In the Lunigiana, one of the driving forces for the building of churches and hospices in seemingly inhospitable places comes compliments of the passion for pilgrimage starting in the 9th century along the Via Francigena.
Back in the medieval, the teachings of Christ had not yet been discarded in favor of shards of Old Testement read through the selective filter of historical ignorance; folks back then believed that it was indeed easier for a Camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for the rich to get into heaven. So the wealthy took pilgrimages right alongside the poor and left fine churches and hospices in their wake, hoping to unload enough of their wealth before judgment day to make the final cut. Today we can enjoy the remnants of religion's past commitment to redistribution of wealth in the buildings meant to provide spiritual and physical comfort for the devoted.
La pieve di San Pietro di Offiano, pictured here, is found in the Lunigiana region, bordering on the Garfagnana. It is in a prime position on the Tuscany-Emiliana trade routes over the Alpi Apuane and its presence (and archaeology) indicates that it was probably part of a variant of the Via Francigena using the high route through the passo di Tea rather than the valley route. The background is the Alpi Apuane, the mountains from which Italy's best marble is quarried.
There was probably a structure at this location since the 7th century. The Romanesque church was almost completely restructured in the 18th century to incorporate baroque features in vogue at the time. There is an archaeological excavation under the church. The church is only open during services, unfortunately for the tourist, but the museum at nearby Casola houses some of the excavation's finds, including some good examples of early Longobard art.