Lajatico is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany , located about 50 kilometers (31 mi) southwest of Florence and about 40 kilometers (25 mi) southeast of Pisa . Lajatico sits in mainly hilly terrain at variable elevations from 100 to 650 meters (330 to 2,130 ft) above sea level) and dominates both the end of the Valdera valley and the opening of the valley known as Val di Cecina.
7-517: La Sterza , one of its hamlets ( frazioni ), is the natural door between these two geographical areas. The Sterza, Era , and the Ragone rivers form natural borders, placing Lajatico in a very central position to reach Tuscan cities and seaside resorts. Lajatico is, however, best known as the home town of tenor Andrea Bocelli . His annual concerts at the Teatro del Silenzio are attended by people from all around
14-498: A marquisate to the Corsini until 1776, when Lajatico annexed the municipality of Orciatico. In 1869, it also annexed part of the territories belonging to the municipalities of Montecatini and Volterra. La Sterza La Sterza is a village in Tuscany , central Italy , administratively a frazione of the comuni of Lajatico and Terricciola , province of Pisa . At the time of
21-544: A Pisan noble who decided to sell out his native land, and gave the castles of Lajatico, Orciatico and Pietracassia to the Florentines. In 1434, the Florentines demolished not only the walls of the town, but also the wall and towers of the surrounding villages, to punish their inhabitants for their submission to Niccolò Piccinino , condottiero under the Visconti of Milan . In 1664, the same castles with their territories were ceded as
28-521: The Battle of Meloria . At the end of the hostilities, Lajatico came back to the Bishop of Volterra, who brought it, together with Orciatico, Pietracassia and other castles, under the jurisdiction of the city of Florence , which held it until the peace of Fucecchio , in 1293. Aside from 1362, when Florence occupied Lajatico for a short time, and kept it under the jurisdiction of Pisa until 1406, when Pietro Gaetani ,
35-414: The Bishop of Volterra , Adimaro Adimari, his property stretching to Lajatico and neighboring areas. In 1161, another part of Lajatico was given to the Bishop of Volterra, until Bishop Ildebrando Pannocchieschi, due to a Papal Bull of August 1186, took over the political jurisdiction. In 1202, Lajatico and part of Volterra came under the influence of Pisa until 1284, when Pisa was defeated by Genova in
42-517: The suffix “atico” indicates, is of Lombard origins (c. 7th century AD), but the first settlements are much more ancient. Archaeological evidence suggests (a funeral stone, some urns , terracotta vases, etc.) that the village is Etruscan in origin. The first written document mentioning Lajatico dates from 891. From then on, the Castrum Ajatici was property of the powerful Pannocchieschi family of Elci . In 1139, Ranieri Pannocchieschi gave to
49-422: The world, every year. Lajatico has the following hamlets (frazioni) associated with it: Orciatico , an ancient small medieval village; San Giovanni di Val d'Era ; and La Sterza . Another small locality is Spedaletto, a stomping ground of Lorenzo de' Medici . Lajatico borders the following municipalities: Chianni , Montecatini Val di Cecina , Peccioli , Riparbella , Terricciola , Volterra . Lajatico, as
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