Luiano
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Going down from San Casciano the stretch of the via Cassia, which was once known as the “Strada Romana Nuova” crosses the Greve al Ponte dei Falciani. Here, on the right begins via Chiantigiana. A few kilometers on, the road for Luiano branches off to the right. It travels across woods and joins the via Grevigiana to Mercatale. Continuing on via Chiantigiana towards Ferrone, you pass several factories which produce terracotta objects with clay from the hills of Impruneta. The road to the right of the Ponte al Gabbiano is via di Gabbiano, which connects via Chiantigiana to the Quattro Strade. From Ponte al Gabbiano a country road on the left leads to the Church of Sant’Angelo a Vico l’Abate and to the Castle of Gabbiano. A right-turn, about halfway down via di Gabbiano, is via di Novoli; shortly after, another turning to the right, via della Leccia, leads to Mercatale.
Luiano
In 1093 the lands of “Luriano”, most probably named after a Roman owner, Lurius, belonged to the Counts Cadolingi. The church was already standing in 1156 and despite the restoration work made necessary by the earthquake of 1895 and by the Second World War, its Romanesque structure of alberese stone is almost intact. The doorway and the window of the facade were transformed during a renovation. The original masonry of the lovely apse is made of alberese of different shades, with some blocks of serpentine, not a local stone. The original window contains an alabaster pane. Originally, the bell gable had a small column decorated with acanthus leaves and human heads, typical of the Romanesque style in Lucca. The badly weathered column was probably removed in 1635 when the belfry was raised,and now it supports the lectern inside the church. The house near the church was formerly the the Oratory of San Biagio, founded in 1475 by Giaco di Tommaso di Angelo da Luiano, as is recorded in the inscription above the door.
Trattoria di Sor Paolo
On via Cassia at a stone’s throw from San Casciano, is the Trattoria di Sor Paolo. For decades the Ciattini family has been creating gastronomic delights at Sor Paolo using traditional methods and the finest natural ingredients. Here honest Tuscan dishes triumph: home made vegetables in olive oil; lardo di Colonnata, minestra di farro or spelt soup; pappa al pomodoro, a traditional tomato soup made with bread; wild boar pappardelle; topini in duck sauce; the Florentine mixed fry, consisting of a bit of everything, chicken, rabbit, frog’s legs, brains and sweetbreads; fried vegetables; charcoal grilled meat, lamb sweetbreads and pork chops; mascarpone pudding; chocolate cake; home-made almond cantuccini; and the secret recipe of Sor Paolo’s special plums. In the summer you can eat out in the garden and admire the collection of antique wine-making machinery and vintage cars. You can find the restaurant at Via Cassia towards Firenze, 38-40 San Casciano Val di Pesa Phone +39 055 828402.
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Return to San Casciano in Val di Pesa