Summer special openings and guided tours in Vicopisano

From 28 March, the monumental complex comprising the Rocca, the Tower and the Camminamento del Soccorso – the extraordinary fortified system linked to the genius of Filippo Brunelleschi – will reopen to visitors every Saturday and Sunday. Opening hours are Saturdays from 3.30 pm to 7.00 pm and Sundays from 10.00 am to 12.30 pm and from 3.00 pm to 7.00 pm. Ticket office at Palazzo Pretorio

Special evening tours of the village and the Rocca will take place on Friday 31 July, Thursday 27 August, Friday 28 August and Sunday 27 September. Each tour begins in Piazza Cavalca with a stroll through the characteristic narrow streets, the village and its monuments, exploring the history of Vicopisano through stories, interesting facts and personal accounts. After a pleasant stop for an aperitif, the tour culminates with a visit to the Rocca, fortified by Filippo Brunelleschi, one of the most important examples of late medieval/early Renaissance military architecture.

The tour of the Rocca is guided and lasts an average of one hour and thirty minutes. The tour service, run by volunteers, is available in Italian, English and, on occasion, French and Czech. No booking is required, except for groups of more than fifteen people. As there are stairs, the route is only suitable for small pets.

You can explore the entire complex starting from the Palazzo Pretorio (formerly the palace of the Archbishops of Pisa and later of the Florentine Vicars), which houses archaeological artefacts from the monastery of San Michele in Verruca – the principal sanctuary dedicated to St Michael in this part of Italy – the Vicariate’s Historical Archive, and the Leopoldine prison (18th century). You can continue on to the second level, climb up to the Cassero and ascend to the Maschio, the main tower (11th/12th centuries), before finally descending via the Soccorso ramparts and exiting through the ‘Tower of Brunelleschi’.