Spignana

Even if its name seems of Longobard derivation, Spignana has much older origins: first the Etruscans and then the Ligurians had settled where today stands the village.
However, Spignana shares the same fate as Lancisa since it was deeply involved in the war between the Gallic tribes of the Boii and the Romans, paying a very high price too. Indeed, the Romans, initially defeated in the clash of Chiusa Galli, set fire to the whole area and destroyed everything that had been built before then.
Spignana started developing again with the opening of the road to the Duchy of Modena – just like its neighbour Lizzano, with whom it still has an ancient rivalry dating back to the conflicts between Panciatichi e Cancellieri. The nerve center of Spignana is the square located in front of the Church of San Lorenzo, a beautiful stone church of XII-XII century inside which you can admire many valuable paintings and an ancient stone baptismal font. Here, on August 10th, for the patronal feast, the inhabitants meet to celebrate with dinners, dances, and games.
The peacefulness of the area has made it a popular holiday destination, chosen for a long time also by Gino Bartali. Moreover, the presence of numerous trails and walks in the surroundings makes it the perfect destination for those who want to walk peacefully in nature. For this purpose, the most relaxing and panoramic route is the one that from the Butale area, just above the village, leads to Lake Scaffaiolo walking through the woods and the ridges.
Along the road that leads to the village, instead, there is the Cave of Macereti, which takes its name from the area where, in the past, the waste from the stone-working was accumulated. The Cave is mentioned in a novel by Massimo d’Azeglio, who gathered information staying in San Marcello and Gavinana for a long time, as the place where Lisa de’ Lapi found refuge after escaping from Florence and where she finally died.
From Spignana you can reach the meadows of Butale and the paths of Crinale towards Lake Scaffaiolo and “il Corno alle Scale”.