Camaiore, Italy: travel guide to the Versilia town, its Benedictine abbey and the Via Francigena

Camaiore is a town in the province of Lucca, in Tuscany, set in the Versilia region between the Apuan Alps and the Tyrrhenian coast. Of Roman origin and rich in medieval churches, it combines an ancient town centre on the pilgrim route of the Via Francigena with a popular seaside resort on the Versilia Riviera.

For travellers searching for Camaiore Tuscany, Versilia, the Badia di San Pietro or the Via Francigena, the town offers Romanesque heritage, mountain and coastal landscapes, and a lively centre of shops and restaurants.

History

Camaiore owes its origins to the Romans, who settled the area after founding nearby Lucca; its name derives from Campus Maior. In the Middle Ages it grew in importance as a stage on the Via Francigena, the great pilgrimage route linking northern Europe to Rome, which still passes through the historic centre. The town came under Lucca, and an arch was raised to mark the connection.

Main sights

The Badia di San Pietro, a former Benedictine monastery first documented in 761, lies just outside the centre on the Via Francigena and is the most significant remnant of the ancient abbey. The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta stands in the heart of town, while the Pieve di Santo Stefano, in the Romanesque-Lucchese style and documented from the 9th century, sits in the hills nearby. The Church of San Michele, mentioned in 1180 and once a pilgrim hospital, now houses the Museum of Sacred Art.

The coast and the mountains

Since the early 20th century, the seaside resort of Lido di Camaiore has drawn visitors to the wide beaches of the Versilia, attracting illustrious figures such as Gabriele D'Annunzio and Eleonora Duse. Inland, the Apuan Alps Park offers dramatic peaks and walking trails, making Camaiore a versatile base between sea and mountains.