Bientina

The toponym Bientina is attested the first time in 793 as Blentina and probably comes from the Etruscan name Plitine.

Territory

Bientina is located between Lucca's plain (Piana di Lucca) and the Valdarno.

It is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) to the west of Florence and about 15 kilometres (9 mi) east of Pisa and it borders the following municipalities: Altopascio, Buti, Calcinaia, Capannori, Castelfranco di Sotto, Santa Maria a Monte, Vicopisano.

To the north of the town there was once the largest lake in Tuscany, the Lago di Bientina, until it was drained in 1859 and converted to farmland.

The municipality is formed by the municipal seat of Bientina and the villages (frazioni) of Caccialupi, Puntone, Quattro Strade and Santa Colomba.

Climate

Bientina experiences a Mediterranean Climate like other cities in Central Italy.

Being more distant from the sea, winters are usually less mild than Pisa and summers are warmer.

The climatic classification is "Zone D, 1856 GR/G"

Religious architecture

• San Domenico (1621): church
• Santa Maria Assunta (medieval - church expanded and renovated in the mid-1600)
• Madonna del Bosco in Santa Colomba: church
• Oratory of San Girolamo (1640), home to the museum of ancient history of Bientina
• Oratory of San Pietro and Rocco (17th century)
• Oratory of San Giusto, the first church of Bientina (12th century)

Civil architecture

• Palazzo Pancani
• La Mora tower (13th century)
• Torre Civica (Torre del Frantoio) (13th century) - center of cultural activity.
• Torre del Giglio (13th century)
• Loggetta del Palazzo Comunale (17th century)

Roads

Bientina is crossed by the Strada provinciale 439 Sarzanese Valdera and some secondary roads. Public transportation is performed by the company CTT Nord.

Trains

Until 1944 the town also had a train station along the former railway Lucca-Pontedera; the dilapidated building is still visible along the main road 25.

• Aldo Puccinelli
• Gaetano Polidori
• John Polidori
• Enrico Rossi

Bientina is twinned with Saint-Rémy-de-Provence since 1997