Santa Luce

Santa Luce is a municipality with 1729 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region of Tuscany.

Geography

Santa Luce is located about 35 km south of the provincial capital of Pisa in the hills, which is bounded on the west by the Colline Livornesi and on the east by the Colline Pisane. Districts ( frazioni ) are next to the main town of the settlements Pomaia, Pastina and Pieve di Santa Luce. Neighboring municipalities are Casciana Terme Lari, Castellina Marittima, Chianni, Crespina Lorenzana, Orciano Pisano and Rosignano.

History

The territory was inhabited in Etruscan and Roman times, which is evidenced by vases and urns finds in Pastina and Pomaia. In the Middle Ages from 887 capital expressed a fortified castle was owned by several families, including the Cadolingi from Fucecchio and Upezzinghi from Pisa. 1406 was the place with the defeat of the Pisans to the Republic of Florence. 1496 the castle was destroyed after an uprising against the Florentines.

From 1927 to 1957 Santa Luce formed together with Orciano Pisano part of the municipality of Santa Luce Orciano.

Economy

In Santa Luce agricultural products such as olive oil, wine, grain and honey are produced. In the past, alabaster and gypsum were mined and processed. There are also several farm houses.

Culture and sights

In the main town of Santa Luce round the floor plan of the medieval castle can still be seen.

Churches

Larger churches in the community are:

• Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta di Sant'Angelo - The church is located in the village of Pieve di Santa Luce and is dated to the year 887. Originally two-aisled Romanesque building was rebuilt destroyed in an earthquake in 1846 and changed using the old material. From the previous building some elements are preserved, including capitals and an octagonal baptismal font.

• Chiesa di Santa Lucia - The Parish Church in the main town is a medieval building, which was rebuilt from 1830 to 1840. The church was badly damaged by bombs in 1944.

• Chiesa di San Bartolomeo - Church in the district of Pastina.

• In the deserted since the 1970s Monteforti village lies the ruins of the Sanctuary of the Madonna.

Others

• Eco-museum dell'alabastro - The Museum with an exhibition on the Alabaster extraction and processing part with two other facilities in Volterra and Castellina Marittima to a museum composite.

• Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa - The Buddhist Institute of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana tradition Pomaia was founded in 1977. It is one of the largest study centers of Tibetan Buddhism in Europe.

• The Lago di Santa Luce emerged in the early 1960s by damming the River Fine and serves the company's factory in Solvay Rosignano for water supply. Since 1992 there has been a bird sanctuary ( OASI Lipu Santa Luce ), and since 2000 also a nature reserve in the province of Pisa ( Riserva naturale Provinciale Lago di Santa Luce ).