Hermitage of San Giorgio della Spelonca
Between Lucca and Pisa, near the Dante Pass, where the ancient communication route between these two cities passed, lies the ancient hermitage of Spelonca (also known as San Giorgio), which can be reached on foot from the pass itself.
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address: Santa Maria del Giudice
Hermit settlements in Tuscany, especially in the Pisan Hills, were once so numerous that they were identified as "Mons Heremita," which appears in several frescoes in the Camposanto Monumentale in Pisa and in the church of Sant'Agostino in San Gimignano. Local oral tradition is rich in legends about the presence of hermits in the Pisan Hills from the early Christian era to the early Middle Ages, often associated with the presence of miraculous waters and caves.
The Hermitage of San Giorgio, or the Spelonca, is a small, single-hall church of medieval origin, rebuilt several times until the 19th century. The hermitage was founded in 1190 by the "black hermits," who were not true hermits, but rather monks who lived together like the apostles, in poverty and in rather isolated locations, sometimes in conflict with ecclesiastical institutions, dedicating themselves to the religious care of those who lived in these places and had difficulty reaching churches.
Nearby, dug directly into the rock, is a cistern with a quadrangular mouth, where stone supports and notches that probably supported wooden structures are still visible, a staircase with holes for a gate and a circular basin surrounded by channels, holes for posts and grooves.
This rock shelter extends for several meters beneath a large dome with a wide opening. Just beyond is a legendary rock bearing the imprints of a horse, supposedly ridden by the Devil himself. The Devil was supposedly sent directly to Mount Penna by the holy hermit.
Itinera Romanica (Romanesque itineraries)
Today the church is an important stop on one of the many Romanesque itineraries that characterize the Upper Tyrrhenian Sea between Italy and France.
You can find naturalistic, historical and cultural trails that pass through small hilltop villages and rural environments, along paths and ancient tracks, where you can find minor religious architecture worthy of being rediscovered and valorized, such as churches, basilicas, parish churches and chapels.
The hermitage of San Giorgio della Spelonca was founded on the heights of Monte Pisano in 1190 by two monks belonging to the "Black Hermits" group. The structure consists of a small, single-hall church built in the Minor Romanesque style typical of the area. The façade and internal vault are from the 19th century, while the other structures date back to the Middle Ages (12th century).