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San Vincenzo,
a coastal town on the shores of the Thyrranean sea, is one of the best
equipped touristic centers of the Etruscan Coast. To has an excellent harbour with
more than three hundred spaces for boats and it has the biggest accommodation
capacity of all the Val di Cornia and the Etruscan Coast.
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Its beach of fine white sand runs for ten kilometers
and is surrounded by thick Mediterranean woods that reach directly
to the sea. It can be easily reached by car and by train (from the
Rosignano exit of the A12 motor way with the Aurelia highway and with
the through trains and lnterCity trains of the FF.SS. (Italian Railroads)
line Modane -Turin -Genova -Pisa -Rome), and the "G. Galilei" International
Airport of Pisa is only 60 kilometers away. San Vincenzo has all the
public services and facilities needed.
It is very near to the promontory of Populonia and to the center of an important
Etruscan archeological area. lt is only a few kilometers away from old villages
and medieval towns such as Suvereto, Sassetta, Campiglia Marittima, Bolgheri,
Catagneto Carducci, Volterra, San Gimignano and Siena.
Pisa and Florence are also just around the corner San Vincenzo is also a few
minutes away from the island of Elba and is in front of the island of Capraia.
From the harbour depart tours on sea routes of very interesting landscapes. This
town is very well equipped for sports and
free time, and gives the tourists the chance of doing all sorts of activities. |
The Palace of culture and the Communal
Library, with the conference room, placed inside an old farm in Via
Beatrice Alliata that has been restored with salvaging works, host
meetings, expositions and cultural events all year round. In the St.Vincenzo
Ferreri church you can see frescoes by Gianpaolo Talani, and in the
Council Room is exposed the triptych by Daniele Govi on the Battle
of San Vincenzo.
The nearby spa of Caldana also allow a curative stay. The wildlife oasis of the Rimigliano
Natural Park suggests walks through untouched and protected nature.
Starting from the small centre of San Carlo you can do excursions on hilly paths.
Guided tours can be taken of the archeological mineralogical Park and of the
Rock of San Silvestro. Come nighttime, there are plenty of opportunities for
entertainment and leisure in the various night spots that offer a wide choice
for people of all ages. For the lovers of gastronomy, further to Pietrangelini's "Gambero
Rosso" that is always signaled at the top of national restaurants, there
is a wide choice of establishments with
dishes that vary from seafood specialities to dishes prepared with the wholesome
products of the nearby hills and countryside. In and around San Vincenzo flourish
the production of wine with the D.O.C. "Val di Cornia" and "Bolgheri" and
of Extravergine Olive Oil, in accordance with the best tuscan traditions. |
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San Vincenzo is placed where the
Metal Hills reach the sea, forming a trait that links the plain of
the river Cecina with the plain of the river Cornia. This small town
was known since ancient times and its first known name was "Torre
San Vincenzo" , that came from the coastal tower that is now part
of the Galoppini's house.
This tower is part of a series of coastal fortifications and look-outs scattered
along the coast to defend the beaches and the villages from the attacks of pirates.
The first traces of human presence date back to the superior paleolithic age.
During Etruscan times this area was densely populated, both for the proximity
of Populonia, that was the very powerful Lucumonia at that time, and for the
presence of minerals, of large forests and foundries that almost certainly made
this an industrial area.
The Romans, once they had conquered this area, made the Aurelia road pass through
San Vincenzo and probably built a village and a harbour here. In 1406 A.D. the
Republic of Pisa built the coastal Tower, thus stating the new community of San
Vincenzo.
Next to the tower evolved the first centre, made up mainly of small houses of
fishermen and farmers. In 1406 San Vincenzo "passed" under florentine
domination and became part of Campiglia's territory.
It will then follow the destiny of the Grand Dukedom of Tuscany until the unification
of Italy. |
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