Hello, my dearest friends!
Once again, I managed to write this post about another place in Tuscany that I visited in the past few days. Actually, I think this will be one of the last posts I share this week because I have a pretty busy weekend ahead, so I probably won’t find the time to write here again. But don’t worry, because I’ll definitely be back next week!
Today, I want to talk to you about Cascina, which I think is quite a well-known place in the province of Pisa. I’ve actually had the chance to visit it several times in my life, as I often travel in that area. But today, I’d like to tell you a bit about its history and maybe even share some useful tourist information—who knows, you might end up visiting this place in the future!
The origins of this village date back to Roman times, like many other Tuscan villages I’ve told you about. However, it played a key role in the Middle Ages because several battles took place here, some of which were immortalized in many paintings, including a rather famous one by Michelangelo. In fact, as soon as you arrive in this beautiful village, you can still see parts of the ancient walls and monuments that made Cascina a highly coveted place for both the Pisans and the Florentines.
As soon as I arrived, my first impression was of a tower with a clock—there are so many historical buildings and symbols referring to the Medici family of Florence.
This time, however, I discovered that the name Cascina comes from the word casina, which means “small country house.” But some say that an ancient watercourse once flowed through this area, now disappeared, and that it was named after that. Who knows? Its true meaning will probably remain a mystery.
One thing is certain: this place has always been a strategic location because it lies along the route between Pisa and Florence. As I mentioned earlier, it has been a site of battles and conquests throughout history.
While walking through the village, I noticed the very convenient porticoes—an intelligent and practical architectural feature that was once designed to ensure that pedestrians could walk through even in bad weather.
Then, all of a sudden, I found myself in a narrow alley running alongside the ancient walls, and for a moment, I felt like I had traveled back in time. It was a wonderful sensation to walk through that alleyway. The streets in this village are much wider compared to other villages I’ve shared here in the community, which is great for the locals because they can drive through, but not so much for me, as I always prefer walking.
Now, for some tourist info: Cascina is only 13 km from Pisa, making it very easy to reach by car or public transport. I also noticed that for those arriving by train, there’s a station just a few kilometers away. It’s not right in the center, so you do have to walk a bit, but nothing too strenuous.
This time, I had planned to visit the Museum of the Workers' Society of Wood, which is quite an important museum since Cascina is famous as the “City of Furniture” due to its long tradition of woodworking. However, as I walked around the town, I didn’t find any signs leading to this museum, which is a real shame. In my opinion, a tradition like this should be much more valued.
I hope you found my photos interesting, and I hope I gave you some useful information and introduced you to a fascinating place. See you in my next post, and I already wish you all a great weekend!
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