Here`s another suggestion for a one-day trip in the outskirts of Pisa!
After having visited Volterra and Val di Cecina (for more information read the previous chapter of this tourist guide), it is time to visit Lari and its stronghold, the Castello dei Vicari.

Situated within a 40/50-minute drive from the vacation villa you have rented in Pisa, Lari is an ancient village that reached the peak of its glory in the 15th century.

The village lies on a hill that dominates most of Valdarno and in the Middle Ages was at the centre of the disputes between Pisa, Lucca and Florence. After having defeated its two enemies, Florence made Lari into a Vicariate.

Its stronghold, built between 1230 and 1287 by order of the Upezzinghi family, underwent substantial renovation works and became the house of the vicar (hence the name Castello dei Vicari) as well as the court-house; it also housed the chancery and the prison.

And the main legend about the castle concerns the prison, which was situated in the basement and was called "inferno" (hell): according to it, the ghost of Giovanni Princi, who died in the prison, appears every year in the night between December 15th and 16th to demand justice.

Apart from the legends, one thing is certain: if you are in Lari do not forget to buy some cherries and some Tuscan maccheroni. Here`s a recipe for you to cook in the kitchen of your holiday villa in Tuscany: maccheroni with pine-kernels, cherry tomatoes, sage and rosemary.

Enjoy your meal!