Santa Luce

THE FOUR STORIES OF THE LINDEN TREE

Santa Luce has four stories, four faces, four identities.
The first is ancient history and is that of the church of San Bartolomeo in Pastina.
The second is a story of meditation, and flows from the melody of the mantra of the Instituto Lama Tzong Khapa of Pomaia which spreads in the air, fluid, peaceful.
The third story is a legend, and begins from the octagonal design of the Castello, passing through the baptismal font of the church and ends in the woods of Monte Maggiore: this is the story of the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail.
The fourth story, the last face of this incredible country, tells instead of the life of the alabaster quarreymen and their stone of light: the alabaster. In their history, also lives the miracle of the Madonna di Monteforti, venerated each May 13th, who is said to have allowed the construction of the little church in the woods.

Four stories of the past, magical, full of life.

The new stories, those of today, are instead of fragrant wine, wheat, olive oil, and lavender. They are gentle, like the flutter of wings in our native butterfly garden and the LIPU Oasis. They are born every day in the narrow alleys of the village and the country lanes, and they will become, over time, the new faces of Santa Luce. I am the old linden tree that guards the spring.

Under my boughs all of these stories have passed, and many more will pass. Come find me, sit in my shade. I’ll tell you a story. Or all of them.

WHERE THE QUIET IS HARMONY AND PEACE

A green sea of olive trees expands as far as the eye can see; a land full of light, fields of wheat, scents, and quiet. We are in the territory of Santa Luce and its villages with scattered houses and ancient parish churches. Santa Luce retains the layout of the ancient feudal village: houses huddle in a circle around the place from which the castle dominated the valley. The discovery of a terracotta document holder in a wall of the only remaining tower, and the characteristics of the place, have suggested the presence in this area of the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail.

The story of the Madonna carrying water in a perforated wicker basket in the now uninhabited village of Monteforti, is considered a miracle. Everything is a surprise: the vegetation has made an artificial lake; a favorite haven for migratory birds. Now the Oasis Lipu of Santa Luce has a visitor center and educational workshops. A place of peace and silence, one of the most important Buddhist centers of Europe has been established in Pomaia: the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute for studying and practicing Tibetan Buddhism of Mahayana tradition. In the Ecomuseum of Alabaster you can discover how perfect eggs of alabaster were extracted. Take a trip underground, in tunnels mined with dangerous explosions, and then learn how the alabaster was shaped by the craftsmen of Volterra.

TOURIST OFFICE

PASTINA

COOPERATIVA DI COMUNITÀ TERRANTICA

Piazza del Cerrino

Tel. +39 375.5026662

SANTA LUCE

Municipality

Piazza della Rimembranza

Tel. +39 050.68491

santaluce @costadeglietruschi.eu