Memorial stone to the victims of the Nazi massacre of 19 August 1944

San Quirico is a hamlet in the municipality of Pescia, located in the mountain area known as Svizzera pesciatina. It is one of the 'Ten Castles' of Valleriana. In the summer of 1944, the entire area was involved in events characterised by fierce violence against civiliansduring the German army's retreat towards the Gothic Line. There was a strong Nazi presence in the area to guard the road communication routes, in particular the Pescia-Bagni di Lucca and Pescia-San Marcello links, where San Quirico is located. The partisan actions of the GAP and the 11th Zone detachments made the German forces' movements and defensive strategies difficult through constant attacks and sabotage.

It is in this context which the incident took place between 17 and 19 August 1944. On the evening of the 17 August, during a battle of fire triggered by an attempt to assassinate a local fascist, two German officers were killed. The alleged perpetrators were Austrian deserters and collaborators of the partisans. Fearing reprisals, the men fled and only women, children and the elderly remained in the village. On 19 August, German soldiers ordered those present to leave the village. Some fled, others were unable to do so and because of their age they were confined in the church. Houses were looted and set on fire, while the parish priest was ordered to dig a pit near the cemetery that could hold twenty bodies. In the meantime, a column of civilians forced to work for the Todt organisation passed along the road in the nearby hamlet of Pietrabuona, as was often the case, to complete the fortifications along the Gothic Line. From this line-up, 20 men were chosen: one tried to escape from the truck and was killed. The others were shot in three separate groups at the local cemetery, then buried there. The 65th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht was responsible for the massacre.

A memorial stone was unveiled on the first anniversary of the massacre. In 1974, on the occasion of its 30th anniversary, it was restored. On 30 March 1980, the town of Pescia was decorated with the Bronze Medal of Military Valour. A plaque, bearing the motivation for the award of the Medal, was placed near the memorial stone. The massacre is commemorated every 19 August by the municipal administration, the ANPI and the local Pro Loco.