Gombitelli is one of the eight villages scattered among the hills of the Seimiglia, the so-called 'green lung of Versilia'. We are in a territory of ancient origins. The Via Francigena runs along the bottom of the valley and joins Camaiore to Lucca with stretches of path that bring walkers from far and wide to these areas every day. The Casa del Pellegrino (Pilgrim's House) in Valpromaro is a sign of the millenary practice of welcoming those passing through these happy communities surrounded by greenery. Those who stay for a few days may be surprised by its secluded beauty. At Orbicciano, which can be reached on foot from Gombitelli, there is a pretty little Romanesque church and the eighteenth-century villa of the Spada family.
The other villages are Migliano, Fibbiano Montanino, Santa Maria Albiano, Fibbialla and Montemagno, which overlooks Camaiore. Each one is worth a visit. Separating them are woods of chestnut trees, oaks, acacias, firs, holm oaks; pines, olive trees, vines and cypresses seem to be spontaneous vegetation, lime trees at the roadside and near the villages. The forests of the Seimiglia are majestic and require a lot of work to keep them at bay. The paths linking the villages are kept open by the inhabitants almost out of resilience, certainly also for the pleasure of walking slowly on gentle slopes. Trekking enthusiasts, on the other hand, can push themselves over the hills and find themselves, in a few minutes' drive from Gombitelli, at the first of the paths leading to the magnificent peaks of the Apuan Alps. The cycling routes that reach the Seimiglia are among the most popular in the region, and climbing enthusiasts from beyond Italy know Candalla. The proximity of the sea, which can be reached in a quarter of an hour by car, softens the climate and offers different sunsets every day. The most beautiful Tuscan cities of art are close by. Pisa is about thirty kilometres away, Florence just over a hundred; the towns of Lucca, Viareggio and Pietrasanta can be reached in less than half an hour. The Puccini Festival, the Festival of Lucca and the more famous Summer Festival, the Viareggio Carnival, but above all the religious festivals and the smallest village festivals, add to the calendar of events that can bring the people who live and work here closer to their lives, in an approach that is a way of being together and that cannot be reduced to the category of 'tourism'.
Trails from Gombitelli
- Gombitelli (m.492) Torcigliano (m.385), Km. 2,1, 1,15 h;
- Gombitelli (m.492) Migliano (m.359), Km. 1,8, 1,30 h; - Gombitelli Fibbiano
- Gombitelli Monte Rondinaio
- Gombitelli Migliano Orbicciano
Trails of the Seimiglia
- Orbicciano Migliano
- Fibbialla Montigiano Valpromaro
- Montemagno Monte Pitoro, overview
- Via Francigena Places of historical and cultural interest
- Church of San Lorenzo
- Church of Santa Maria Assunta, Santa Maria Albiano
- Traditional ironworks of Carlo Gargani 10' drive from Gombitelli Loc. San Giuseppe 55064 Convalle/Piegaio, Lucca. Closed on Saturday afternoon "l'itinerario degli opifici" (the itinerary of those ancient mechanical machines driven by the flow of water) along the Lombricese stream.
- Villa Spada
- Madonnina del Canale, Valpromaro
- Seimiglia Library
- Mills
Festivals, religious celebrations, cultural events
Fibbialla
Valpromaro Migliano
Santa Maria Albiano
Gombitelli
Piazzano
Corpus Domini
Settembre Lucchese
Festival Pucciniano
San Ranieri a Pisa
Carnevale di Viareggio
Luccacomix
Travel time by car
From Gombitelli:
- to Florence, 105 km, approx. 1.30 h;
- to Lucca, 22 km, approx. 35 min;
- to Pisa, 37 km, approx. 50 min;
- to Viareggio, 18.5 km, approx. 30 min;
- to Camaiore, 14.4 km, approx. 25 min:
- to Torre del Lago Puccini, 23 km, approx. 35 min;
- to Pietrasanta, 21.6 km, approx. 35 min.
