The municipality of Peccioli is in the province of Pisa and it is located on a height in the Val d’ Era at 144 m asl of altitude. With a population of about 4000 inhabitants, this city has many medieval buildings. The St. Verano’s parish, the Peccioli’s chapel and the Palazzo Pretorio are among them.
In the town of Peccioli, founded in the Middle age, you can visit the Beyond preserving its medieval structure, Peccioli includes a territory rich in rural landscapes and ancient small villages, such as Cedri, Ghizzano, Fabbrica, Montecchio, Libbiano and Legoli.
The last one houses a wonderful chapel where the frescoes of the famous Renaissance artist Benozzo Gozzoli can be admired. Moreover, one can dedicate oneself to astronomy going to the “Galileo Galilei” Astronomical Observatory of Libbiano, which is the ideal place where to practise this activity. Furthermore, in Peccioli it is possible to visit the Prehistoric Park where eighteen fibreglass life-size prehistoric animals are placed.
Initially, the castle of Peccioli belonged to the Gherardesca Counts. These powerful feudatories handed the fortalice over to the Episcopate of Volterra in the XII century. During those years, Peccioli appeared as one of Volterra’s ramparts against the expansion of Pisa until 1163, when the latter could seize it and dominate it.
The Volterra’s curia had no intention to lose its ancient property and it went under the protection of Florence after the defeat suffered by Pisa in Meloria in 1284. in exchange, the bishop got the possibility to excise duties on the copper and the salt coming from the mines of the district.
With the peace of Fucecchio in 1293, the village was eventually given back to the Pisans without its defensive walls.
The year 1406 was crucial for almost all the Pisan centres because Florence established and consolidated its supremacy over them. Peccioli had the same destiny of the surrounding areas and participated to the numerous XV-century risings.
In 1431, for instance, it rebelled taking advantage from the arrival of the Visconti’s Milanese troops led by Niccolò Piccinino. In the XVI century, when Florence was besieged by the Spanish militias, it harboured the Prince of Orange’s troops.
Finally, it surrendered to the Medici’s Tuscan Grand Duchy who were substituted by the Lorraine family until the Unity of Italy. Today, Peccioli preserves its peculiar characteristics as an agricultural centre, even though there has been a remarkable intensification of the manufacturing activity during the last century.