Montecatini Val Di Cecina: Culture, Mining and Landscape

Between the Medieval Centre and Mining History

Montecatini Val Di Cecina combines a historic centre with impressive traces of mining and paths through an increasingly rugged landscape. If you would like to combine culture, history and active days, you will find different focal points here that are clearly distinct from one another: Piazza Garibaldi and the historic buildings in the town, La Miniera with its mining facilities, and Poggio alla Croce and the cycling route between Volterra and Montecatini Val di Cecina.

Art and Architecture in the Town

Piazza Garibaldi in the historic centre is home to the Romanesque Church of San Biagio and the 14th-century Palazzo Pretorio. The Church of San Biagio was built around 1356 under the direction of Ugolino Guducci and Ciullo Barletti and consecrated in 1361. Inside are two marble angels attributed to Mino da Fiesole, as well as two terracotta statues by Della Robbia. They depict San Biagio and San Sebastiano. The Torre dei Belforti is almost 30 metres high, and its walls are 3.20 metres wide at the base. In the lower section, horizontal bands of white Alberese limestone divide the masonry. Two openings running through the walls are oriented differently: one faces the Mastio di Volterra, the other the Rocca Sillina. Palazzo Pretorio houses the documentation centre of the Museo delle Miniere. It is dedicated to the resources and activities connected with the subsoil of the Alta Val di Cecina and is located in the historic centre. This places a central part of the local mining history directly within the town's historic fabric.

The Caporciano Mine and La Miniera

The Caporciano Mine opened in 1827 after sporadic copper deposits had been reported in the area near the castle southwest of Montecatini. La Miniera contains the entrance to the galleries, the administrative buildings and the Pozzo Alfredo. At the Museo delle Miniere, the mining experience leads from the first 19th-century extraction shaft to the Pozzo Alfredo. Its shaft is 320 metres deep. The experience also includes exploring part of the main gallery, which is also known as the “pancia della balena”. From the mining area, an equipped path leads to the Il Muraglione dam. These different sites present the history of mining not merely as a single building, but through its facilities, shafts and underground areas.

Cycling Route and Scenic Walking Trail

For a more active day, the circular cycling route “Etruschi e miniere tra Volterra e Montecatini Val di Cecina” takes centre stage. It connects Volterra and Montecatini Val di Cecina and passes through hilly landscapes, wild erosion gullies and balze. Towards Montecatini, it runs through rocky, steep terrain. The route reaches Montecatini Val di Cecina after a challenging climb with hairpin bends and panoramic views across increasingly rugged and rocky terrain. The walking trail to Poggio alla Croce begins in the medieval centre of Montecatini, leads to the Santa Barbara Oratory and reaches the summit with the iron cross erected by the miners. From Poggio alla Croce, the view stretches across the sea and the side facing Volterra as far as the upper Cecina Valley. The trail thus complements the historic sites with a landscape perspective, while the cycling route describes a considerably more demanding connection through the terrain. If you would like to explore more pages about local towns, you will also find Sassa, Querceto and Ponteginori.

For the overarching travel overview: Pisa.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Luciana, Santa Colomba, Terricciola, Castel del Bosco, Volterra.