Santa Maria a Monte
Welcome to Santa Maria a Monte!
Hello everyone! In this text we will talk about Santa Maria a Monte, a small municipality of around 13,331 inhabitants located in the province of Pisa, in Tuscany. Come and discover with us the physical geography, history and monuments of this wonderful city!
Physical geography
Regarding the climatic classification, Santa Maria a Monte falls within zone D, with a low atmospheric diffusivity. In addition, the city is located in zone 2, with medium-high seismicity.
History
Always highly contested among the various Tuscan cities, Santa Maria a Monte was a strategic military outpost thanks to its hilly position, which allowed to predict enemy attacks. After "passing" from Florence to Lucca, the city became a republic of Pisa. Among the historical monuments to visit, we recommend not to miss Casa Carducci, where Giosuè Carducci lived his youth and where his father Michele, the town doctor, lived. It is said that here the so-called "Casa Carducci drama" took place, where the poet's father is said to have killed his son Dante by striking him with a scalpel, apparently fed up with his son's insistent money requests. It is also worth mentioning the presence of Galileo Galilei.
Symbols
The coat of arms and the banner were granted by decree of the President of the Republic on June 8th, 1992. The banner is of a beautiful yellow color.
Monuments and places of interest
Santa Maria a Monte does not lack monuments and places of interest to visit during your stay in the city. Among the religious architectures, we signal the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista and Maria Vergine Assunta, the Oratory of Our Lady of Grace, the Church of Santa Cristina alle Pianore and the Church of Saints Joseph and Anne in San Donato (Santa Maria a Monte), just to name a few. Among the civil architectures, instead, we find Villa Medicea delle Pianore. Don't forget to visit the beautiful Santa Maria a Monte Archaeological Park and the Tavolaia Astronomical Observatory! The latter, owned by the municipality and managed by the "Isaac Newton" astronomical association of Santa Maria a Monte, is regularly open to the public for observing evenings, lectures, guided tours and various initiatives.
Society
What to know about the society of Santa Maria a Monte? We reveal some data: according to the ISTAT report of December 31st, 2018, the resident foreign population amounted to 1026 people, with the majority of Albanian and Romanian nationality. In addition, there are many associations in the territory, including the "Per Montecalvoli" Cultural Association, the "Newton" Astronomical Association, AUSER Silver Rescue, the Archers of the Hill Company and much more.
Culture
Among the cultural and artistic events of the city, the Santa Maria a Monte Municipal Theater is a must-see. Moreover, Santa Maria a Monte is also famous for the cultivated potato called "Tosca", an ingredient in numerous local recipes.
Come and discover this beautiful Tuscan city!
