Marching on the Cammino '44

A secular memorial trail through the Apennines

Marching on the Cammino '44 is the inaugural march that officially launches the Cammino '44, a 180-kilometer trail of memory, Resistance, and peace. It links two iconic sites of 20th-century Italy: Sant'Anna di Stazzema, the scene of the August 12, 1944 massacre, and Monte Sole (Marzabotto), where one of Europe's most severe civilian massacres took place between September and October 1944. This is more than just a hike; it is a journey of awareness, reflection, and encounter along the Gothic Line.

The first edition takes place from June 20 to July 1, 2026, divided into twelve stages starting from Pietrasanta, climbing to Sant'Anna di Stazzema, and crossing the Garfagnana, the Lucca area, and the Apennines before entering Emilia-Romagna. The trail touches sixteen municipalities and numerous memorial sites, offering an experience that blends slow tourism, culture, nature, and history.

Passing through Sambuca Pistoiese

In the heart of the Pistoia Apennines, the Cammino '44 crosses the territory of the Municipality of Sambuca Pistoiese (Province of Pistoia, Tuscany) on June 27 and 28, 2026, along the stages leading from Prataccio to Pracchia and then towards Porretta Terme. Sambuca Pistoiese and the nearby municipality of Piteglio were struck by Nazi-fascist violence in September 1944: the march's passage restores these Apennine villages to their place in the geography of memory, honoring the stories of Resistance, deportation, and the massacres that scarred the area.

The stages of the first march

The route unfolds over twelve days, from Pietrasanta to Monte Sole:

• Pietrasanta → Sant'Anna di Stazzema
• Sant'Anna di Stazzema → Camaiore
• Camaiore → Fiano
• Fiano → Borgo a Mozzano
• Borgo a Mozzano → Bagni di Lucca
• Bagni di Lucca → Vico Pancellorum
• Vico Pancellorum → Prataccio
• Prataccio → Pracchia (passing through Sambuca Pistoiese, June 27)
• Pracchia → Porretta Terme (passing through Sambuca Pistoiese, June 28)
• Porretta Terme → Riola
• Riola → Grizzana Morandi
• Grizzana Morandi → Monte Sole

Who promotes the trail

The project is promoted by the Liberation Route Italia association, based in Lucca, in collaboration with the Tuscany Region and the Emilia-Romagna Region, as part of the Council of Europe's cultural routes. The logistics of the march are coordinated by the Movimento Tellurico association, with the support of professional environmental guides. It is an opportunity to rediscover the authentic Apennine Italy at a slow pace, made of villages, forests, and trails, and to keep alive the memory of those who paid the highest price for freedom.