What is Stazzema known for?

Italy's National Park of Peace, established in 2000 at Sant'Anna di Stazzema, site of the 12 August 1944 SS massacre of 560 civilians. 53 kilometers of mapped tunnels in the Levigliani frazione, the largest karst cave system in Italy. Seventeen hamlets spread across the western Apuan slopes, the only fully mountainous commune in the Versilia administrative area.

Stazzema is a comune in the province of Lucca, Tuscany region of Italy, about 55 kilometers from Pisa.

Tuscany · Lucca

Stazzema

A mountain commune of seventeen hamlets in the Apuan Alps, site of the August 1944 Sant'Anna massacre and Italy's National Park of Peace.

55 km / 34 mi

Nearest hub (Pisa)

2,856

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Stazzema is the only entirely mountainous commune in Versilia, seventeen hamlets spread across the western slopes of the Apuan Alps, the highest point at Pania della Croce. The main village sits; Sant'Anna di Stazzema, the most-visited frazione, sitsbetween Monte Ornato and Monte Gabberi. On 12 August 1944 the Waffen-SS and the Italian Black Brigades killed around 560 villagers and refugees at Sant'Anna, more than a hundred of them children. The site became the Parco Nazionale della Pace in 2000, with a museum opened in 1982 by President Sandro Pertini. The Antro del Corchia, accessed from Levigliani, runs 53 kilometers of mapped tunnels and is the largest karst system in Italy. The commune earned its Comuni Virtuosi signal for waste reduction and energy policy and its Città delle Grotte signal for the Corchia.

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Known for

Antro del Corchia
53 kilometers of mapped tunnels and shafts in the Levigliani frazione, the largest karst system in Italy and one of the largest in Europe.
Sant'Anna di Stazzema
Mountain frazione at 750 meters, site of the 12 August 1944 SS massacre and now the Parco Nazionale della Pace memorial complex.
Museo Storico della Resistenza
Resistance and massacre museum in Sant'Anna's former primary school, inaugurated in 1982 by Sandro Pertini.
Pania della Croce
The 1,858-meter peak that anchors the commune's eastern boundary, with hiking access from the Foce di Mosceta refuge.
Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta
Romanesque parish church in the main village, documented from the twelfth century, with a frescoed apse.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through October works for the trails and the cave. June and September are the best brackets: long daylight, dry rock for the Pania ridge, and the Corchia interior holds at 7.6 degrees year-round so a guided visit needs a sweater regardless of season. July and August are warm enough at altitude but the parking at Sant'Anna and Levigliani fills early on weekends. The 12 August anniversary at Sant'Anna brings thousands of visitors to the memorial each year. November through March many high-pasture hamlets close most of their services; the cave runs reduced winter hours, the main village stays open, and the Sant'Anna museum keeps year-round opening.