In the center of the Valdarno in the area around Pisa lies Calcinaia, a town that has always been characterized by artisanal and then industrial production. Calcinaia's very name is due to the artisan tradition of pottery manufacturing and the numerous lime kilns active until the 1960s, when the area's mission took on important dimensions, especially in the hamlet of Fornacette.
The Calcinaia area has always been a key crossroads behind Pisa, and just as it is still important today for road traffic it once was for river traffic, when this area played an important role in controlling merchant traffic in the Arno basin. The banks of the river housed the boats of the "navicellai," (sailors of the river Arno) the "navicelli," in which goods were transported to the port of Livorno.
The medieval town of Calcinaia was long ruled by the Upezzinghi family and, as evidence of the period, remains the Torre Grande, or Upezzinghi Tower, dating from the first half of the 13th century.
Those who want to get an idea of what the atmosphere was like in the ancient kilns can take a tour of the Museo della Ceramica (Museum of Ceramics) named after Lodovico Coccapani, housed in the premises of an old ceramic workshop in the historic town center. Here are preserved artifacts that came to light during the renovation of the building itself, and the museum tour allows visitors to retrace both the history of local pottery manufacturing, the history of Calcinaia and the historical-archaeological context of the area.
A few kilometers away, on a hill, lies the village of Santa Maria a Monte, once a contested military outpost. Here are Casa Carducci, where the poet Giosué apparently spent the years of his youth, and Casa Galilei. At the top of the village stands the Archaeological Park "La Rocca."
From Calcinaia you can explore Pisa - rich in wonders - such as the beautiful Piazza dei Miracoli, a 1987 UNESCO World Heritage Site - and Pontedera, universally known as the city of the Vespa. All around is the Terre di Pisa landscape, one of the most typically Tuscan, with rolling hills interspersed with plains and waterways, beginning with that of the Arno.
As well as its history, Calcinaia's appearance is determined by the presence of the great bend of the Arno, which is, moreover, one of the most important race fields for national and international recreational fishing. Nearby, on the banks of an artificial lake, is the Greenlandia playground, an ideal place for children and families.
In demonstration of the town's connection with the river, and in honor of the patron saint Santa Ubaldesca Taccini, the Historical Regatta on the Arno is held in May: a re-enactment of the ancient activity of the navicellai, in which the La nave, Montecchio and Oltrarno districts participate. Since the mid-nineteenth century, also in May, there has been the Sagra della Nozza (Festival of the Nozza), dedicated to the town's typical cake.
The Nozza di Calcinaia is the delicate local cake made of a cone-shaped wafer, which is very crisp; anise and rosolio (a type of Italian liqueur derived from rose petals) are used in its preparation, giving it a distinctive flavor. As the name suggests, this cake of ancient origins is prepared at weddings and baptisms.
