Palaia, a sweet hilltop tuscan village

Palaia, a charming village in the tuscan district of Pisa, has its origins in the Etruscan period as hypogea and artifacts there found witness it. Its territory extends between the river Chiecina and the river Roglio and as a hilltop settlement lies at 240 meters above sea level. In the middle ages the castle was a very important establishment in Tuscany.

A typical medieval little town, it can be identified in two main sections, the fortress in the higher portion with its circular area and the inhabited part that stretches around it with focus in the main square as a typical social identity center.

Porta Fiorentina, the old gate that gave acces to the town, is on the east side with the small fort on its right side and the guard tower on its left.

Points of interest are, the clock tower, built on top of the former gate Porta Ghibellina, the church of Sant' Andrea from middles ages period with its precious artifacts, the church of San Martino also from the middle ages time and built with stone and bricks with romanesque and gothic elements.

Palaia's land has the most suitable properties to grow the grapevine and olive trees and an important part of its economy nowadays relies on the clever agricultural work of its inhabitants that produce superior quality extra virgin olive oils and great tuscan wines that are internationally appreciated.

Arianna & Friends as a local tour operator specially focused on wine and food experiences, is the most appropriate expert companion that can make you relish the best products that Palaia has to offer.

The Chianti from Pisa district

We are in the province of Pisa, the area of Casciana, Chianni, Palaia, Lari, Peccioli, Terriciola, and Fauglia, looking east we find Florence,  north there is Lucca, and to the south  Siena and Grosseto.

Here is cultivated the vine that gives birth, thanks to the skill of his winegrowers, climate and soil characteristics, to the DOCG wines of great quality Chianti Colli Pisani.

The ruby red wine with a majority of grape variety Sangiovese reflects the harmony and character of the hills from which it comes from, the territories where nature and human endeavor distinguish a product of high quality and value throughout Tuscany.

From the time of Barone Ricasoli, "father of Chianti", to this day, little has changed in the way of conceiving this noble wine that tuscan farmers produce with passion in compliance with the specifications that encode its essence.

Without anything to envy to other areas of Tuscany that in the public opinion are intended as "Chianti", we can say that this territory offers, with equal dignity and merit, atmospheres and landscapes of pristine beauty, tradition and culture, art and gastronomy, hospitality of its inhabitants who are proud of belonging to a unique land.

Thanks to its valuable characteristics Chianti Pisano is visited every year by tens of thousands of tourists coming mainly from abroad, who from early spring to late autumn are on holiday in these areas, where accommodations range from historic luxury villas to comfortable holiday homes, bed & breakfasts, farmhouses and hotels.

Here tranquility and relaxation are undisputed, and travellers can also choose the activities that most interests them between visits to wineries to taste the Chianti and other typical wines, extra virgin olive oil, tastings of typical products such as meats and cheeses.

Considerable success are achieving typical Tuscan cooking classes, which are held either in well equipped farmhouses or directly to the address of the visitor, it is also quite common to come across along streets and alleys, individuals or small groups of people, from the apparent non-local look, which equipped with a map or gps navigator device, explore the area on foot or by bicycle, whilst there is a large participation for horseback riding or off-road vehicles excursions, rides on a Vespa, and golf playing .