Agnano

Agnano is a small village in the municipality of San Giuliano Terme, near Pisa. It sits at the foot of Monte Pisano, where the land rises gently from the Arno plain. The first written record of Agnano dates from 1047, when its castle appears in a document. The castle belonged to the Visconti of Pisa before passing to Lucca in 1169. In the 14th century Agnano gained a monastery founded by Archbishop Giovanni Scarlatti, with the church of San Girolamo beside it. The village became a favoured retreat for Lorenzo de’ Medici, who owned a villa and large estate there after 1486. Lorenzo Cybo also lived in Agnano until his death in 1549. The parish church, originally dedicated to San Frediano, was rededicated to San Jacopo in 1598 and rebuilt again in 1795. It suffered heavy damage in the Second World War and was restored by architect Beata Di Gaddo, reconsecrated in 1963 by Archbishop Ugo Camozzo. Visitors walk through the quiet lanes of Agnano and reach the Medici villa, still standing among tall trees and clear springs. The parish church of San Jacopo stands at the centre of the village, its walls rebuilt after the war yet preserving earlier forms. From the edge of the settlement paths climb into Monte Pisano, offering views over the Arno valley and the surrounding hills.