Count Ugone, a rich and powerful landowner, founded the Abbey or Abbey of Morrona near Terricciola in 1089. His land was so vast that it could not be cultivated by the monks alone, so servants and labourers were called in from other parts of Tuscany during harvest time.
Restructuring
The Abbey has been restored preserving its original appearance and maintaining the charm of the medieval monastery. A large cloister gives access to the refectory and to the external park, the latter being very scenic due to the view of the green hills of the Valdera.
The Romanesque-style church has an external façade built with local stone. The interior, renovated in later periods, has a single nave with a unique raised altar and a stone lectern. It contains a copy of the Madonna di San Torpé, dedicated to the Christian martyr who was beheaded at the mouth of the Arno and miraculously transported by boat to what is now the beach of Saint Tropez (hence the name of the French town).
The interior of the villa is very simple, although it is decorated with various pieces from different eras: from Byzantine mosaics dating back to the 5th century A.D. to Etruscan stones, marble columns and Roman amphorae found at sea.
Between Wedding & Wine
The Badia di Morrona, now privately owned, is a location for events and weddings. It was one of the founders of the Wines Terre di Pisa DOC, set up to protect and promote the appellation of the same name, characterised by an area that stretches from the hills of the Val d’Era to the sea, guaranteeing a variety of landscapes and flavours.
