Holiday apartment in Querce – between the Cerbaie forests and pilgrimage history

Querce combines the green forests of the Cerbaie with sacred history, memorial sites and walking trails. The Santuario della Madonna della Querce is located in Querce, in the municipality of Fucecchio, and is also known as Santuario di Querce. Just a few kilometres from Fucecchio, it is nestled in the Cerbaie forests. Here, nature is combined with a cultural history reflected in the building, the spring and the memorial site.

Santuario and La Cellina

The Santuario della Madonna della Querce was built between 1637 and 1639. The painting of the Madonna di Viterbo from the small building that previously stood here was transferred to the main altar of the new church in 1639. La Cellina is a small sanctuary built over a spring. From Via della Cellina, La Cellina can be reached via a road reserved for pedestrians; it begins behind the Santuario and the cemetery.

A long-standing pilgrimage history

A medieval church dedicated to the martyr Nazarius has been documented at the site of the Madonna della Querce since 866. The small chapel of La Cellina soon became a pilgrimage destination. On 18 May 1637, a register was begun in La Cellina recording graces attributed by the faithful to the Virgin Mary. In 1876, Bishop Pio Alberto Del Corona declared the water of La Cellina miraculous by episcopal decree.

Forest trails between the Cerbaie and the Padule

The landscape around Querce is defined by the forests of the Cerbaie. The Sentiero della Beatitudine is regarded as a short walking trail through these forests, shaped by nature, history and legends. One walk led through the oak forests around Lago della Cellina. Another walk ran through the Cerbaie forests in the hamlet of Querce to the edge of the Padule di Fucecchio. The Anello di Crocialoni e Docce circular route is considered a trail from the Antica Cellina delle Querce to several lakes between the Cerbaie hills and the Padule di Fucecchio.

Querce as a place of remembrance

Querce was one of the districts of the municipality of Fucecchio affected by the Padule di Fucecchio massacre. The massacre took place on 23 August 1944. Alongside sacred and natural themes, Querce is therefore also associated with the memory of a specific event. Visitors to the area encounter different historical layers: the medieval church, La Cellina’s pilgrimage tradition and the memory of 1944.

Choosing the right holiday apartment in Querce

When choosing a holiday apartment in Querce, you can consciously decide what to focus on during your stay. Those who prefer forests and walking trails can orient themselves towards the Cerbaie, Lago della Cellina and the paths leading to the edge of the Padule di Fucecchio. Those interested in sacred history will find several historical points of reference in the Santuario, La Cellina, the register and the Church of Nazarius. For families with different interests, this combination provides a useful basis for choosing accommodation not only by the place name, but according to the desired balance of nature, pilgrimage and history.

In addition to Querce, Galleno also belongs to the same broader area.

To the broader travel overview: Fucecchio.