San Vincenzo

San Vincenzo , a coastal town on the shores of the Thyrranean sea, is one of the best equipped touristic centers of the Etruscan Coast. To has an excellent harbour with more than three hundred spaces for boats and it has has a big number of Hotels,camping ecc. of all the Val di Cornia and the Etruscan Coast.
Its beach of fine white sand runs for ten kilometers and is surrounded by thick Mediterranean woods that reach directly to the sea. It can be easily reached by car and by train (from the Rosignano exit of the A12 motor way with the Aurelia highway and with the through trains and lnterCity trains of the FF.SS. (Italian Railroads) line Modane -Turin -Genova -Pisa -Rome), and the "G. Galilei" International Airport of Pisa is only 60 kilometers away. San Vincenzo has all the public services and facilities needed.
It is very near to the promontory of Populonia and to the center of an important Etruscan archeological area. lt is only a few kilometers away from old villages and medieval towns such as Suvereto, Sassetta, Campiglia Marittima, Bolgheri, Catagneto Carducci, Volterra, San Gimignano and Siena.
Pisa and Florence are also just around the corner San Vincenzo is also a few minutes away from the island of Elba and is in front of the island of Capraia. From the harbour depart tours on sea routes of very interesting landscapes.
This town is very well equipped for sports and free time, and gives the tourists the chance of doing all sorts of activities.
The Palace of culture and the Communal Library, with the conference room, placed inside an old farm in Via Beatrice Alliata that has been restored with salvaging works, host meetings, expositions and cultural events all year round. In the St.Vincenzo Ferreri church you can see frescoes by Gianpaolo Talani, and in the Council Room is exposed the triptych by Daniele Govi on the Battle of San Vincenzo.
The nearby spa of Caldana also allow a curative stay. The wildlife oasis of the Rimigliano natural park suggests walks through untouched and protected nature.
Starting from the small centre of San Carlo you can do excursions on hilly paths. Guided tours can be taken of the archeological mineralogical Park and of the Rock of San Silvestro. Come nighttime, there are plenty of opportunities for entertainment and leisure in the various night spots that offer a wide choice for people of all ages. For the lovers of gastronomy, further to Pietrangelini's "Gambero Rosso" that is always signaled at the top of national restaurants, there is a wide choice of establishments with dishes that vary from seafood specialities to dishes prepared with the wholesome products of the nearby hills and countryside. In and around San Vincenzo flourish the production of wine with the D.O.C. "Val di Cornia" and "Bolgheri" and of Extravergine Olive Oil, in accordance with the best tuscan traditions.

San Vincenzo is placed where the Metal Hills reach the sea, forming a trait that links the plain of the river Cecina with the plain of the river Cornia. This small town was known since ancient times and its first known name was "Torre San Vincenzo" , that came from the coastal tower that is now part of the Galoppini's house.
This tower is part of a series of coastal fortifications and look-outs scattered along the coast to defend the beaches and the villages from the attacks of pirates. The first traces of human presence date back to the superior paleolithic age.
During Etruscan times this area was densely populated, both for the proximity of Populonia, that was the very powerful Lucumonia at that time, and for the presence of minerals, of large forests and foundries that almost certainly made this an industrial area.
The Romans, once they had conquered this area, made the Aurelia road pass through San Vincenzo and probably built a village and a harbour here. In 1406 A.D. the Republic of Pisa built the coastal Tower, thus stating the new community of San Vincenzo.
Next to the tower evolved the first centre, made up mainly of small houses of fishermen and farmers. In 1406 San Vincenzo "passed" under florentine domination and became part of Campiglia's territory.
It will then follow the destiny of the Grand Dukedom of Tuscany until the unification of Italy.