Overview
Following the course of the Arno River from Florence in the direction of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the village of Vicopisano, an agricultural and artisanal settlement, is revealed just before reaching Pisa.
The traveller is greeted by a beautiful panorama over which rise the crenellated walls and towers of a medieval fortress, enlarged in the 15th century by Filippo Brunelleschi, the famous designer of the dome of S. Maria del Fiore in Florence.
Before the Florentine contado incorporated it among its possessions, Vicopisano had long been a defensive bulwark of the Maritime Republic of Pisa, which used its strategic position to protect its eastern borders from enemy incursions.
Everything in Vicopisano contributes to the archetypal image of a Tuscan village of medieval origin, surrounded by dozens of hectares of lush olive groves. These trees yield a protected geographical indication extra virgin olive oil, the pride of the Monti Pisani's agri-food production, to be explored and deepened during a visit to the Vicopisano oil mill.
Thanks to the high quality of its tourist services, Vicopisano has been awarded an Orange Flag by the Italian Touring Club.
