus Maior”, to indicate the flat location near the Apuan Alps, cross and delight of the territory: dotted with marble quarries that have inevitably deformed the profiles of the mountains, they are at the same time an important economic source of Tuscany.
Wandering around the historic center you will feel like you are stepping into the past, when ladies and knights were not a Carnival disguise. Stop at the 13th-century Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta, with the civic tower overlooking the village, and in Piazza Diaz where you will find the Museum of Sacred Art.
Camaiore is also famous for the tradition of Sawdust Carpets, a rite that has been lost over the centuries. During the solemn procession of the Corpus Domini this colorful walkway, made by the carpets in the night between Saturday and Sunday, is swept away but will leave you a beautiful multicolored path to visit the city.
