Vecchiano

Vecchiano between River, Coast and Cultural Heritage

Vecchiano combines a settlement on the right bank of the Serchio with a landscape where gentle hills, waterways and the sea meet. The settlement extends towards the river mouth. The municipality also includes a significant part of the Parco di Migliarino, San Rossore e Massaciuccoli. The coast also has a clearly distinctive character: on the landward side, it is protected by the Macchia di Migliarino and features a protected dune ecosystem. In Vecchiano, river landscape, coast and natural environment therefore come together with a remarkable density of cultural history.

Churches and History in Nodica and Vecchiano

In Nodica, the first documentary mention dates back to 1047. The Chiesa dei Santi Simone e Giuda is first recorded in the tithe register of 1296. Its medieval bell tower was built in 1319. The present church building was reconstructed over a medieval church after severe earthquake damage in the 19th century. Inside, you will find a single-nave space with a semicircular apse. The building’s history therefore cannot be reduced to a single period: medieval origins, the bell tower and the later reconstruction belong to different layers of the same place. Another prominent landmark is the Pieve di Sant’Alessandro, a Romanesque church dating from 1104. Santa Maria in Castello lies just outside Vecchiano at an elevated point overlooking the plain below. The site was formerly part of the castle of Vecchiano, whose documented origins date back to 1120. Santa Maria in Castello is an originally fortified complex on a rocky outcrop above Vecchiano. The church was built in 1120 from an earlier small chapel and the castle tower. Remains of frescoes from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries are visible on its left wall. During your visit, this creates a transition between Romanesque architecture, a fortified past and later artistic traces.

River Mouth, Dunes and Olive-Growing Culture

The landscape of the municipality also includes the Penisola dei Gabbiani beside the mouth of the Serchio. Its shape changes as a result of the river current as well as storms and storm surges. This continual change creates a clear contrast with Vecchiano’s enduringly preserved churches and historic buildings. Those who consider the area’s landscape character alongside its culture will find not a single uniform natural environment here, but an interplay of river, river mouth, dunes, macchia and sea. The regional food culture is also connected with the surrounding area. The Strada dell’Olio dei Monti Pisani passes through Vecchiano, one of five municipalities along this route, and can be explored from here. It combines artistic and natural attractions with tastings of extra virgin olive oil and other typical local products. The olive route thus complements the historic churches and protected landscapes with a culinary perspective. Further points of orientation within the immediate selection include Avane (Avane), Migliarino (Migliarino) and Filettole (Filettole).

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Boschi, Uliveto Terme, Le Colombaie, Peccioli.

To the overview of the wider destination: Pisa.