Holiday apartment in San Donato: Church, Forest and Historic Trails

San Donato combines a rural character with a remarkable density of church, trail and cultural experiences. The village is characterised by a typical rural farmstead with a manor house and agricultural outbuildings. The small Church of San Donato stands on the outskirts of the village of Domazzano. This gives you a destination where historic buildings and tranquil landscapes come together directly in a variety of holiday experiences.

The Church of San Donato and Medieval Traces

The present form of the Church of San Donato dates from the 12th century; it was first mentioned in 1181. Its bell tower dates from the post-medieval period and stands separately from the church on the opposite side of the road. At the same time, like the nearby Church of San Lorenzo, the church has medieval origins. Those interested in architectural history will find several historical layers in a compact area: its medieval beginnings, the form of the church building dating from the 12th century, and the later, independent bell tower.

Ascent on the Via Matildica del Volto Santo

The Via Matildica del Volto Santo leads uphill from Valdottavo to San Donato and its small church. The ascent once again passes through forest and tranquillity. A relevant stage of the Via Matildica del Volto Santo also runs from Valdottavo via San Donato; it is listed as 31 kilometres long and taking 8 hours.

After San Donato, the Via Matildica del Volto Santo leads to a combined cycling and walking path that runs for approximately 10 kilometres along a stream towards Lucca. The approximate length is provided as a separate guide for your planning. Depending on your preferred pace for the day, you can focus on the ascent through the forest, the historic church or the continuation along the stream, without confusing these different sections of the route with one another.

Palaces and Museums in the Surrounding Area

The area around San Donato also offers cultural destinations. Villa Reale is a palace, as is Santini Palace. The Gabinetto di Storia Naturale and the Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Mansi are museums in the area around San Donato. This makes it possible to plan a stay around different interests on different days: the rural farmstead and church in San Donato can be followed by palaces or museum visits as independent cultural highlights.

Mountains and Historic Landscapes

M. Moraglio, a mountain, is located in the immediate vicinity of San Donato. Monte Crocefisso is a summit in the surrounding area, Monte Matanna is a mountain, and monte Procinto is also a mountain in the area around San Donato.

A Destination for Different Day Plans

When choosing a holiday apartment in San Donato, you can base your decision on the experiences you are looking for. The rural farmstead, the Church of San Donato and the separately standing bell tower are ideal for discovering cultural history. Forest, tranquillity, the Via Matildica del Volto Santo and the approximately 10-kilometre-long path along the stream are suited to a more active day. In June 2025, a guided hike from San Donato led to a historic nature trail with well-preserved machine-gun emplacements, trenches and bunkers from the historic Gothic Line. In San Donato, sacred architectural history, mountain landscapes and historic trails thus come together.

More Destinations

Gioviano, Ponte Della Maddalena, Diecimo and Valdottavo

To the main travel overview: Borgo A Mozzano.