Camaiore, Medieval town in Province of Lucca, Italy
Camaiore sits between the Apuan Alps and the Versilia coast, stretching across mountain terrain, valleys, and the seaside resort Lido di Camaiore. The medieval core with narrow lanes clusters around the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, while the outer districts include olive groves, vineyards, and residential neighborhoods reaching down to the beach.
The Romans founded the settlement as an outpost along the Via Cassia, securing the connection between Lucca and the coast. In medieval times the place was fortified and received four gates, of which today only the Torre Civica from 1350 remains standing.
The name derives from the Latin Campus Maior, recalling the role as a Roman military camp before the settlement grew into a fortified place. Today the streets in the historic core follow the old axes, and locals meet at several squares for market days or conversation after mass.
The historic core is best explored on foot, while a car helps reach the mountain hamlets and the coastal strip. Lodging ranges from converted farmhouses in the hills to modern hotels near the beach, so visitors can choose mountains or sea according to preference.
The Torre Civica is the last remnant of the four medieval gates that controlled access to the place, standing directly beside the main church. Visitors see from outside the different building phases of the tower, as later additions clearly differ from the original 14th-century construction.
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