Pania della Croce, Mountain summit in Tuscany, Italy

Pania della Croce is the highest summit of the Panie group within the Apuan Alps, a limestone mountain range in Tuscany, reaching 1,858 meters (6,096 feet). The rock faces drop steeply on all sides, giving the peak a sharp, jagged profile that stands out clearly when seen from the valleys below.

The paths crossing the slopes of Pania della Croce were established over centuries by shepherds, woodcutters, and people carrying marble from the quarries below. In the 19th century, mountaineers and naturalists began to explore the peak more systematically, which led to the trails that exist today.

The name derives from "Pietrapana", from the Latin "Petrae Apuanae", the mountains of the Apuani, a Ligurian people who lived in this area for nine centuries. Dante calls the peak "Pietrapana" in Inferno XXXII, where he says the ice of Cocytus would not crack even if Mount Tambura and the Pania fell on it. Boccaccio names it "Pietra Apuana Mons" in De Montibus, and Ariosto, governor of the Garfagnana from 1522 to 1525, wrote of the "nuda Pania".

The ascent to Pania della Croce demands solid footwear and a reasonable level of fitness, as the trails are steep and the terrain is rocky. A mountain shelter along the way offers a good rest stop and works well as a base for those who want to split the climb over two days.

Dante mentions the mountain in Inferno XXXII, calling it "Pietrapana" while describing the ice of Cocytus. Boccaccio names it "Pietra Apuana Mons" in De Montibus, and Ariosto, governor of Garfagnana from 1522 to 1525, also wrote of the "nuda Pania". The name derives from "Petrae Apuanae", the mountains of the Apuani.