Vicopisano is a ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' (municipality) in the

Province of Pisa The province of Pisa ( it, provincia di Pisa) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Tuscany region of central Italy. Its capital is the city of Pisa. With an area of and a total population of 421,642 (), it is the second most populous and fif ...

in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

region

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

, located about west of

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

and about east of

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

. It occupies the former valley of the

Arno River The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber. Source and route The river originates on Monte Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a s ...

(which now flows some km southwards), bounded by the Monte Pisano from north.

History

In medieval times Vicopisano was a flourishing fortified center of the

Republic of Pisa The Republic of Pisa ( it, Repubblica di Pisa) was an independent state centered on the Tuscan city of Pisa, which existed from the 11th to the 15th century. It rose to become an economic powerhouse, a commercial center whose merchants dominated ...

. It was conquered by

in 1406. Here a castle (''Rocca Nuova'') designed by

Filippo Brunelleschi Filippo Brunelleschi ( , , also known as Pippo; 1377 – 15 April 1446), considered to be a founding father of Renaissance architecture, was an Italian architect, designer, and sculptor, and is now recognized to be the first modern engineer, p ...

was built in 1434.

Geography

Vicopisano borders the following municipalities:

Bientina Bientina () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany. History The toponym Bientina is attested the first time in 793 as Blentina and probably comes from the Etruscan name Plitine. Geography Terr ...

, Buti,

Calci Calci is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about west of Florence and about east of Pisa. Government ; ''Frazioni'' The main settlement is the municipal seat of La Pieve; the rest of ...

Calcinaia Calcinaia (Latin: ''Vicus Vitri'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) and town in the province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about west of Florence and about east of Pisa. Calcinaia borders the following municipalities: Bientina, C ...

Cascina Cascina () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about west of Florence and about southeast of Pisa. Cascina is located on the left shore of the Arno River, on a markedly plain terrain. ...

and

San Giuliano Terme San Giuliano Terme is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about west of Florence and about northeast of Pisa. Main sights The area of the Pisa hills was already an attraction for enlight ...

. It counts the hamlets (''

frazioni A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist era (1922–1943) as ...

'') of Caprona, Cucigliana, Lugnano, Noce,

San Giovanni alla Vena San Giovanni alla Vena is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Vicopisano Vicopisano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about west of Floren ...

and

Uliveto Terme Uliveto Terme is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Vicopisano, province of Pisa. At the time of the 2001 census its population was 1,183.Piaggio Piaggio & C. SpA (Piaggio ) is an Italian motor vehicle manufacturer, which produces a range of two-wheeled motor vehicles and compact commercial vehicles under seven brands: Piaggio, Vespa, Gilera, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Derbi, and Scarabeo. Its ...

) and bottling of mineral waters. The agriculture is based on olive oil and cereals.

Main sights

* Brunelleschi Rocca (castle), with an annexed Romanesque church from the 12th century * 12 medieval towers * ''Pieve di Santa Maria'' (12th century), with 13th-century frescoes. * ''Pieve di San Jacopo'' * ''Palazzo Pretorio'' (12th century) * ''Palazzo della Vecchia Posta'' (12th century) * ''Villa Fehr''

Gallery

File:Vicopisano02.jpg, One of the tower of Vicopisano File:Vicopisano.jpg, A central town's square

Notable people

Domenico Cavalca Domenico Cavalca (Vicopisano, c. 1270 – Pisa, October 1342) was an Italian writer. He was a friar of the Dominican order and lived a life, mostly spent in the monastery of Santa Caterina, of irreproachable morals, characterized by attention ...

(1270-1342), writer

References

External links

*
Vicopisano official website
*
Vicopisano tourist portal
Cities and towns in Tuscany Castles in Italy {{Pisa-geo-stub