Cascina

This article is about the italian comune. For traditional farmhouses of the Po Valley, see cascina a corte.

Cascina
—  Comune  —
Comune di Cascina
Pieve di Santa Maria in Cascina.
Coat of arms
Cascina Location of Cascina in Italy
Coordinates: 43°41′N 10°33′E / 43.683°N 10.55°E / 43.683; 10.55
Country	Italy
Region	Tuscany
Province	Pisa (PI)
Frazioni	Badia, Casciavola, Laiano, Latignano, Marciana, Musigliano, Navacchio, Pettori, Ripoli, San Benedetto, San Casciano, San Frediano a Settimo, San Giorgio, San Lorenzo a Pagnatico, San Lorenzo alle Corti, San Prospero, San Sisto al Pino, Sant'Anna, Santo Stefano a Macerata, Titignano, Visignano, Zambra
Government
– Mayor	Alessio Antonelli
Area
– Total	79.2 km2 (30.6 sq mi)
Elevation	8 m (26 ft)
Population (30 September 2010)
– Total	44,133
– Density	557.2/km2 (1,443.2/sq mi)
Demonym	Cascinesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
– Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	56021
Dialing code	050
Patron saint	Sts. Innocent and Florentinus
Saint day	Tuesday after the last Sunday of May
Website	Official website

Cascina (pronounced with stress on first syllable: Càscina) 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, 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 July 26, 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.

Main sights

• Medieval walls
• Castle of Ripoli
• Pieve di Santa Maria
• Oratorio di San Giovanni
• Church of the Madonna dell'Acqua (Madonna of the Water)
• Parish church of Saints Ippolito and Cassiano

In locality Zambra is a 9th century church with unusual wall paintings of fish in pre-Romanesque style. At San Casciano a Settimo, 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 the Abbey of San Savino.

Science

Cascina 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

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy

Cascina is twinned with:

• Umm Dreiga, Western Sahara
• Sebnitz, Germany
• Saliès, France, since 2007

External links

• Official website