Last updated: October 2026
Most of the year Stiappa is very quiet. Then summer comes, the hydrangeas flower, and on Ferragosto the whole village turns out for its festa.
Stiappa is one of the ten castles of the Svizzera Pesciatina, in the hills above Pescia. It’s high up, about 627 metres, with Pontito across the valley.
Stiappa: quick facts
- Where: One of the ten castle villages of the Svizzera Pesciatina, in the comune of Pescia (province of Pistoia)
- Altitude: about 627 m
- From Pescia: about 10 km as the crow flies (further by road)
- Nearest station: Pescia, about 12 km as the crow flies
- Map: Stiappa on OpenStreetMap
- More nearby: my Pescia guide and the ten castles driving route
Sources: Wikidata and it.wikipedia for altitude and coordinates; distances worked out from those.
Wandering the lanes
Wander the lanes before it gets busy. Stiappa has old stone tunnels running under the houses, green doors and flowery corners, and they’re a joy. The lanes are steep and narrow, so take your time.
The village church is Santa Maria Assunta (it.wikipedia).
The Sagra del Beccutino
Every 15 August, from around 5pm, the Pro Loco di Stiappa and the village volunteers put on the Sagra del Beccutino. A beccutino is a little piece of fried potato dough, made to an old family recipe, sweet and rolled in sugar or savoury. The ladies serve them by the basketful, and the barbecue belongs to big mountain men in flowery pinnies. The festa has been going for over 40 years.
Ferragosto is the busiest holiday of the Italian summer, so plan ahead, bring cash and bring a jumper. At 600-odd metres the evenings cool down quickly. My day there is in Sagra del Beccutino: Stiappa’s Ferragosto festa.
Stiappa in winter
It does snow up here. The village looks lovely under it, but the roads are narrow and twisty, so take it slowly.
Getting there and parking
From Pescia, head north up the valley towards Pietrabuona and follow the signs for Castelvecchio and Stiappa. Allow around 35 minutes; the last stretch is narrow and twisty. Stiappa is about 6 km from Pontito. From Lucca, Pescia is about 30 km, around half an hour.
Park outside the village and walk in. Without a car, honestly, it’s hard. Trains run to Pescia, but buses up the valley are rare and there are none late at night.
More castle villages nearby: Castelvecchio, Pontito and Sorana.
You might also enjoy:
- Le Dieci Castella: a driving route through the Svizzera Pesciatina
- Sagra del Beccutino: Stiappa’s Ferragosto festa
- Pescia: my guide to the town and its villages
Susan x