Peccioli & Lajatico: where history meets contemporary art

PECCIOLI & LAJATICO, TWO GEMS INSIDE OF TERRE DI PISA
A full-day tour visiting two of the most famous medieval hamlets in the Valdera region: Peccioli, winner of the 2024 Borgo dei Borghi award, and Lajatico, birthplace of Andrea Bocelli

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The guided visit to Peccioli 
Peccioli is a little hilltop medieval village that hosts numerous contemporary art pieces integrated into the medieval architecture of its historic center. We will explore various contemporary art installations by artists such as Remo Salvadori, Hidetoshi Nagasawa, Daniel Buren, Jeppe Hein, Tuttofuoco and uncover the ancient soul of the village, including the Romanesque church of San Verano. We will also visit the “Palazzo Senza Tempo,” recently restored while preserving its 15th-century façade that reinterprets traditional medieval architecture. This building offers a stunning terrace overlooking the rolling hills surrounding the village. In 2024, Peccioli earned the title Borgo dei Borghi, a competition highlighting Italy’s most beautiful villages.
If interested, and when available, we can visit the tiny and charming Etruscan museum, opened in the mazy basements of a historical palace in town. It is an opportunity to learn a lot about the usages and the history of this original Pre-Roman population through several recent finds belonging to a rural sacred temple.

Lajatico, birthplace of Andrea Bocelli
Lajatico is a village famous for being the birthplace of tenor Andrea Bocelli, who organizes a grand concert every year in the surrounding countryside at a truly spectacular venue, the Teatro del Silenzio. This event attracts tens of thousands of guests annually. The guided tour of Lajatico lasts about an hour, during which you will explore the village and uncover its history. The town also features several contemporary art installations, which change every year. Afterwards, we’ll take a pleasant walk to the Teatro del Silenzio, a magical spot offering breathtaking views. We’ll end our day toasting with a glass of sparkling prosecco produced by the family Bocelli.

A typical lunch with traditional recipes is served at one of the charming restaurants either in Lajatico or Peccioli.

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This is a list of specialties that you are likely to sample as part of the program of this tour. Please, note that the specialties of the tasting session and/or lunch may vary according to the season and the availability of the products in the day of the tour.

Bruschettas

Bruschettas

A plate of mixed bruschettas, topped with fresh tomatoes, cheese and sausage, arucola and lemon juice or simply extra virgin olive oil. Bruschettas are very common appetizers in all Italy and in Tuscany they are commonly called crostini. You can top grilled bread with almost anything that comes to your mind and served varied and […]

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Ravioli al burro e salvia

Ravioli al burro e salvia

Fresh hand-made ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta, topped with butter and sage and finished with parmesan cheese and black pepper! A masterpiece of Tuscan cuisine with the simplest and yet so delicious ingredients.

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Tagliatelle all’uovo

Tagliatelle all’uovo

Fresh egg-based tagliatelle are typically hand made during our cooking classes as one of the main dishes. They are made of simple durum wheat flour and fresh eggs, with a little pinch of salt. The most important component is the love of our chef’s hands…

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Maccheroni

Maccheroni

A plate of maccheroni made in Tuscany with a delicate sauce of cauliflowers and tomatoes. Maccheroni are one of the most popular kind of pasta that the Italians eat with seasonal sauces almost every day. The most delicious version is Maccheroni di Toscana by Pastificio Martelli.

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Tuscan red wine

Tuscan red wine

The Tuscan soil provides a wide variety of red wines, from easy-to-drink young table wines to full-body and robust riservas. Tuscan red wines are often based on Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo or Colorino grapes and sometimes on international grapes like Merlot, Cabernet or Syrah. The most curious experiements are recently involving Alicante and Tempranillo!

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Tuscan white wine

Tuscan white wine

Tuscan white wines are often based on a typical grape called Vermentino, which provides strong minerality and freshness to the wines made with it. The area of San Gimignano provides the one and only white wine DOCG in Tuscany: Vernaccia. Other very common grapes for white wines in Tuscany are Trebbiano and Malvasia.

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Sparkling wine

Sparkling wine

Sparkling wine is a history long tradition in Italy. The most popular version is Prosecco, produced in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions. Other sparkling wines include a number of Metodo Classico appellation and plenty of sweet dessert sparkling wines like Moscato d’Asti or Asti Spumante.

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In our tour we like showing you places off the beaten track and introducing you to Tuscan people with their personal stories, careers and characters.
You will have one of our guides with your party during the whole tour. Please, see below all the guides who can be with you.
During this experience you can also meet some of the Tuscan friends involved in the events. Please, see below which friends you are likely to encounter.

Moira

guide

Moira

Pisa city tour guide & and tour leader at Arianna & Friends'

Ciao a tutti! My name is Moira and I'm the "foreigner" here at Arianna & Friends! In fact I come from the north west of Italy, from the town of Turin, and I moved to Tuscany in 2012, falling immediately in love with the culture, the arts and foods and of course - my favourite! - wines of this beautiful region. I started working at Arianna & Friends' back in 2013 as an assistant at the Tourist Information Office of a small hilltop village, where our office was initially located; then I got my licence as tour guide and I am today the city tour guide in the team for the main towns of Pisa, Volterra, San Miniato, but also for all our less famous tiny villages, which hide lots of secrets and such a loooong history! Last year, together with my colleague Luca, we got a licence as official truffle hunters, but I'm still mainly a truffle eater! When I'm not walking around in our amazing places talking about arts, culture and history, or discovering together with our guests the local specialties, you find me in the office, taking care of bookings and reservations. I really hope to meet you soon to show you around our beautiful land, and as I come from another region, I can also reveal some of the secrets that Tuscan people will never confess!!

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