Calamecca

Calamecca is a delightful medieval village located in the center of the Val di Forfora, the highest part of Svizzera Pesciatina crossed by the minor branch of the Pescia river, which includes the towns of Calamecca, Crespole, Lanciole and the localities of Casa di Monte and Pian del Meo. The first repots of Calamecca can be already found in the early Middle Ages, around 700 AD, but the events that made it famous took place later in time. In 1182, the town was destroyed as a punishment for rebelling against Pistoia before being rebuilt in 1332, stripping the church of the honor of being a Pieve. Instead, in 1530, it was chosen by Francesco Ferrucci and his army as a resting station before leaving for Gavinana, as Calamecca was the only one, among the neighboring countries, to take sides with the faction of Chancellors and, for this reason, it was a safe place to rest. The town square, from which you can admire a splendid view of the entire Val di Forfora, was named after the Florentine leader precisely to remember this event. There, a commemorative plaque is still visible. Another plaque is placed on the wall of abbot Pietro Contrucci’s house, a leading figure of the Pistoia Renaissance. Inside the square, you can also admire the fountain with the Medici coat of arms, which, according to legend, has never stopped spilling water from its construction. In the outermost part of the square there is a sixteenth century Verginina, protected by a valuable wrought iron grate. Near the square, in Via del Borghetto, only 50 meters on the left, it is possible to visit a room in which all the tools that were used in peasant life were collected by the inhabitants of the town. Following the characteristic cobbled streets and the houses arranged in a spiral, you get to the Church of San Miniato, recently inserted in the campaign “The Places of the Heart” by Fai. The church is in the place where the fortress once stood, and it is accessed by a stone staircase. Inside the church, dedicated to the patron saint of the town, it is possible to admire the three naves with Romanesque round arches. The main altar, delimited by a balustrade from 1672, and the baptismal font are both in sandstone, finely worked by local stonemasons. The eighteenth-century ceiling surely catches the eye. Entirely made of wood, it is composed of 21 coffers, separated by decorated frames, depicting the apostles, some cherubs, and the column of the Holy Spirit.