DESCRIZIONE

The nature preserve of Monte Serra of Sotto extends for 400 hectares on the oriental south slope of Monti Pisani and on the north-west hamlet of Buti. It include the oriental slope of Monte Cimone and the occidental slope of Monte Passatoio.

The presence of an extend wooded area has allowed to the formation of some kinds of mushrooms like the Calocybe leucocephala and Russula chloroides.

The presence of Listera ovata is to remember, the Anacamptis laxiflora and between the cryptogam plants like Spagnum; between the vascular plants we can see le Drosere, but there is also the Rhynchospora alba.
From the point of view fauna here is present a diversified range of species: the lizard “muraiola”, the natrice from the collar, aesculapian snake, green whip snake, the salamanders. Between the mammals we count the garden dormouse and the hazel dormouse, but there is also the porcupine, common vole and bat.

DESCRIPTION

The protected area of “Stazione Relitta di Pino Laricio”, it was instituted by the authority council of Buti in 1997. From 1999 it was written into the list of the Regionals Protected Areas. It is ample 124 hectares at the east slope of Monte Pisano, it is delimited at nord by Monte Cucco. L’A.N.P.I.L. was instituted for the safeguard of somatotype of the “stazione relitta del Pino laricio”.

The specimens of Corsican pine grow surrounded by a vegetation composed by trees of maritime pine, chestnut, oak, bay tree, acacia and the sorbus and all area upholster characteristic importance from the perspective of botanical and naturalistic.

In the area exist an ancient cave of slate one time it was utilized for the upholsteries of the roofs, a woods of naturalistic merit and damp areas where the white-troated dipper nest; it is also  suppose the presence of various amphibious species like the fire salamander. The fire salamander represents an interesting sample of herpetology fauna.

DESCRIPTION

The castle of Nocco took his name by Nocco Bonfigli, because he defended the hamlet in XIV century. He substituted the two strongholds that in the medieval they controlled the road between Buti and Vicopisano. Castle of Nocco indeed was part of an ample difensive system of the territory. It was aligned at east with castello di Sant’Agata, at west with the fortification of Monte Roccali. Today we can see only the rests of this fortification, they are only an accumulations of stone. The hamlet has increased the characteristics of the medieval hamlet, but of the city wall remains only the foundation.

Between the ruins of medieval church dedicated to San Michele Arcangelo, it was rediscovered in XIX century a tombstone with the sign Ara Cerasi, it made suppose the presence of an ancient temple of Cerere, roman goddess of Mass. From the ancient religious building are still visible the perimeter stone wall, they surround the lateral stone altars and the zone of presbytery.

DESCRIPTION

Tonini’s Castle is one the most ancient residential nucleus of Buti, it appear in X century. At the beginning existed only a fortify tower of sighting, it occupied the north part of hamlet. Then the citizens began to build the first houses along the road and in consequence of it, they realized that they have to build new defensive. The structure had three towers that controlled all the access, one is still visible along the street Marianini. During the wars between Pisa, Lucca and Firenze, Tonini’s castle was place of clash and it has suffered lot of devastitions.

When Buti wasn’t any more under the Florentine control, it was started a rebuild phase on the basis of new Reinaissance parameters. The castle Schiavini Cassi was built in 1628 by Tonini’s family, and it kept her structure since the first years of 1900 when following a restoration it assumes the typical aspect of a medieval castle with the towers, merlatura and double-arched windows.

Tonini’s castle is a fortification that control and protected the ancient hamlet of Buti and it’s still present the access door of hamlet. The castle be subjected to a restoration in the first years of 1900, when his massive bulk were detached the gothic double-arched windows.

The ancient district keep again the numerous road and buildings that reminds to the ancient and medieval atmosphere.