Peccioli & Lajatico: where history meets contemporary art

PECCIOLI & LAJATICO, TWO AUTHENTIC GEMS INSIDE OF TERRE DI PISA
A full-day tour visiting two of the most famous medieval hamlets in the Valdera region: Peccioli, winner of the 2024 Borgo dei Borghi award, and Lajatico, birthplace of Andrea Bocelli.

Strolling through the two hilltop charming villages you'll step straight into history. Narrow streets, ancient churches, and traditional Tuscan homes tell stories of the past, while the warm local community makes you feel instantly welcome. Look closer, and you'll find surprising contemporary artworks placed around the towns, each one showing the unique spirit and character of its home. It's authentic Tuscany with a modern twist, waiting to be explored.
In Tuscany, visiting a village isn't often just about its past: both Peccioli and Lajatico look ahead, offering their community and visitors a rich program of cultural events and experiences.

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The guided visit to Peccioli 
Peccioli is a little hilltop medieval village that hosts numerous contemporary art pieces integrated into the medieval architecture of its historic center. We will explore various contemporary art installations by artists such as Remo Salvadori, Hidetoshi Nagasawa, Daniel Buren, Jeppe Hein, Tuttofuoco and uncover the ancient soul of the village, including the Romanesque church of San Verano. We will also visit the "Palazzo Senza Tempo", recently restored while preserving its 15th-century façade that reinterprets traditional medieval architecture. This building offers a stunning suspended terrace overlooking the rolling hills that surround the village. In 2024, Peccioli earned the title Borgo dei Borghi, a competition highlighting Italy's most beautiful villages.
The town organizes many cultural events throughout the year, which support the local economy and make it enjoyable for visitors.
If interested, and when available, we can visit the tiny and charming Etruscan museum, opened in the mazy basements of a historical palace in town. It is an opportunity to learn a lot about the usages and the history of this original Pre-Roman population through several recent finds belonging to a rural sacred temple.

Lajatico, birthplace of Andrea BocelliTo reach Lajatico, you travel along a beautiful road lined with cypress trees, opening onto breathtaking views of the Tuscan hills. Lajatico is a village of fewer than 1000 inhabitants, where everybody knows each other and the community is strong and welcoming. It's famous for being the birthplace of tenor Andrea Bocelli, who organizes a grand concert every year in the surrounding countryside at a truly spectacular venue, called the Teatro del Silenzio. This event attracts tens of thousands of guests annually. Find out our packages for to this event here, including admission tickets.
With our guide you'll explore the village historic center and uncover its ancient history. The town also showcases several contemporary art installations that change every year, giving the village a lively and welcoming atmosphere for curious visitors. Afterwards, we’ll take a pleasant walk to the Teatro del Silenzio, a magical spot offering breathtaking views on the gentle hills of Tuscany with the skyline of the town Volterra.

To complete visit in the best way a Tuscan lunch with traditional recipes is served at one of the charming restaurants either in Lajatico or Peccioli. We’ll end our day toasting with a glass of sparkling prosecco produced by the family Bocelli at their Foodcourt.

This is a fascinating day spent among local people, discovering their culture, lifestyle, and vision for the future.

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This is a list of specialties that you are likely to sample as part of the program of this tour. Please, note that the specialties of the tasting session and/or lunch may vary according to the season and the availability of the products in the day of the tour.

Bruschettas

Bruschettas

A plate of mixed bruschettas, topped with fresh tomatoes, cheese and sausage, arucola and lemon juice or simply extra virgin olive oil. Bruschettas are very common appetizers in all Italy and in Tuscany they are commonly called crostini. You can top grilled bread with almost anything that comes to your mind and served varied and […]

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Ravioli al burro e salvia

Ravioli al burro e salvia

Fresh hand-made ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta, topped with butter and sage and finished with parmesan cheese and black pepper! A masterpiece of Tuscan cuisine with the simplest and yet so delicious ingredients.

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Tagliatelle all’uovo

Tagliatelle all’uovo

Fresh egg-based tagliatelle are typically hand made during our cooking classes as one of the main dishes. They are made of simple durum wheat flour and fresh eggs, with a little pinch of salt. The most important component is the love of our chef’s hands…

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Maccheroni

Maccheroni

A plate of maccheroni made in Tuscany with a delicate sauce of cauliflowers and tomatoes. Maccheroni are one of the most popular kind of pasta that the Italians eat with seasonal sauces almost every day. The most delicious version is Maccheroni di Toscana by Pastificio Martelli.

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Tuscan red wine

Tuscan red wine

The Tuscan soil provides a wide variety of red wines, from easy-to-drink young table wines to full-body and robust riservas. Tuscan red wines are often based on Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo or Colorino grapes and sometimes on international grapes like Merlot, Cabernet or Syrah. The most curious experiements are recently involving Alicante and Tempranillo!

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Tuscan white wine

Tuscan white wine

Tuscan white wines are often based on a typical grape called Vermentino, which provides strong minerality and freshness to the wines made with it. The area of San Gimignano provides the one and only white wine DOCG in Tuscany: Vernaccia. Other very common grapes for white wines in Tuscany are Trebbiano and Malvasia.

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Sparkling wine

Sparkling wine

Sparkling wine is a history long tradition in Italy. The most popular version is Prosecco, produced in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions. Other sparkling wines include a number of Metodo Classico appellation and plenty of sweet dessert sparkling wines like Moscato d’Asti or Asti Spumante.

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In our tour we like showing you places off the beaten track and introducing you to Tuscan people with their personal stories, careers and characters.
You will have one of our guides with your party during the whole tour. Please, see below all the guides who can be with you.
During this experience you can also meet some of the Tuscan friends involved in the events. Please, see below which friends you are likely to encounter.

Moira

guide

Moira

Pisa city tour guide & and tour leader at Arianna & Friends'

Ciao a tutti! My name is Moira, and I originally come from the north-west of Italy, from the city of Turin. I moved to Tuscany in 2012, immediately falling in love with the culture, the arts and history, the food, and of course, my favourite!, the wines of this beautiful region.
I started working with Arianna & Friends back in 2013 as an assistant at the Tourist Information Office of a small hilltop village, where our office was initially located. Later, I obtained my city guide license, and today I am the city tour guide on the team for the main towns of Pisa, Volterra, and San Miniato, as well as for some of our less famous tiny villages, which hide many secrets and have such a loooong history, such as Lari, Lajatico, and Peccioli.
I also obtained a license as an official truffle hunter, but I’m still mainly a truffle eater! My enthusiasm for learning new things never stops. I even learned how to become a professional olive tree pruner. When I’m not on tour, walking around our amazing places talking about art, culture, and history, or discovering local specialties together with our guests, you’ll find me in the office, taking care of bookings and reservations. I specialize in organizing active and fun weekends for groups of girlfriends.
I really hope to meet you soon to show you around our beautiful land, and since I come from another region, I can also reveal some secrets that Tuscan people will never confess!!

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