Chianni

Chianni, a Tuscan municipality in the province of Pisa, rises 200 meters above sea level, 35 kilometers from Pisa and 40 from Livorno. Its historic center is characterized by picturesque views, ancient churches such as San Donato (dating back to 1600 and restored in 1800) and Madonna del Carmelo (12th century), as well as breathtaking views of the surrounding plains and chestnut forests in the hills.

Chianni is a Tuscan municipality with about 1500 inhabitants in the province of Pisa. It is 200 meters above sea level and is 35 km from Pisa and 40 from Livorno.
Its origin was probably Etruscan, but it was certainly a medieval village whose historic center was close to the church of San Donato, where an old castle was, in the Middle Ages. Because of its geographic position, it was often contested between Pisa and Volterra and finally Florence.
Chianni deserves to be visited for the glimpses and the typical streets of its historic center, for churches such as the San Donato parish church (dating back to 1600 and restored in 1800) and the Madonna del Carmelo church (12th century) as well as for panoramic views of underlying plains and for forests and chestnuts woods in the surrounding hills.
Not to be missed is the nearby village of Rivalto (a charming hamlet at 320 meters) and the Wild Boar Festival (mid-November).

Cyclists starting from the junction of Bagni di Casciana (about 130 m asl) must face a series of ups and downs for 7.5 km amid the smooth and colorful Pisan hills. The beautiful road shaded by cypress trees and flanked by olive groves and vineyards that make up the main wealth of this area, is winding, not very busy, and pleasant to ride. Just shortly before the last km, the village of Chianni (270 m asl) suddenly appears after a curve, dominated by the shape of the church of S. Donato which in the Middle Ages took the place of a previous castle.
The climb is never really hard - unless you decide to go through Rivalto (335 m asl), a small panoramic hamlet on a hill overlooking Chianni - and can be completed in about half an hour by a racing bike.