|  Inhabitants in 1991: 1.457
 Situated
on the eastern slopes of the valley of the Fine river, the municipal territory
extends for 66,72 square kilometres in a hilly region between the Val
d’Era and the Valle del Savalano. Municipality with Leopoldina
origins, from 1927 to 1957 it was united to the municipality of Orciano
Pisano with the name of Santa Luce Orciano.
It was originally owned by the Cadolingi of Fucecchio, in the
XIII century Santa Luce, as was all the territory of the Colline Superiore
came under the Ecclesiastic and political jurisdiction of the Pisa
Bishops, who maintained the dominion at length even into the following
centuries, as attests the act with which Bishop Oddone conceded in XIV
century, the jurisdiction over that territory to one of his Viscounts.
In 1406 during the siege of Pisa it was one of the first castles to make
an act of submission towards Firenze, city against whom they rebelled
in 1494 together with the Tirreno republic and other castles which were
already part of the Pisa dominion. Firenze, in retaliation , obtained
possession again a few months later and razed the fortress and fortifications.
Reduced to an open village, Santa Luce had in the following centuries
an obscure history and the single episode recorded was between 1554 and
1558 of a controversy with the Bishop of Pisa about the pasture
rights: appealing to Cosimo I, the community saw their prerogatives recognised
and confirmed. During the Nazi occupation it was the theatre of partisan
operations and had 45 victims among the fighters and civilians.
Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford |
