Villa Saletta is an hamlet of the community of Palaia, it is in the province of Pisa.

HISTORY

The name of Villa Saletta is of Lombardic origin, it suggest a rural village with a noble villa, it was called Sala in Lombardic language.

The first testimony of Saletto is dating back to 27 June 980 thanks to Emanuele Repetti in the  archiepiscopal archive of Lucca. It is in reference to a reorganization of the levels of zone.

His parish was dedicated to Saint Pietro and Saint Michele until 1260, it was concetrated in an ample property.

In the second half of 1400 the family Riccardi were owner of the hamlet.

In 1833 the parish of Saint Michele and Saint Pietro at Saletta counted 438 citizens.

During World War Two Villa Salette was occupied by the German militaries, It caused a raid from the SS nucleus.

San Gervasio is an hamlet of the community of Palaia, it is part of the province of Pisa.

HISTORY

Even today San Gervasio show the medieval structure of the hamlet.

The bishops of Lucca had the ownership of castle, so the castle was conquered by the Republic of Pisa, but in 1436 the castle was conquered by Florence. In the following centuries the hamlet saw the presence of many noble families of Florence like Rucellai’s family…

With regard to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, it belonged to Lucca, since the 1622 when the parish church and the territory was annexed by the diocese of San Miniato. During the 1700s, the castle was transformed to a farm Villa, it achieve a full prosperity and an excellent industriousness in the mid-1800s until the first decade of 1900s.

The ownership switched to Montano’s family.It started a progressive decline of the castle and than it culminated in the past century. Since the 1960s, the estate and the entire business territory belong to Tommasini’s family.

The hamlet of Partino is located in Valdera, the hamlet extend him along the sandstone of an hill, it’s located between Palaia and the hamlet of Villa Saletta. The characteristic terrain of this place is defined by Giovanni Battista Rampoldi in XIX century like «mirabile» because it’s appear  ferruginous.

Partino is distant 2 kilometres from the administrative center and it’s distant 42 kilometres from Pisa.

HISTORY

The hamlet was born as a castle and it’s documented from 1260.

The hamlet counted 238 citizens in 1551, in 1840 they are increased to 506.

MONUMENTS

• The church of Saint Maria Assunta is mentioned in catalogs of diocese of Lucca in 1260. 30 december 1412 a document was compiled at Pisa, it says that it was rector the priest Jacopo di Giovanni. The territory of parish count 250 citizens.

The hamlet of Montechiari is located in Valdera, it is a little district of Peccioli, it is located on the peak of hill where Forcoli appear, and it adjoin at east with the hamlet of Montacchita.

Montechiari is far 9 km from the administrative center, it is far 40 km from Pisa.

HISTORY

The territory proves that it was inhabited in Etruscan era. some discoveries prove the presence of an important settlement along the road between Montechiari and Montacchita, the road constituted an important transport route between Pisa and Volterra. Rests of archeological industries were found in the neighborhood of Montechiari. The majority of industries were used for the production of bricks, in other words furnaces documented in mid-medieval and the modern era, they were situated near the master’s villa, they were built for the construction of villa and they were kept for the maintenance of villa.

The hamlet was founded in medieval era like castle. In 1362 it was set on fire and destroyed. It wasn’t rebuilded, inasmuch neither Targioni Tozzetti nor Repetti reported in their books the existence of that castle. Today there is only the majestic villa of Montechiari with her tower, it is located in the highest part of hamlet.

The hamlet of Montacchita is located in Valdera on the peak of hill. The hamlet is overlooking the plain where appear Forcoli, and it coast at west with the little hamlet of Montechiari.

Montacchita is far 8 km from the administrative center of Palaia, and it is far 40 km from Pisa.

HISTORY

The territory of Montacchita results already inhabited in Etruscan era. Montacchita born as castle district during the high medieval, on the top of the hill was situated the stronghold, in the successive years it was fortified into villa.

It was property of the Bianconi’s family of Pisa, it is documented since the end of XVIII century. Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti, in its Relazioni d’alcuni viaggi fatti in diverse parti della Toscana, he describe it like a «little castle de’ signori Bianconi di Pisa, the villa include the ancient cassero. The castle and this villa are situated in a very high peak, and they benefit of clean air with a very ample view». The villa with cassero will be demolished in the successive decade , in 1839 Repetti reported the testimony of the missing castle.

Forcoli is an hamlet of the community of Palaia, it is in the province of Pisa. The name “Forcoli” derived by the ancient “Forcole” and it derived by castrum Forcolae.

HISTORY

The older reference in the history of it appears in 1061. In period from 1141 to 1153 one side of the hamlet passed from the archbishop of Pisa to the archbishop of Lucca. In 1285 the hamlet was conquered by Florence. The hamlet didn’t escape from the consequences of the successive wars of Pisa and Florence: In 1362 an army of Florence, guided by the marquess Bonifazio Lupo, destroyed “Mercantale di Forcoli”.

The last historical buyer of Villa was baron Brunner, the piazza of the hamlet is entitled to him. In 1915 a member from the Guido Brunner family’s was delegate by his father, He had deserted from the Austro-Hungarian empire for fight with the italians. He pass away in 1916.

Colleoli is an hamlet of the community of Palaia, it is located in the province of Pisa.

HISTORY

The origins of Palazzo at the hamlet of Colleoli go back to high medieval. The construction was made by Legoli, they were lords of the castle of Colleoli with the Agostini.

In 1494 the citizens of Legoli obtained the citizenship of Pisa thanks to Andrea di ser Betto and of Giovanni Maria. The emblem of Legoli is still visible in the Palazzo on Toselli street on the corner of Garofani streeti at Pisa.

Numerous documents guarantee the structure of building, they describe the numerous buildings built in the estate from halves of XV century, it was built a furnace for the refinement of nitre. The nitre was used for the production of gunpowder, the citizens of Pisa used it for the siege against Firenze of Vicopisano and they also used it for the cooking of the decorations in cotto tile for Palazzo dell’Ussero at Pisa.

In 1293 the Agostini were obtained the citizenship thanks to sir Bacciameu. The emblem of Agostini is visible at the principal entrance of villa and of the church of hamlet: di rosso al capo d’azzurro, caricato di tre stelle di otto raggi d’oro. In 1921 the property of Colleoli was alienated to Ogna’s family by count Alessandro di Alfredo Agostini.

Baccanella(Palaia) appear in a land of Valdera, at the mid-road between Forcoli and Montanelli, down the hill of Alica. The place was known for the presence of sulphurous vinegary waters, they are very utilize for the care of rheumatisms.

The hamlet is far 7 km from the administrative center and it is far 40 km from Pisa.

HISTORY

The hamlet was known in the medieval era for the presence of Bagno a Baccanella, puddle of  cold sulphurous waters. The waters were described by Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti in his Relazioni d’alcuni viaggi fatti in diverse parti della Toscana of 1751, he has documented the presence of a little lake, it called “pozza”, it was very used for the care of various pathologies: in the same way the doctor Andrea Vaccà Berlinghieri was usual to use the waters for the care of skin diseas, rheumatism and arthritis. The original nucleus of the hamlet lead back to the presence of a tavern, a dive from which the place name. Thanks to the church construction in XVII century, the hamlet started to develop since to the modern era, it became a rural hamlet.

Alica is an hamlet of the community of Palaia, it is located in the province of Pisa.

His name seems to be attributed by the aspect of ancient farms of Triticum. Alica sure enough is the latin term of spelt, they were grown since the antiquity and used by Romans.

HISTORY

The first sources of the hamlet are date back to 980, when Guido Vescovo of Lucca ceded middle of his salary to San Genesio. It was under the jurisdiction of the Badia of San Casciano in Carigi, with the pontifical bead of Lucio III.

In 1209 it was granted the feud to the bishops of Lucca by Ottone IV, and it was confirmed by Carlo IV.

During the 1300 the Gambacorti’s family acquired many goods. During the insurrection of Pisa against Florence Alica was occupied and looted by the military of Florence.