Photo © Fluctuat

Villa Basilica: what to see and do

Travel back to medieval times with historic churches and fortresses

With a population of around 1.600 as recorded in 2017, the municipality village of Villa Basilica may be small, but it certainly holds its share of historical delights. A forty-minute drive away from the city of Lucca, this little place boasts a rich heritage as Tuscany’s medieval powerhouse of ironmongery and sword-making. Towards the end of the medieval period in the 1400’s, Cosimo de’ Medici himself sent to Villa Basilica for swords made by the Biscotti family. Here on the slopes of the plateau of the Pizzorne you can find the dynasty’s seventeenth-century Palace, the Romanesque church of Santa Maria Assunta, and can sample the traditional dish of the area, Torta Salata di Villa Basilica.

Contents

1.

Structural landmarks which hark back to ancient times
2.

Panoramic Views
3.

A truly local and unconventional cuisine

Structural landmarks which hark back to ancient times

Pieve Santa Maria Assunta, Villa Basilica - Credit: LigaDue

Standing proudly over the Piazza Vittorio Veneto in Villa Basilica is the Parish church of Santa Maria Assunta. A work of typical Romanesque architecture, the building in part dates back as far as the year 807, but was restored in the twelfth century to the state in which we see it today. While the church boasts a striking façade complete with twisted columns and unusual carvings, on the inside lie a number of artistic wonders equally deserving of your appreciation. Crowning the apse is a stunning crucifix from the thirteenth century by Bonaventura Berlinghieri, the greatest of the medieval painters of the Lucca area, while lining the walls there are several intriguing paintings to be admired. There are also some steps below the raised altar area, and while it isn’t possible to descend them, they lead down to a crypt belonging to the earlier church. Another building worth a visit in the village is the Palazzo Biscotti. Named after the family of the same name, the palace represents Villa Basilica’s past as a destination for armies and noble dynasties to source their swords, and later gunpowder and guns.

Panoramic Views

Before you leave, don’t miss the chance to once again be transported back to medieval times by climbing up to the fortress which overlooks the village and the valley below. Spectacular panoramic views of the lush green mountainous expanse of the Pizzorne Plateau await you!

A truly local and unconventional cuisine

- Credit: Roberta Ristori

The torta salata di Villa Basilica, or torta coi becchi, dates back at least as far as the beginning of the nineteenth century and is possibly the most traditional dish of the municipality of Villa Basilica. Characterised by its strong, spicy flavours, the torta salata is a savoury rice tart, made with the traditional Italian cheeses Pecorino and Parmesan, and a crunchy, deep yellow-coloured pastry. The delicacy is usually found in the bakeries of the municipality of Villa Basilica as well as in locals’ homes, and production is most intense during the summer, when various local festivals and events including Sagra del pane e della torta con i becchi and Corsa dei Carretti serve the dish as part of their celebrations.