Holiday apartment in San Vivaldo: art, forest and pilgrimage trails

San Vivaldo combines sacred art, woodland landscapes and hiking experiences. At its heart is the Jerusalem of San Vivaldo, whose buildings contain frescoes and groups made of unbaked terracotta from the della Robbia school. The depictions are inspired by episodes from the Passion and the life of Christ. Choosing a holiday apartment in San Vivaldo provides a clear starting point if you would like to combine culture and nature with walks or more demanding days of hiking.

Woodland landscape and sacred complex

The Sacro Monte di San Vivaldo is located in the wooded Selva di Camporena next to the Franciscan monastery. The wooded area around the Jerusalem of San Vivaldo extends over approximately 400 hectares. As a result, not only the individual chapels but also the landscape itself are central to the exploration.

Art in the churches of San Vivaldo

The Church of San Vivaldo is a simple single-nave building with a Franciscan character, constructed on an older structure. This church contains the painting “Madonna con Bambino in gloria con San Giovanni, San Girolamo, San Francesco e San Vivaldo”. The relics of Saint Vivaldo are kept beneath the altarpiece in a 15th-century urn.

The Church of S. Maria Assunta e S. Francesco also contains works of art. It features a glazed terracotta Nativity scene attributed to Benedetto Buglioni. The painting “Vergine e santi”, attributed to Raffaellino del Garbo, can also be seen there. The different works make San Vivaldo interesting for travellers who would like to compare architecture, painting and religious art.

Santo Sepolcro and the route through the complex

The Santo Sepolcro chapel is the devotional focal point of the complex. It consists of two structures: a square vestibule and a circular burial chamber. A painted statue of the dead Christ stands in a sarcophagus in the burial chamber. In terms of meaning, the route through the complex ends at the Noli me tangere chapel, where Mary Magdalene recognises the risen Christ.

Hiking trails for different levels of ability

The Montaione–Tre Ponti–San Vivaldo trekking route passes the chapels of the Jerusalem of San Vivaldo. The Montaione–Fiume Egola variant crosses the Egola River, also called the Evola, and is intended for more experienced hikers. The section along the Egola River is more suitable for experienced hikers and should be avoided in heavy rain. This difference is important when planning the day, because the trails do not have the same level of difficulty. In addition, the San Vivaldo complex lies at the centre of a 100-kilometre network of paths created by the municipality of Montaione.

Choose accommodation to suit your travel plans

When choosing a holiday apartment in San Vivaldo, you can use your preferred daily rhythm as a starting point: chapels, churches and art are ideal for a culture-focused stay, while the Selva di Camporena and the network of paths place the emphasis on outdoor activity. This makes San Vivaldo a suitable search area for travellers who would like to combine sacred history and hiking experiences during their holiday.

Other places for orientation: Iano, Sughera, Zona Industriale Comiti, Alberi

For the overarching travel overview: Montaione.