One of the suggestive places to visit, a destination of continuous pilgrimages in the province of Lucca, is the Hermitage of Calomini; located at the base of an overhang about 70 meters high and set in the rock.
This hermitage is located on the road leading to the village of Vergemoli, and although the structure has been enlarged and restored over the centuries, it is still possible to see the wall of the cave where this place of worship was initially built.
The main church is, in fact, in 18th-century style, the sacristy that was the original point is, since the 17th century, furnished with carved furniture. It is also possible to visit the old kitchen and the monks’ cells, also carved into the rock like the sacristy.
There are several legends about how this place came to be, the best known telling that, around the year 1000, Our Lady revealed herself to a young woman from Calomini, who immediately went to the village to talk about it.
The townspeople then took the image of Mary immediately to the nearby town of Gallicano to be celebrated. After not even 24 hours the image of Our Lady was found at the spot where she had shown herself to the young woman. It was thus decided to build the shrine in the cave.
The hermits of Calomini guarded this place for five centuries, until 1868; now the Capuchin fathers of Lucca take care of it.
In summer, the hermitage can be visited every day, and the rest of the year only on Sundays during Mass.