Holiday apartment in Matraia: Church, Pizzorne and culinary routes

Matraia between the Pizzorne, culture and regional routes

A holiday apartment in Matraia gives you access to a place where history, hilly landscapes and various excursion interests come together. Matraia lies on the slopes of the Pizzorne and is also a destination on the BioGiro and on a wine and olive oil route. When choosing your location, you can therefore consider whether you mainly want to discover cultural details, plan a signposted road-cycling route or get to know regional products.

San Michele Arcangelo and the history of the village

The original church in Coviglia was built before the year 1000 under the name Sant'Angelo; this referred to Saint Michael. The present-day Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo in Matraia was probably built between 1071 and 1234. These two dates alone show that very different periods of religious history meet in this place.

The Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo has three naves. Inside, there are two 17th-century altars, as well as a wooden sculpture of the Madonna and Child dating from around 1300 and a painting by Baccio Lomi. Above the main entrance is a metal statue of Saint Michael, made in 1957. When choosing accommodation in Matraia, you can therefore take art-historical and architectural details into account in your travel planning, along with the landscape around the village.

Altitude and views over the plain

At 300 metres above sea level, Matraia is the highest point of the BioGiro. On this route, Matraia is considered a hilly viewpoint from which the Piana di Lucca and Monte Pisano can be seen. The Altopiano delle Pizzorne can be reached by car from Matraia. You can therefore organise your days in Matraia around historical and cultural impressions in the village, views from the hillside or an excursion towards the Pizzorne.

Road cycling, wine and olive oil

The BioGiro is a fully signposted road-cycling route. It starts at the Villa Reale di Marlia and reaches Matraia after 4 kilometres. The route can therefore be viewed as a clearly defined part of your travel planning, while Matraia's altitude provides a separate point of reference within the route. The various details on the starting point, distance and highest point provide an objective basis when you want to combine active days with days shaped by the landscape.

A second regional connection runs along the wine and olive oil route from Lucca, Montecarlo and Versilia. It begins at the foot of the Pizzorne hills, leads through the plain of Lucca and continues to the village of Matraia. Along this route, visitors can stop at local farms and agriturismi; these produce wine and olive oil and offer guided tastings. This focus may be interesting when choosing a holiday apartment or holiday house if regional products and guided tastings are among your desired holiday experiences.

Other places for orientation

Camigliano, Lunata, Valgiano, Corte Polito, Petrognano, Massa Macinaia, S.Andrea In Caprile and Gragnano

For the higher-level travel overview: Capannori.