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Pomaia is a hamlet of 200 inhabitants in the municipality of Santa Luce; it is located in the Pisan Hills and can be reached from the SP 13 road connecting Castellina Marittima to Santa Luce or from the S 206 via Via Poggiberna. The village of Pomaia is not much different from the many Tuscan hilltop villages: the lower part, crossed by the provincial road, features functional buildings but without any particular architectural merit, while higher up lies the older part, whose predominantly medieval layout is recognizable by the winding streets that converge in small squares, the narrow alleys, the short arched tunnels separating the buildings, and the building materials (the predominantly reddish or gray stone of the facades). A few hundred meters from the village is the Tibetan monastery dedicated to Lama Tsongkhapa, visited by thousands of people, including the Dalai Lama. Buddhist philosophy and culture courses and meditation practices are held there, attended not only by clergy but also by lay people from Italy and abroad. Inside the monastery complex, among other things, is an imposing statue dedicated to the Buddha of Compassion: at 6 meters tall, it is the tallest in Europe. It is brightly colored and has four arms, expressing hope for peace, equality, and wisdom for all life. Another nearby attraction is the Santa Luce Nature Reserve, which also includes an artificial lake built by the Solvay company to ensure a constant water supply. Thanks to its location along migratory routes, the Reserve offers refuge to a wide range of birdlife and is managed by LIPU (Italian League for Bird Protection). NB: Photo #5 is taken from the website http://www.terredipisa.it/

Beautiful stretch of road with beautiful typical Tuscan views and on the coast and little traffic. To and from Riparbella and Castellina.

Beautiful stretch of road with beautiful typical Tuscan views and on the coast and little traffic. To and from Riparbella and Castellina.

Beautiful stretch of road with beautiful typical Tuscan panoramas and on the coast and little traffic.

The road from the base (in Chioma, near the junction with the Aurelia at 20 m above sea level) reaches the town of Nibbiaia (273 m above sea level) in 5.5 km with about 250 m of altitude difference. Except for a short slight slope before reaching Aia della Vecchia, the climb is continuous: the gradient from 4-6% up to the Il Vaiolo farm reaches a maximum of 10-11% up to Poggione (the hardest part); after Aia della Vecchia it remains constant at around 5-6%. After Nibbiaia, Via del Vaiolo continues in the direction of Castelnuovo della Misericordia with a series of ups and downs. The road is sufficiently wide and winds mainly through greenery, resulting in a pleasant shade and panoramic view; in the summer months, however, the heat accentuated by the effort makes you sweat a lot. It is essential to have at least one full water bottle. In the small square of Nibbiaia there is a bar and on the opposite side a fountain; another fountain is located on via Sgarallino (in the direction of Gabbro) a few hundred meters away. The descent, steep and full of curves, even challenging, is fun and allows high speeds, but requires perfectly efficient brakes, caution and attention, despite the moderate traffic.

Typical vineyards in beautiful Tuscany.

A really beautiful and recommendable section.

Halfway up the hill between the plain and Castellina Marittima, it's worth stopping at the panoramic square overlooking the valley, or for a sandwich with local cheese and ham at one of the grocery stores. Leaving the village, there's a small park with a fountain of quality water and a shaded bench near a statue of a mother with a dead child in her arms, a reminder of the barbarity of war.