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 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 it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

, located about west of

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

and about east of Pisa. It occupies the former valley of the Arno River (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 was built in 1434.

Geography

Vicopisano borders the following municipalities: Bientina, 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 enlighte ...

. 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 era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

'') of Caprona, Cucigliana, Lugnano, Noce, San Giovanni alla Vena and Uliveto Terme.

Demographics

Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8) ImageSize = width:500 height:373 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:9000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:500 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:100 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo BarData= bar:1861 text:1861 bar:1871 text:1871 bar:1881 text:1881 bar:1901 text:1901 bar:1911 text:1911 bar:1921 text:1921 bar:1931 text:1931 bar:1936 text:1936 bar:1951 text:1951 bar:1961 text:1961 bar:1971 text:1971 bar:1981 text:1981 bar:1991 text:1991 bar:2001 text:2001 bar:2011 text:2011 PlotData= color:barra width:20 align:left bar:1861 from: 0 till:6252 bar:1871 from: 0 till:6648 bar:1881 from: 0 till:7111 bar:1901 from: 0 till:7173 bar:1911 from: 0 till:7349 bar:1921 from: 0 till:7404 bar:1931 from: 0 till:7345 bar:1936 from: 0 till:7330 bar:1951 from: 0 till:7558 bar:1961 from: 0 till:7759 bar:1971 from: 0 till:7366 bar:1981 from: 0 till:7365 bar:1991 from: 0 till:7584 bar:2001 from: 0 till:7907 bar:2011 from: 0 till:8479 PlotData= bar:1861 at:6252 fontsize:S text: 6,252 shift:(-8,5) bar:1871 at:6648 fontsize:S text: 6,648 shift:(-8,5) bar:1881 at:7111 fontsize:S text: 7,111 shift:(-8,5) bar:1901 at:7173 fontsize:S text: 7,173 shift:(-8,5) bar:1911 at:7349 fontsize:S text: 7,349 shift:(-8,5) bar:1921 at:7404 fontsize:S text: 7,404 shift:(-8,5) bar:1931 at:7345 fontsize:S text: 7,345 shift:(-8,5) bar:1936 at:7330 fontsize:S text: 7,330 shift:(-8,5) bar:1951 at:7558 fontsize:S text: 7,558 shift:(-8,5) bar:1961 at:7759 fontsize:S text: 7,759 shift:(-8,5) bar:1971 at:7366 fontsize:S text: 7,366 shift:(-8,5) bar:1981 at:7365 fontsize:S text: 7,365 shift:(-8,5) bar:1991 at:7584 fontsize:S text: 7,584 shift:(-8,5) bar:2001 at:7907 fontsize:S text: 7,907 shift:(-8,5) bar:2011 at:8479 fontsize:S text: 8,479 shift:(-8,5) TextData= fontsize:S pos:(20,20) text:Data from ISTAT

Economy

Economical activities include ceramics, mechanics (

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 ...

) 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