Calcinaia

Calcinaia: ceramics, the Arno and long-standing traditions

Calcinaia reveals a distinctive side of Tuscany: ceramic production, the history of the Arno and festivals that bring local customs to life take center stage. If you would like to combine culture, regional specialties and river history, you will find several different points of interest here – from the museum in the historic center to the traditions of the surrounding districts.

Ceramics and medieval traces

The Museo della Ceramica is dedicated to Lodovico Coccapani and is located in the historic center of Calcinaia. It is housed in the rooms of an old ceramics workshop founded in the last decade of the 18th century. The museum tour presents the history of this workshop through its products, the craft rooms, recovered kilns and working tools. In addition, the museum introduces visitors to the art of ceramics through the tools used and the techniques for producing and decorating ceramics. Another historical testimony is the Torre Grande, also known as the Torre degli Upezzinghi. It is considered the oldest surviving evidence of Calcinaia’s medieval fortified settlement and can be dated to the first half of the 13th century. The town’s religious heritage also includes the tradition surrounding Saint Ubaldesca: her right arm was transferred in 1642, while the rest of her body arrived on May 24, 1924.

Regatta and festival calendar

The historic regatta of Calcinaia takes place on the Arno in May and recalls the traditional work of the Navicellai. It begins with a procession in historical costumes. This is followed by a race on the river between the districts of Montecchio, Oltrarno and La Nave. The event links the memory of former river navigation with a clearly defined cultural occasion. The Sagra della Nozza is also closely connected with the historic center. It takes place on the third weekend in May; the first edition was held in May 1975. Women from Calcinaia produce the pastry in large quantities so that visitors can discover and taste it. The Nozza di Calcinaia is a very crumbly local pastry made from a cone-shaped wafer. Anise and rosolio are used in its preparation; traditionally, it is made for weddings and baptisms. Those who want to discover regional cuisine not only through general specialties but through a specific local tradition will find here a particularly distinctive connection to the town.

The Arno and the surrounding districts

The wide bend of the Arno near Calcinaia is one of the most important venues for national and international sport fishing. Historically, the riverbanks accommodated Navicelli, the boats used to transport goods to the port of Livorno. This river history adds the former transport of goods to the regatta’s present-day significance. Calcinaia is also shaped by the craft tradition of ceramic production and numerous lime kilns. The lime kilns remained in operation until the 1960s, particularly in the district of [Fornacette](Fornacette). Thus, the area’s industrial history extends beyond the ceramics workshop and also includes lime processing. For your exploration, you can therefore discover Calcinaia through three interconnected yet distinct themes: museum and craftsmanship, the Arno and the Navicelli, and festivals and regional baking traditions.

For the overarching travel overview: Pisa.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Vecchiano, Usigliano, San Giuliano Terme, Monteverdi Marittimo, Chianni, Orentano, Coltano Radio.