Pisa – Stay and Explore at Badia di Morrona

Pisa – Stay and Explore at Badia di Morrona

The Badia di Morrona winery near Pisa has been featured previously on this website for some excellent red wines.  The first article concentrated on I Sodi del Paretaio, two Chianti DOCG wines. Then, the second piece featured their flagship wine, VignaAlta. This latter red wine is a Tuscan gem, the best expression of Sangiovese they can make and one of the leading wines in the Terre di Pisa DOC.

Given this, I was fortunate to visit the winery for a long weekend coinciding with the final days of the 2024 harvest. However, I also had an opportunity to explore the surrounding area as a tourist. Consequently, this article attempts a broader scope beyond wine and suggests many other compelling reasons to visit this unique but relatively unknown area of Tuscany.

More than Wine

I’m conscious that only the most dedicated wine lovers have an unlimited tolerance for visiting wineries and vineyards. While that usually applies to me, I’m firmly in the minority. More commonly, wine visits are a holiday activity where other family members’ interests are best considered. To paraphrase the old proverb, ‘All wine and no play make Jack a dull boy’. In short, the best holidays comprise a balance of activities.

Fortunately, Badia di Morrona, like many wineries, developed its potential for agriturismo and makes for an excellent base for holidays and exploration. It’s a truism that Tuscan vineyards often occupy beautiful, unspoiled landscapes, and that’s undoubtedly the case here. However, there still need to be other attractions, such as arts and culture, history, and activities – all of which this place excels in. So, let’s start with Badia di Morrona and then briefly explore some of the many attractions on its doorstep.¹

Badia di Morrona

This is near the hill town of Terriccio, just 30 minutes south by car from Pisa International Airport (Galileo Galilei). As previously hinted, it makes an excellent base for staying and exploring. It’s in the green heart of the Terre di Pisa.

The estate’s origins lie with the Badia (a hilltop monastery). This monastery began in 1089, moved to its Romanesque hilltop site in 1182, and became a private villa used by the Bishops of Volterra until Italian Unification. The beautiful villa contains Etruscan mosaics and old wine cellars. Meanwhile, the frescoed Abbey Church remains consecrated, and marriages are still conducted.

The current owners are the Gaslini Alberti family (with roots in Genoa and Florence), who bought this vast estate in 1939. It covers 600 hectares, including 110 hectares of vineyards and 40 hectares of olives. The rest is a mix of oak and cypress woods and arable land.

 

Wine

In the 1990s, Badia di Morrona made far-sighted improvements designed to improve wine quality and became a leading light in this part of Tuscany. The biggest of these improvements involved a replanting programme using clones and rootstocks selected to match a mosaic of soil types, which include clays, sands, marls and fossils.

Sangiovese occupies 60% of the vineyard area. Other red varieties planted include Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Canaiolo. In white, there’s Chardonnay, Vermentino, Colombana² and Trebbiano. The vineyard parcels scatter around the estate, producing ten wines and half a million bottles annually. There is also excellent olive oil.

Winemaking is no longer at the old Badia. Instead, a modern underground winery is gravity-fed and solar-powered, while waste-water purification is also undertaken. Tastings, various tours, a shop, and a delightful open-air terrace are also available for visitors.

However, the changes made at the estate were not only about wine growing; other business initiatives have broadened its appeal, including turning it into a great holiday base.

Staying

One of the plus points of staying at Badia di Morrona is the quality and variety of the accommodation, which the word agriturismo doesn’t entirely do justice. This is because, until modern times, farming was on the once-common sharecropping system. This was a widespread legal arrangement in which the landowner let the tenant use the land in return for a share of the crops produced. This meant there were many ancient farm buildings.

However, sharecropping is outmoded, and, in any case, many tenants left agriculture to find better pay in places such as the Piaggio factory (making Vespa’s) at Pontadera. Instead of leaving the farms empty, Badia di Morrona converted them into six secluded villas and apartments of various sizes, sleeping from 4 to 20.

All these villas date from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They are traditionally built, featuring original beams and fireplaces. However, all have been tastefully modernised to retain their character yet provide modern comforts, including fully equipped kitchens for self-catering, TV, Wi-Fi, and air conditioning. Outside, each has parking, a barbeque, gardens, and a swimming pool. Imagine getting married at the Badia  – plenty of room for special guests. And don’t forget to visit it.

During your stay, you could just linger by the pool. Why not ride a bike or take a hike – there are many paths and trails through the estate. There are also cookery classes and wellness activities available.

Meanwhile, I stayed in Villa Vivaja, a cottage that sleeps four. It was super-comfortable and quiet, serenaded by cicadas in the evening and, on Sunday morning, by the church bells from the surrounding hilltop towns.

Eating

Self-catering here is enhanced by buying fresh produce from markets held most days in the surrounding towns and villages. However, plenty of local options exist if you prefer to dine out. One such is Badia di Morrona’s restaurant, Bisteccheria Agricola La Fornace.

The signature dish of this busy and atmospheric place is authentic Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a rare steak grilled over charcoal oak embers and served with baked potatoes and cannellini beans. It’s also ideal with Badia di Morrona’s red wines, made available without the usual restaurant markups, so the top wines are easily affordable. There’s also a terrific vegan menu for lighter, plant-based alternatives!

Other must-try local eateries include Il Tino da Roberta in nearby Terricciola, which serves excellent homemade pasta and pizza. The Slow Food restaurant Locanda Del Gallo in Chianni is also exceptional.

So there’s no need to go far to eat! However, this unspoiled and less-known area has much more to offer. So let’s stay local.

 

Local Activities

Pisa

 

This ideal destination city is within reach for a long weekend away from the UK.  The Piazza dei Miracoli is where 99% of people head for straightaway. And rightly so, it’s an unmissable World Heritage site. And yes, you have to take that photo of the Leaning Tower!

Now, here’s the thing – after that, most tourists head straight off by road or rail to Florence, such is its magnetism. I’ve done it myself previously. I spoke to some fellow travellers who did precisely that – and found Florence disappointing because of overcrowding and the heat. Florence is a fantastic city, but it’s not at its best during the long tourist season and deserves better memories. These days, I love Florence in winter, but I digress.

Why not stay around Pisa instead? After all, Byron wrote, “Tell me if anything can surpass a sunset in Pisa.”

From previous personal experience, there’s plenty else to do in Pisa. Try people-watching with an espresso or spritz in the Piazza de Cavalieri. Maybe walk alongside the River Arno along the Lungarnos. Alternatively, walk along the medieval walls, which give a unique elevated view of the city. Explore the area around Borgo Stretto for shopping and nightlife. Naturally, there’s plenty of good eating and drinking.

If you fancy the beach, Marina di Pisa is only a short bus ride away and has an adventure park for children. Or try the Piaggio Museum at Pontadera, home of Vespa scooters, which is only a 15-minute train ride from Pisa Centrale station.

Peccioli

This town is only 10 km from Badia di Morrona and has recently become famous in Italy. Each year, RAI3 TV holds a televised competition called Il Borgo dei Borghi (the village of the villages). Each of Italy’s twenty regions nominates a village to participate. Then, residents create videos to show their village’s merits. Viewers vote for their favourite, and the finalists are chosen by a combination of votes and a jury of experts. Winning is no mean feat – in 2002, Soave won it.

In 2024, Peccioli was the Tuscan entrant in the 11th competition, and on 31 March 2024, it won outright. This was due to combining its medieval hilltop past with a stunning contemporary art scene. The biggest surprise is that this became possible by turning trash into treasure. It would take pages to describe this inspirational place in the way it deserves, so instead, watch this video.³

Lajatico

The village of Lajatico is also becoming an international tourist destination because it is the birthplace of Andrea Bocelli, who needs no introduction from me. For the last thirty years, annually in July, a concert is held in the setting of the Teatro del Silenzio, in which Bocelli participates with world-class musicians. The Teatro di Silenzio was created solely for this one event and is only used for it. At all other times, the natural amphitheatre and Carrera marble stones are the centrepiece of a remarkable natural setting.

Just as importantly, picturesque Lajatico has become an artist’s mecca, so art events and exhibitions are now held in the village throughout the year, with tourism boosting the local economy. You’ll also find plenty of cafés, bars and restaurants only 13km from Badia di Morrona.

The best way to discover more is to watch the film Andrea Bocelli 30th – The Event. This will be shown at UK cinemas in November and December. I’m going; here’s the trailer.

Finally, music lovers may also appreciate the Teatro Verdi Guiseppe, which offers an opera programme nearby in Casciana Terme. As the name suggests, the town also provides spas and thermal baths.

 

And Finally

I could have gone on, but it was time to leave. Is a long weekend long enough? Hardly. As you can see, there’s plenty to justify a more extended stay in the Terre di Pisa, and for many more local suggestions, please look here. There’s enough around Pisa to return to again and again, so I’ll be back soon!

Location Map

Badia di Morrona
Via del Chianti 6
Terricciola
Pisa
Toscana
Italy

What3words location

Thanks to Susanna Valenti, Amanda Robinson, Ilaria Rossi, Lorenzo Serra Cervetti, and Massimo Pasqualetti for a memorable stay!

Notes

1. Further away, yet still accessible, are many famous Tuscan destinations. Volterra and San Gimignano are only 30-45 minutes, while the cities of Sienna and Florence are 90 minutes. Bolgheri is an hour south, while westwards, Livorno is 45 minutes.
2. Colombana is a rare old white Tuscan grape variety in the Pisa area. Its primary use is in sweet Vin Santo.
3. Extra points for those readers who recognise “Sunday” by Nick Drake (from the Bryter Later album), which features on the Peccioli video soundtrack.