Peccioli
area operatoriPeccioli
The bell tower of the 11th-century Pieve di San Verano makes the silhouette of Peccioli on the hills an unmistakable sight.
The church was designed by architect Bellincioni and contains valuable works of the Pisan school.
The facade of the nearby Palazzo Pretorio features the crests of the podestà or high officials and the building is home to the Russian Icon Museum. The museum honours the Moscow correspondent, journalist Francesco Bigazzi, who donated his collection of 19th and early 20th century icons to the Municipality of Peccioli.
The museum also houses the International Icon School and Workshop, organising seminars, restoration and painting courses in collaboration with the State Russian Museum at Saint Petersburg.
Peccioli boasts a museum system run by the Fondazione Peccioli per l’Arte that includes the Archaeological Museum (with the recent discovery of the Ortaglia Etruscan Sanctuary), the Engravings and Lithography Collection, the Bell Tower and the Museum of Religious Art.
Peccioli is not only surprising for its cultural contributions, but also for its theatrical role. The 'Peccioli Teatro' company produces shows by Italian and foreign authors in the Fonte Mazzola Amphitheatre, set among the hills and built to merge harmoniously with the surrounding countryside.
Major events include summer festival 11 Lune a Peccioli and Fiabesque, held in the winter and centring on the world of fairytales.
Children can also enjoy a Prehistoric Park with glass-reinforced plastic reconstructions of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals.
Spread throughout the surrounding areas, with its wonderful hilly landscapes with distinctive vineyards and olive groves, are numerous small communities, such as Fabbrica with the former castle and early rural church, Libbiano with its astronomical observatory and Legoli that features the Santa Caterina Chapel containing a Benozzo Gozzoli tabernacle. Peccioli was awarded the Bandiera Arancione by the Touring Club Italiano in recognition of high quality of the territory and the tourism services.
