Casciana Terme and Lari used to be two separate hill towns, located in the hills south of the better known town of Pontedera, in the province of Pisa. Since January 1, 2014, the two towns form the municipality of Casciana Terme Lari.
Casciana Terme Lari travel guide
Useful information
Tourist information: Via Cavour, 11 – Casciano terme Lari.
Town hall: Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, 2 – Lari (PISA). Phone: +39 0587 687511.
Railway station: The railway station Pontedera-Casciana Terme is slightly misleading since it is located in the center of Pontedera. The name Casciano was added because the hot springs are the most popular attraction in the area. There are buses from the station tot Casciana. Casciana Terme and Lari are connected by a bus line. The trip takes slightly over 10 minutes.
Nearest airport: Pisa.
Tourist attractions
Casciana Terme
The main point of interest in Casciana Terme is the Church of San Martino in Petraija.
The historical center contains remains of the ancient city wall and of the castle. The castle contains an exhibition of medieval agricultural instruments and of object used to torture people.
The Palazzo Pretorio is a historical building.
The San Nicola Church dates back to the 13th century. The Church of the Immaculate Conception was constructed in 1607.
Lari
In Lari, the Medicea Fortress and the Santa Maria Assunta Church are the most important sights.
Crèspina
The biggest attraction of the suburb of Crèspina is the Church of San Michele. The Oratory of the Villa Belvedere dates back to the 18th century.
Cevoli
The main attraction here is the Villa dei Conti Cevoli.
A brief history of Casciana Terme Lari
Casciana Terme has been known since Roman times for the beneficial effect of the water in the springs near the town. The first real baths were built here in 1311 by the Pisanese.
The earliest document referring to the castle around which the original village developed date from 1067, and was written by Marquis Gottifredo of Tuscany.
In 1230, the Upezzinghi da Mazzagamboli resided in the castle, which was later taken over by the archbishops of Pisa.
In the 14th century it was the seat of the Capitanato delle Colline Superiori (“Captainship of the Higher Hills”), which was governed by the republic of Pisa.
In 1406, Casciano came to be governed by Florence.
In 1776, many municipalities were aggregated to Casciano.
In 1927, some smaller suburbs broke away to form the municipality of Bagni di Casciana.
How to get to Casciana Terme Lari
From both Pisa and Livorno, it is best to take the Strada di Grande Comunicazione Fi-Pi-Li (that is really what it is called) and then from Ponsacco take the SP13 in a southerly direction.