Discover Lajatico

Lajatico brings together an annual open-air performance, a historic town centre and routes through the countryside. When looking for a hotel in Lajatico, it helps to first decide what brings you here: would you like to experience the Teatro del Silenzio, explore the town’s history or spend time on one of the routes? Olive oil and wine are among the area’s most important typical products.

The Teatro del Silenzio as a reason to visit

The event at the Teatro del Silenzio takes place every year. The programme includes performances from the world of opera, international pop stars and performance artists. If you are planning your trip around it, check the specific event dates before arranging your stay. The Teatro is a natural amphitheatre on a hill, 1.5 kilometres from the centre of Lajatico. Its location makes the venue a separate point to consider in your plans, alongside the town’s historic sights.

Traces of history in the town centre

Lajatico is an old settlement of Lombard origin. It was formerly a castle of the Counts Pannocchieschi and the Bishop of Volterra. The castle in the town centre dates from before the year 1000; little of it remains apart from the side facing the main piazza. The Palazzo Pretorio preserves visible prison cells, its original structure and the coats of arms of Lajatico’s former lords.

The history of the town’s religious buildings also marks distinct points in time: the original Pieve di San Leonardo dates back to 1275. The Oratorio di San Sebastiano was built in 1520 as a meeting place for prayer and the charitable works of a brotherhood. Lajatico also has a local tradition of handmade lace known as “Trina di Irlanda”. A municipal description from 2016 mentions an installation in Piazza Vittorio Veneto bearing the words “Speakers’ Corner – Angolo del parlatore” and featuring a removable stool.

Rocca di Pietracassia and the countryside

The Rocca di Pietracassia is an early medieval fortification in the municipality of Lajatico. From here, views extend across the entire Valdera and large parts of the Val di Cecina as far as the nearby city of Volterra. The Rocca therefore offers a different focus from the buildings in the town centre: here, the emphasis is on the history of fortifications and sweeping views over the countryside.

Walking routes and outdoor activities

The Grande Percorso Naturalistico can be travelled on foot, by mountain bike or on horseback. Check the condition and accessibility of the route locally. “Cento passi nella natura” is a challenging hiking route for experienced hikers. It highlights the area’s natural and scenic beauty and starts on the road to Orciatico, at the bridge over the Foscie stream; here too, trail conditions may change.

The “della Mofeta” route is 5.5 kilometres south of Lajatico. It is an environmental, nature and science trail accessible to everyone. The three descriptions emphasise different things: the Grande Percorso Naturalistico offers a choice of ways to travel, “Cento passi” is challenging, and “della Mofeta” is accessible to everyone. This lets you compare the routes based on the characteristics given without treating them as a single route.

Olive oil and wine also bring the area’s typical products into focus. Together with the annual event, historic buildings and routes through the countryside, they give Lajatico several different themes to consider when planning a trip.

Discover more destinations: La Sterza, Casale Marittimo, Boschi, Garetto Basso, Montescudaio, Lari, Le Colombaie, Buti

For the regional travel overview: Pisa.