Casino di Terra

Casino di Terra is a destination for travelers who want to explore Tuscany not only through its renowned art cities, but also through local history, landscapes and regional culinary culture. The area's character is shaped by development along the S.S. 68, the history of the Mocajo pasta factory and the surviving traces of a former lignite railway. As a result, transport history, local community culture, natural surroundings and gastronomy come together here.

A place on the S.S. 68

Casino di Terra developed along the S.S. 68, the road that connects Cecina and Volterra through the valley of the Cecina River. This connection is essential to understanding the place: Casino di Terra does not stand in isolation, but is linked to an important route through the Cecina Valley. Those who wish to combine their journey through Tuscany with different landscape and cultural themes will find a specific starting point here for exploring the Val di Cecina.

Mocajo, community culture and local history

The Mocajo pasta factory was established in Casino di Terra in 1950 and closed in 1964 due to a lack of financial resources. Its history is also connected with Ristorante Mocajo: the restaurant's family history began in 1963, when Lia and Adelmo took over the former canteen of the historic and important pasta factory in Loc. Casino di Terra. The more recent history of the area also includes the Casino di Terra festival committee, which was founded in 1999 to further develop the place. Among the committee's most important historical activities were summer festivals held in the square behind the former ENDAS club in Casino di Terra. These festivals should be understood as former activities of the committee and therefore describe part of the local event history, not necessarily a current program. The area's culinary side is also documented. A “Bottega dei Sapori” was opened in Casino di Terra at the Terre dell’Etruria sales outlet. In addition, there is the history of the Val di Cecina Eco Festival, which developed from an agricultural market for local organic farms into a festival featuring music, games, conferences, workshops, handicrafts and holistic practitioners.

Traces of the lignite railway in the nature reserve

A standard-gauge railway approximately 17 kilometers long connected Casino di Terra station with a lignite mine near Monterufoli in the hamlet of Villetta. It was in operation from 1872 to 1928. Three large railway bridges stood along the first five kilometers of the route; their impressive ruins have survived to this day. The former railway ran along the Torrente Ritasso through rugged terrain with rock cuttings, embankments and masonry bridges. The surviving remains of the private lignite railway between Villetta and Casino di Terra are located in the Monterufoli-Caselli Nature Reserve, also along the Torrente Ritasso. The surroundings are characterized by a wild landscape and a rich variety of animal and plant life. For visitors who wish to consider local history and the landscape together, this is a particularly concrete thematic focus; however, this does not provide verified information about any current use of the former route. An ancient Etruscan tomb dating from the 6th century BC was also discovered in the Casino di Terra area. Together with the industrial history of Mocajo and the railway, this find broadens the view of the area's long history. For further searches for destinations, you can also discover Morrona, Vecchiano, Orentano, Casciana Terme, Pisa, Miemo, Calci and Santa Croce Sull'arno.

To the higher-level travel overview: Pisa.