Ghizzano is definitely one of the most ‘Instagrammed’ places in the Terre di Pisa. It owes its fame to the colourful houses and contemporary art installations that enrich its streets and alleys. The village is about 10 minutes by car from Peccioli, while from Pisa it takes about 40 minutes.
The colourful houses in Via di Mezzo
The colourful houses, one of the most photographed attractions by tourists, can be found in Via di Mezzo. They are actually a work of art, created in 2019 by David Tremlett, a master of the avant-garde and famous for his wall-drawings (see the Green Triangle in nearby Legoli). The dominant colour on the façades of the dwellings is green, together with shades of colours that echo those of the earth and hills. Strong linear strokes highlight the doors and windows of the buildings.
The works of Patrick Tuttofuoco
Patrick Tuttofuoco is among the artists who have made Ghizzano a village with a strong identity. His three installations, from the ‘Elevatio corpus’ (load-bearing body) cycle, are inspired by the portraits of St Michael, St Sebastian and St John, made of neon, marble and iron respectively. These are the same saints depicted in a chapel in Legoli by Benozzo Gozzoli, who fled here for fear of the plague while working on the frescoes in the Monumental Cemetery in Pisa (1479). Tuttofuoco is also the author of the ‘Endless Susnset’ walkway in Peccioli.
‘Solid Sky’ by Alicja Kwade
On the other hand, Alicja Kwade created the sculpture ‘Solid Sky’, which stands at the entrance to the Church of Sts Germano and Prospero: it is a block of blue stone from South America with a distinctive veining, polished to a perfectly smooth sphere.
If you happen to be in Ghizzano, you can visit (by reservation only) the Giardino Sonoro, a 20th century Italian garden owned by the Venerosi Pesciolini family.