Cascina: a medieval village with a thousand facets

Cascina - Located on the left bank of the Arno river, Cascina is a Tuscan village bordering the city of Pisa. The birth of the village dates back to the Middle Ages, to the foundation of the Pieve di Santa Maria, a place of worship still present, in Pisan Romanesque style. Among the important works kept inside, a terracotta Madonna with Child attributed to the artist Benedetto da Maiano.

The village was then fortified for defensive purposes, and remains of the walls are still visible. The civic tower of Cascina, known as the Clock Tower, is one of the testimonies, together with the aforementioned Pieve, of the history of the village. Other places of worship worthy of note are the Oratory of Santa Croce and the Oratory of San Giovanni Battista. Local craftsmanship boasts a great tradition in woodworking, told in a small town museum. Alongside tradition, innovation has arisen with the scientific and technological center of Navacchio, created to push the development of companies towards modernity. In the wake of this development, the gravitational wave detector VIRGO is present in Santo Stefano in Macerata.