"Unveiling Equi Terme: Hidden Gems and Serenity Amidst Tuscany's Landscape"

Hello dear friends,

With this post that I'm sharing today, I'm completing my exploration of the Lunigiana area, a place that has been a discovery for me. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I believe it's a highly underrated tourist destination in Tuscany, where one can find beautiful villages and stunning landscapes.

Today, I want to specifically talk about Equi Terme, a very peaceful village located near the Apuan Alps. Historically, it hasn't been famous for its thermal baths and the wonderful nature surrounding it, although in Roman times, these thermal springs were already used for therapeutic purposes. However, it probably never gained as much fame as, for example, Montecatini Terme, which I must say is a real shame.

Equi Terme is a fraction of the municipality we've previously explored, Fivizzano, and practically this place develops near the Aulella river. But the first thing I encountered when exploring this place was the magnificent war memorial, a very distinctive sculpture. The initial impression one might have of this place is not that of a typical medieval village, but rather that of a mountain village. The surrounding mountains almost seem to swallow up this place, although it's very beautiful to have all this greenery around the village.

Honestly, I'm not sure how many people live in this place. During my walk, I hardly encountered anyone, but the streets are very characteristic, very narrow, and it's quite challenging to live with these very winding alleys.

I took a moment to admire the beautiful waterfall that this river creates almost within the village. Additionally, nearby there's a path that leads to the caves of Equi Terme. The erosion of water has created these tunnels which are visitable during certain times of the year, of course, with equipped guides. However, I found these caves closed during my visit. There were no signs outside indicating that they are part of the UNESCO Geopark, probably because archaeological and paleontological artifacts have been found inside, a fact that I was unaware of and is likely underappreciated.

Certainly, an important point of interest is undoubtedly the church of San Giovanni Battista, a church located in the center of the village with a Romanesque façade dating back to the 12th century. It's practically the only monument in this small village. Unfortunately, the church was closed, probably never being used, so I couldn't visit its interior.

I continued my walk through the streets of this interesting village, and I must say they were quite ingenious once because they managed to create the village streets even under the houses, as you can see from some photos I took. Although in some places, probably due to the fact that parts of the village are uninhabited, nature is slowly reclaiming its space.

In conclusion, I can say that Equi Terme was a beautiful discovery, a place that probably, if a bit more promoted as a tourist destination, could breathe more life into this place. However, it remains to be seen if everyone agrees with my statement; sometimes mass tourism can indeed be a problem.

I hope I've virtually taken you along with me through my photos, but I also hope that, as usual, you can visit this place in the near future, which I find very interesting from a naturalistic point of view and for those who love being in nature.

Thank you, and I wish you all a good day! See you in my next post!