Sights
From Vecchiano to San Giuliano Terme
The Olive Oil Road itinerary starts in Vecchiano, a small town of ancient Roman origin only a few kilometres from the sea, on the border with the Mediterranean scrubland of the Tenuta di Migliarino. The Migliarino, San Rossore, and Massaciuccoli Natural Park is a true paradise for nature lovers and flora and ornithology enthusiasts, who will have the chance to explore this unique environment where plants and rare bird species have found their ideal habitat. Heading west from Vecchiano you reach an area rich in olive groves and farms. A 30 km route on the slopes of the Monti Pisani that you could travel by car or, why not, by bike, since the climbs are very limited. Along the way you might want to stop in Pontasserchio for some breakfast with the famous Torta coi Bischeri made by the Pasticceria Artigiana Dolci.
The next stop is San Giuliano Terme, a town famous for its thermal waters since the Romans who in fact had named it Acquae Pisanae. The wind blowing from the sea and the gentle hilly slopes make the area of San Giuliano ideal for the production of excellent extra virgin olive oil. Amidst the green olive groves, you will come across the splendid seventeenth and eighteenth centuries historical homes of the aristocratic families of Pisa and might want to make time for a visit at Fondazione Cerratelli.
Calci and Vicopisano
A short ride along the Lungomonte Pisano provincial road, with the marvellous sight of the marble quarries to your left, will take you to Calci, in the heart of the Pisan countryside, inhabited by a rural community that continues to draw treasures and unique flavours from the land. What about stopping for something to eat in one of the local farms in the area? Why not try a bowl of cabbage soup? After a relaxing and satisfying lunchbreak, continue for 10 km along the course of the River Arno, and then turn for Vicopisano and the Rocca del Brunelleschi, a remarkable monumental complex open to the public and almost entirely accessible. Take a minute to take in the landscape studded with small churches and oratories.
Buti
At this point, a few kilometres climb across Frantoi, Leccini and Moraioli will take you to your final destination, Buti. From the handpicked and cold pressed olives, local farmers obtain a fine oil with a delicate flavour and very low acidity. In Buti you cannot miss the Medici Villa and the Francesco di Bartolo Theatre: the first displays a series of delicate frescoes by late eighteenth century Florentine artist Pietro Giarrè, the latter, which was built in the mid-nineteenth century and almost abandoned after World War II, every year organizes an interesting programme of national and international performances.
