Holiday apartment in Calomini: discover culture, rock and trails

Calomini lies on a green hill in a sunnier location protected from the weather, combining this landscape with a history of religious architecture. A remarkable small chapel is dedicated to the Madonna Addolorata.

Holiday apartment in Calomini: discover culture, rock and trails

The landscape of Calomini is not merely a backdrop, but instead shapes orientation in the area. The overhanging rock face and the course of the Turrite give the place several clearly recognisable spaces. Along the route, the landscape changes from the river to the rocky area of the Eremo. The sunnier location protected from the weather contrasts with the overhanging rock and the river course as distinct landscape elements.

Chiesa di San Tommaso: architectural history above the village

Above the village of Calomini stands the parish church of Chiesa di San Tommaso in a dominant position. It is regarded as an architectural cultural asset and as a subsidiary chapel. The building is dated approximately to the 10th century. Since 1260, the church has been connected with the diocesan register of Lucca.

Access to the Chiesa di San Tommaso is only possible via a steep, narrow road that runs alongside gardens and cultivated fields. Because of this difficult access, the church is used only for special events. The road therefore visibly forms part of the approach: the route to the building passes through a specific, agriculturally shaped setting.

Eremo di Calomini beneath the overhanging rock face

The Eremo di Calomini is an impressive architectural complex at the foot of an approximately 70-metre-high overhanging rock face and extends 15 metres into the rock. The Eremo houses a statue made of willow wood, venerated under the name Madonna della Penna. Within this distinctive building, the statue establishes its own religious connection.

The Eremo di Calomini can be reached directly by car; afterwards, only a very short distance needs to be covered on foot. On site, you can visit an old kitchen and the monks’ cells carved into the stone. These rooms make the inner aspect of the hermitage tangible during the visit.

Hiking trail and spiritual retreat

The “Sentiero dell'Eremo di Calomini” hiking trail from Gallicano runs along the Turrite, crosses a stone bridge and climbs steeply to the Eremo di Calomini along an old mule track. The route includes the course along the Turrite, a stone bridge and the steep ascent to the Eremo di Calomini via an old mule track. This succession of trail sections shapes the rhythm of the hike and makes the ascent the defining part of the route.

At the Eremo di Calomini, the Comunità Santa Caterina APS regularly organises spiritual retreats with communal prayer and life in the hermitage. The spiritual retreat thus complements the architectural and landscape aspects of the place. The retreats place a spiritual emphasis that differs from the physical hike and the architectural visit.

To the main travel overview: Vergemoli.