Hotel  Albergo
Ristorante
Pizzeria Piscina
La Gozzetta

Via delle Colline, 8
 Pieve di S. Luce ( Pisa)
Toscana Tuscany  Italy
Tel 050- 685814 - 685861
Fax 050- 685827

TOSCANA
INDEX

 Hills of Tuscany 

The Colline Metallifere

By this term we mean the large anti-Apennine region whose boundaries are not clearly defined.

It is a system of medium-level mountains lying south of the basin of the river Cecina and extends nearly as far as the river valleys of the Pecora and the Merse near Massa Marittima, and in the East it penetrates deep into Tuscan territory, until it meets Montagnola Senese.

The area is, for the most part, covered with flourishing woodlands with the exception of the areas around the mines. Here, the centuries-old use of wood for mining has created a barren, story waste, dotted with slag heaps that look like enormous platforms of steeply layered earth, mostly dark red and deeply furrowed by the action of the rain.

Larderello is situated in the center of this area and is famous for its blow-holes, visible from as far away as Volterra in the South and from Massa Marittima in the North. It is considered to be one of the strangest places in Tuscany because of its desolate landscape and the piercing whine made by jets of steam and the din of working machinery. From smoke-holes, that come out at the temperature of 100/120° C, are taken-out different chemical substances.

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The hills of S. Gimignano and Volterra

The hilly region that stretches from basin of the river Elsa to that of the river Cecina is characterized by modest altitudes: from 250 meters to the 624 meters of the Poggio del Comune.

The large hilly area, crowned by the artistic cities of Volterra (in the province of Pisa) and S. Gimignano (in the province of Siena), is characterized by a natural environment, where time has wrought few changes; following valleys, woods and ancient paths, one can discover and admire a landscape where Nature, Man and Art have reached an enviable balance.

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The Montagnola Senese

To the west of Siena, situated between the valleys of the river Elsa and that of the river Merse.

This region, unknown to most people, has been happily is dated up till now, a fact which has allowed it to preserve intact its natural characteristics, to which may be added important man-made elements such as parish churches, castles, well-cared for villages and villas.

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The Lucca Hills

A ring of hills - the Pizzorns to the North and the Pisa hills to the South, the so-called "hills beyond the river Serchio" (Monti Oltre Serchio) to the West and the Cerbaie to the East - mark the boundaries of the Lucca plains.

Gently rising hills, interspersed with olive groves, rows of vines and beautiful villas with splendid parks, from which charming views of the town may behind.

If you park in the woods you might come across the ruins of ancient mills old chestnut-drying barns and many other traces of a way of life, indeed of a culture, now vanished such as the "resinazione" or the technique of tapping resin from pine-trees.

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Chianciano Terme

Chianciano is an important, fashionable spa lying in a pleasant position among charming hills. Its calcium-sulfur waters were already known in Etruscan and Roman times and are useful in the treatment of liver and bilious diseases. Up-to-date: health facilities and hotel accommodation. That is also a beautiful shady park.

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Montecatini Terme

Endowed with excellent hotel facilities Montecatini is one of the smartest and most popular spa resort in Italy. A stay there will be very pleasant: parks, various kinds of entertainment, horse-racing. The waters are especially affective in the treatment of disorders of the stomach, colon, intestine, liver and metabolism.

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