Pietrabuona, Vellano, Sorana, Medicina, Fibbialla, Aramo, Castelvecchio, San Quirico, Stiappa and Pontito are the names of the villages that constitute Svizzera pesciatina in Valleriana.
We owe the name of Svizzera Pesciatina, which is how the hills surrounding Pescia are known, to Sismondi, an eclectic writer of early 1800. It seems that one day, walking along the road from Pescia towards Pietrabuona, he exclaimed, “How wonderful! But this is Switzerland of Pescia “.
In this area, which is indeed charming, there is a continuous succession of stone villages, also known under the name of “Dieci Castella” (ten fortified villages), chestnut and beech forests, interrupted by the unceasing flow of the streams that run through the valleys offering the traveller cool and peaceful spots.
The area, precisely because of the abundant presence of streams, was used for the construction of numerous paper mills, some of which are still in use today.
This activity has been so important for the local economy over the years that there is a museum in Pietrabuona dedicated to paper and its production processes.
These villages therefore not only give a glimpse of Tuscan nature but also cultural portraits of what life was like in the past.
Here, ancient crafts and traditions survive modern technology and contemporary frenzy inviting you to contemplate the spirit of the places and knowledge of the past.
The communities located in this area have a long and fascinating tradition that reigns even when just strolling through the ten villages, protected by walls and watchtowers.