The natural park of Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli is a protected natural area established with LR Toscana n. 61 of 13 December 1979. The territory of the park extends along the coastal strip of the provinces of Pisa and Lucca, including the municipalities of Pisa, Viareggio, San Giuliano Terme, Vecchiano, Massarosa and protects over 23,000 hectares in total. It also includes Lake Massaciuccoli, the mouths of the Serchio, Arno and Fiume Morto rivers, the former presidential estate of San Rossore, the forests of Tombolo, Migliarino and Macchia Lucchese, and manages the Secche della Meloria marine protected area.
In this post I'm focusing on the former presidential estate.
San Rossore has got a long and reach history.
Around year 1000 AD it was a religious area, with monasteries dedicated to Santa Maddalena, San Bartolo and San Luxorio. The last one, corrupted in the local dialect in San Rossore, became the place namesake.
After the florentine conquest of Pisa at begininng of the XV century, the area became a Medici estate. From Medici it passed to Lorena, then to Savoia and finally, after 1946, to the presidency of the republic. Until 1979 when San
Rossore became part of the newly constituited park.
Any new owner enriched the estate with new builduings: palaces, stables, granaries and so on. Sadly, nowadays some of those builduings are in a grave state of disrepair, while others have been restored.
San Rossore can be divided in several areas. I don't have pictures of every area, but the one that i am posting will follow the customary subdivision.
Cascine Nuove
Il Gombo - Presidential Villa
La Sterpaia
Piaggerta
La Casermetta
As you can see, San Rossore is a small corner of paradise, where wildlife can roam freely
The most beautiful thing about the area is that it can be visited for free all year around. Matter of fact, in spring it becomes the most favorite pcnic area for all Pisa inhabitants.
That's all for now, I hope you did enjoy.