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The village and its surroundings

What to see in Terricciola

Churches, villas, hamlets and Etruscan remains, among the hills of the Valdera. Seven places to get to know the area slowly, discovering views, history and landscape.

Church of San Donato, Terricciola
Church · Historic centre

Church of San Donato

At the highest point of Terricciola stands the Church of San Donato, one of the village's landmark places. Its commanding position makes it visible and recognisable, as if watching over the town from above. The building preserves the memory of the ancient medieval church, while its present appearance stems from the nineteenth-century renovations that defined its neoclassical character.

Built to a Latin-cross plan with three naves, it holds works of great interest: a Madonna and Child with Saints attributed to Anton Domenico Bamberini, a seventeenth-century Flagellation of Christ, a baptismal font of 1807 and a Madonna and Child on panel dated 1409.

Belvedere Hypogeum
Etruscan archaeology

Belvedere Hypogeum

One of the most fascinating places in Terricciola, because it lets you descend literally into the history of the area. Carved into the sandy rock, it is part of the remains linked to the Etruscan presence in the area, when these hills fell within the sphere of influence of Volterra.

The underground route preserves spaces and finds that tell of the ancient relationship between the community, the land and the cult of the dead — including Etruscan funerary cippi from the area. A less visible face of the village: not only the panoramic one of the hills, but also the hidden one, carved into the rock and into memory.

Sanctuary of the Madonna di Monterosso
Sanctuary · Towards Chianni

Sanctuary of the Madonna di Monterosso

Along the road leading from Terricciola towards Chianni stands the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Monterosso, a place of devotion immersed in the hilly landscape. Its secluded and evocative position makes it a perfect destination for those seeking a moment of quiet, spirituality and beauty.

It stands in the locality of Castelvecchio, in an area that recalls ancient origins. The building preserves an elegant external portico and a single-nave interior, enriched by decorations created after the earthquake of 1846: the frescoes of the dome and the altar in polychrome marble add to the charm of the place.

Badia di Morrona
Abbey · Morrona

Badia di Morrona

An ancient abbey linked to the medieval monastic presence, it tells of centuries of religious, agricultural and cultural history. Founded by the Cadolingi family, it was entrusted first to the Cluniac Benedictine monks and then to the Camaldolese, becoming a point of reference for the spiritual and economic life of the area.

From the fifteenth century it became the summer residence of the Bishops of Volterra; after the Unification of Italy it passed through several owners before coming to the Gaslini Alberti family. Today it is part of a large agricultural and wine-producing estate: you can visit the cloister, the monks' refectory, the gardens and the Romanesque church of Santa Maria a Morrona.

Bell tower of Sant'Andrea in Soiana
Hamlet · Soiana

Soiana and the Church of Sant'Andrea

Soiana is one of the most characteristic historic hamlets of the municipality. The village preserves a linear urban layout that recalls its ancient medieval configuration and invites a slow visit, made of glimpses, architectural details and views over the hills. The first documentary records date back to 1099.

At the centre of the village, the Church of Sant'Andrea was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1846. Its most recognisable feature is the imposing bell tower designed by the architect Luigi Bellincioni, completed in 1897. Inside, sober and intimate, a white marble baptismal font and an organ from 1862.

Hamlet of Casanova
Hamlet · Towards Selvatelle

Hamlet of Casanova

Small, intimate and deeply tied to the history of the Valdera, Casanova preserves the charm of villages that have no need to impose themselves. It is mentioned as a castle as early as 1164: in that year it rebelled against Pisa together with other castles in the area and, for this very reason, was dismantled by the Pisans.

In the village stands the Church of San Bartolomeo, built on the site of the ancient dismantled fortress. Inside, with a single nave, are preserved a marble baptismal font and three painted terracotta statues depicting the Madonna and Child between Saint John and Saint Bartholomew.

Interior of Villa Gherardi Del Testa
Historic residence · Village entrance

Villa Gherardi Del Testa

Located at the entrance to the village, it was the country residence of the noble Pisan family Gherardi Del Testa. It came into being in the seventeenth century and was enlarged and transformed over time, while keeping a strong bond with the surrounding hilly landscape.

The visit reveals rooms full of charm, with frescoes, stuccoes, antique furnishings and trompe-l'œil decorations. Among the most interesting spaces is the eighteenth-century central hall, conceived as a true decorated gallery. The villa is also linked to Tommaso Gherardi Del Testa, a patriot and playwright born here in the nineteenth century; today it can be visited by appointment.