Discover Mazzolla: History, Art, Cuisine and Cycling Tours

Mazzolla between festivals, cuisine and culture

The Festa di Mazzolla takes place every year on August 10 in honor of the patron saint San Lorenzo and now also welcomes tourists and visitors. At the Festa, pappardelle al cinghiale are served; dishes made with local products from the immediate surrounding area are also part of the celebration.

Nuova Trattoria Albana has been in existence for more than 60 years. It selects ingredients from local producers. Pizzeria Erta Terra bakes its pizzas in a wood-fired oven; its terrace offers sweeping views of the Berignone Nature Reserve.

Villas, church and medieval traces

Villa Giorgi Viti is a residence of the Viti family and combines styles ranging from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. The villa includes a walled garden with two 16th-century defensive towers. The oldest section stands on the remains of Etruscan-Roman structures. In 1975, a scene from the RAI series “La Donna Velata” was also filmed in the garden of Villa Viti.

The Church of San Lorenzo is built in the Romanesque style, with a single-nave layout, a rafter roof and a gabled façade. It is mentioned in documents dating from 1276; a baptismal font was installed in the church in 1579. A walk through the streets of Mazzolla to the Piazza leads to the Church of San Lorenzo.

Art in the townscape

In Mazzolla, Mauro Staccioli created the rust-red arch “Attraversando la storia”. The original work was faithfully reconstructed in 2022, and the reconstructed work was donated to the Museo Archivio Mauro Staccioli. The arch emphasized the medieval wall of the Church of San Lorenzo. In addition, a route of more than 90 kilometers featuring installations by Mauro Staccioli also passed through Mazzolla.

Books and narrated life stories

Libreria il Circolino opened on June 26, 2026, as Mazzolla’s first bookshop. In the third and fourth sections, it features carefully selected fiction in English and French. Libreria Umana in Borgo Mazzolla was held for the third time following editions in June 2024 and June 2025. In the Libreria Umana format, the audience can listen to the story of each human book and then ask questions, comment and share memories.

One edition of Libreria Umana presented the stories and professional experiences of an alabaster worker, a truffle hunter, a cook, a cheesemaker and a person working in salt production.

Routes through landscape and history

The road connecting SR 68 with Mazzolla offers impressive views of the Calanchi. A paved route from Volterra to San Gimignano is designated for car journeys and cycling tours and passes through Mazzolla.

For cycling tours, the “Ciclotour della Riserva Naturale di Berignone e Tatti” leads from medieval Mazzolla via the Fosci into the Berignone Nature Reserve. Another cycling tour reaches the Torraccia in the heart of Berignone, also known as Castello dei Vescovi.

From Mazzolla, a trekking tour toward the Berignone Nature Reserve can be continued along forest paths to the ruins of fortresses and castles. The planned Berignone Crossing Trail was intended to start in Mazzolla and take place in the Berignone forest.

More destinations for your trip to Italy

If you would like to discover other destinations in the same higher-level area besides Mazzolla, these links will take you to Pignano, Prato D'era, Saline and Villamagna.

For the higher-level travel overview: Volterra.

More travel destinations

More places under the same destination:

Prato D'era.