Pania della Croce
{{short description|Mountain in Italy}}{{More citations needed|date=November 2024}}{{Infobox mountain
| name = Pania della Croce
| photo = Pania della Croce.JPG
| photo_caption = Pania della Croce seen from Volegno, in the upper Versilia.
| elevation_m = 1858
| elevation_ref =
| prominence =
| range = Alpi Apuane
| coordinates = {{coord|44|02|12|N|10|19|25|E}}
| first_ascent =
| easiest_route =
}}
Pania della Croce is a mountain (1,858 m) in the Alpi Apuane, in Tuscany, central Italy. It is the highest peak in the Panie Group (Gruppo delle Panie), located not far from the Tyrrhenian Sea coast.
On very clear days Monviso, (in Piedmont), Monte Amiata and Corsica can all be seen from its summit, together with the tyrrhenian coastline.
Climbing
Pania della Croce has long been a destination for mountaineers, with guidebooks recommending the mountain for climbing since the 1800s.{{Cite book |last=Murray (Firm) |first=John |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Handbook_for_Travellers_in_Central_Italy/NCBOAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Pania%20della%20Croce&pg=PA132&printsec=frontcover |title=Handbook for Travellers in Central Italy Including Florence, Lucca, Tuscany, Elba, Etc., Umbria, the Marches, and Part of the Late Patrimony of St. Peter |date=1889 |publisher=J. Murray |pages=132 |language=en}} Despite its popularity as a climbing destination, accidents have been known to happen while scaling the peak.
= Recent incidents =
In December 2017, a climber was killed after slipping 200 meters.{{Cite web |date=2017-12-10 |title=Escursionista muore dopo la caduta sulla Pania |url=https://www.serchioindiretta.it/garfagnana/2017/12/10/escursionista-muore-dopo-la-caduta-sulla-pania/85741/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=SerchioInDiretta |language=it}}
In December 2023, a climber slipped 200m from the mountain and suffered facial trauma.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-12-08 |title=Pania della Croce, escursionista scivola per 200 metri su un pendio nevoso. Salvata da Sast ed elicottero |url=https://versiliapost.it/global/pania-della-croce-escursionista-scivola-per-200-metri-su-un-pendio-nevoso-salvata-da-sast-ed-elicottero/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=VersiliaPost |language=it-IT}}
In January 2024, a woman had to be rescued from Pania della Croce after falling from the trail after being blown off in 50-knot winds.{{Cite web |last=Lepore |first=Roy |date=2024-01-20 |title=Scivola sul sentiero sulla Pania della Croce: escursionista ferita |url=https://www.noitv.it/2024/01/scivola-sul-sentiero-sulla-pania-della-croce-escursionista-ferita-560339/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=NoiTV |language=it-IT}}
In August 2024, a climber was found dead below the Cenge dei Partigiani, a ridge trail connecting Pania della Croce after slipping 110 meters.{{Cite web |last=Lotti |first=Gianmarco |date=2024-08-17 |title=Escursionista ritrovato senza vita sulle Alpi Apuane |url=https://www.gonews.it/2024/08/17/escursionista-morto-alpi-apuane/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=gonews.it |language=it-IT}}{{Cite web |date=2024-08-17 |title=Escursionista scivola per 110 metri in un dirupo e muore |url=https://www.toscanaindiretta.it/cronaca/2024/08/17/escursionista-scivola-per-110-metri-in-un-dirupo-e-muore/213218/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=ToscanaInDiretta |language=it}}