Holiday apartment in Orciano Pisano – Hills, fossils and festivals

Holiday apartment in Orciano Pisano amid hills and history

Orciano Pisano lies among the extensive hills of the Pisan Hills. The town is situated on a ridge separating the basins of the Fine and the Tora. For you, this provides a clear scenic setting when choosing a holiday apartment in Orciano Pisano: the town's history stands alongside a distinctive hilly location. Orciano Pisano probably has medieval origins; documents from the 8th century attest to this early history.

Fossils in the landscape of Orciano Pisano

The surrounding area also has a paleontological feature of particular interest. The three-million-year-old seal fossil Pliophoca etrusca was found in the landscape of Orciano Pisano. The paleontological area extends across the hills of Orciano Pisano and Santa Luce. The Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia displays a ten-metre-long fossil skeleton of a baleen whale that lived three million years ago. It was excavated in the hills of Orciano Pisano in 2007.

Church, art and historical traces

The Chiesa di San Michele has a neoclassical appearance and contains an original altar made of polychrome marble. The church also houses a copy of Raphael's San Michele Arcangelo. The former Pieve di Scotriano, which was suppressed in 1575, is also part of the town's history. A villa with an attached oratory was built on its site towards the end of the 18th century.

Wine, cheese and routes through the hills

The Strada del Vino delle Colline Pisane runs along the roads around Orciano Pisano. Chianti DOCG is produced in the Orciano Pisano area. Bianco Pisano di San Torpè DOC is also produced there, a wine with a dry and harmonious taste. Pecorino Toscano DOP is a soft or semi-hard cheese that is often used as an antipasto or to season traditional recipes. This allows the landscape and regional culinary culture to be taken into account together when planning your holiday.

Markets and festivals throughout the year

A weekly market takes place in Orciano Pisano on Thursday mornings. The Fiera paesana takes place on the second Monday in August, while the Festa patronale San Michele is celebrated on 29 September. The music event Io vado ad Orciano takes place in Orciano Pisano in July. At the 2019 edition of Io Vado a Orciano, the programme included a market for handicrafts and local products, bouncy castles and games for children; admission to the events was free in 2019.

Choose a holiday apartment according to your interests

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Orciano Pisano, you can base your choice of location on the topics you want to shape your stay: historical sites, fossils, markets, wine or activities in the countryside. The landscape around Orciano Pisano includes the circular hill route from Lorenzana to Orciano Pisano. Photography workshops also take place in the landscape of Orciano Pisano. For further exploration, you can also visit Pieve Vecchia.

Further destinations to choose from: Chianni, Castel del Bosco, San Giuliano Terme, Garetto Basso, Orciatico, Bientina, Montecatini Val Di Cecina.

To the main travel overview: Pisa.