Cascina is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 60 km west of Florence and about 13 km southeast of Pisa. Cascina is located on the left shore of the Arno River, on a markedly plain terrain. The comune borders the following municipalities: Calcinaia, Collesalvetti, Crespina, Casciana Terme Lari, Pisa, Pontedera, San Giuliano Terme, Vicopisano.

History

The first mention of Cascina is from a document of 750 AD. The origin of the name is uncertain, but it could derive from Casina ("Small House"), or from the creek that crossed it (now disappeared), or from an Etruscan personal name, Latinized as Cassenius. On 26 July 1364, the eponymous battle between the armies of Pisa and Florence was fought here. The event was later reproduced by Michelangelo in painting, of which now preparatory drawings and a copy by Aristotile da Sangallo (also known as Bastiano da Sangallo) exist. The city had in fact a strategical importance as a fortified stronghold on the main road connecting the two cities.

Geography

The municipality is formed by the municipal seat of Cascina and the villages (frazioni) of Arnaccio, Casciavola, Laiano, Latignano, Marciana, Montione, Musigliano, Navacchio, Pettori, Ripoli, San Benedetto, San Casciano, San Frediano a Settimo, San Giorgio a Bibbiano, San Lorenzo a Pagnatico, San Lorenzo alle Corti, San Prospero, San Sisto al Pino, Santo Stefano a Macerata, Titignano, Visignano and Zambra.

Main sights

In the village of Zambra there is a 9th-century church with unusual wall paintings of fish in pre-Romanesque style. At San Casciano, a frazione with c. 3,000 inhabitants, is a basilica, renovated in the 12th century in Pisane-Gothic style. The frazione of Marciana has the church of San Miniato (10th century). At Montione is found the Abbey of San Savino.

Infrastructure

The frazione of Santo Stefano a Macerata is home to the European Gravitational Observatory and the Virgo interferometer, one of the few facilities in the World for the search for gravitational waves.

Twin towns - Sister cities

Cascina is twinned with: