Crespina Among Villas, Art, and Owl Tradition

Crespina combines historic villas, art, and an unusual owl tradition with Tuscany’s hilly landscape. This gives you a destination whose character is shaped not only by individual sights, but also by a distinctive local history.

Villas, Gardens, and Art Collections

Since the late 18th century, Crespina has been characterized by grand aristocratic villas. One of the town’s notable villas is Villa Corsini Valdisonzi. Villa Belvedere enjoys a panoramic setting and features an English garden and a limonaia. Villa Il Poggio is also one of the 18th- and 19th-century aristocratic villas associated with Crespina Lorenzana. The villa landscape is linked to the painters Giovanni Battista Tempesti, Silvestro Lega, and Giovanni Fattori. They are associated with the Macchiaioli art movement. The Collezione Carlo Pepi has its own particular focus: the collection concentrates on the Macchiaioli, their successors, and Fattori’s students. It comprises around 10,000 works by 1,500 artists. The collection is displayed in two villas in Crespina, one on Via I Gioielli and the other at Piazza Battisti. The Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo is also part of the town’s cultural heritage. The depictions entitled “Storie di Cristo e di San Michele,” created between 1950 and 1954 on the church nave ceiling, dome, and apse, are by Antonio Gaioni. Crespina’s cultural profile therefore encompasses several venues: historic villas, two exhibition sites belonging to the collection, and the church decorated with these depictions.

The Owl as a Local Symbol

Crespina’s owl tradition is connected with the historical practice of using trained owls for lark hunting. The town is also home to a bronze monument to the owl created by the sculptor Angelo Biancini. This theme is particularly visible at the Antichissima Fiera delle Civette. It takes place every year on the feast day of Saint Michael in Crespina and has been included in the regional register of historic fairs. It includes a historical and natural-history walk; the owl park can be visited as part of the event. The Centro Allevamento Civette was transformed into an open-air park for the care of protected species. Owls are bred in captivity there.

Hills, Watercourses, and Wine Trail

The hills of Crespina and Lorenzana are characterized by numerous watercourses and support local wine production. Crespina and Lorenzana also lie along the Colline Pisane Wine Trail. The town therefore combines its history of art and villas with a landscape in which viticulture is one of the explicitly documented local themes. If you would like to expand your travel reading beyond this town, you can also find Tripalle and Siberia here. Further destinations for your Tuscany research include Ponsacco, Boschi, Molino d'Egola, Chianni, Montecatini Val Di Cecina, and Garetto Basso.

For the overarching travel overview: Pisa.