SAN ROSSORE PARK
A few minutes from the center of Pisa there is a place that seems to live in another dimension, the Tenuta di San Rossore. It is not a simple urban park, but a true protected natural area: a mosaic of woods, grasslands, wetlands, and dunes that preserves one of the most precious ecosystems on the Tuscan coast.
The estate is part of the Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli Regional Park and extends for over 4,600 hectares between the Arno and Serchio rivers, overlooking a stretch of coastline that has remained intact for centuries.
It is a place that is visited with respect and awareness, because it is made up of fragile environments and of great naturalistic and historical value.
THE HISTORY
The Estate spans almost a millennium of history, intertwining political events, European dynasties and transformations of the territory.
The first certain date linked to this area is 1084, when Emperor Henry IV donated it to the diocese of Pisa. At the time, the area was known as “Pisan tomboli”, a coastal strip shaped by wind and water, where woods and marshes alternate seamlessly.
In 1406, with the conquest of Pisa by Florence, the estate entered the orbit of the powerful Medici family. For them, San Rossore became a place of hunting and recreation, but also a laboratory for transformation: land reclamation, water management, and the first large-scale pine forest plantings were begun, designed to protect the fields from the sea wind and produce timber and pine nuts.
In the eighteenth century the Lorena family took over, definitively purchasing the estate in 1822. With them, San Rossore opened up to the Pisans: the Viale delle Cascine was born, connecting it to the city, and the horse racing track, still present today, took shape.
The nineteenth century brought a new chapter: with the annexation of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany to the Kingdom of Italy, the estate passed to the House of Savoy. It becomes their summer residence and is home to a busy rural community made up of farming families, ranchers, artisans and woodworkers.
The twentieth century marks a decisive turning point. After the Second World War, San Rossore became state property and, since 1957, the summer residence of the Presidents of the Italian Republic. For decades the Estate remains closed to the public: a protected place, where nature continues to evolve without external pressure. This long phase of isolation has allowed coastal and forested environments to be preserved in an extraordinary way, maintaining a rare ecological continuity along the Tyrrhenian coast.
In 1999 the estate was transferred to the Tuscany Region and, the following year, entrusted to the management of the Park Authority. From that moment on, San Rossore gradually opened up to visitors: some areas are freely accessible, others can only be visited with environmental guides, and still others are fully protected. It is a balance that allows you to experience the Estate without compromising its beauty.
Curiosity – where does the name San Rossore come from?
It originally indicated a small church dedicated to San Lussorio, a Christian martyr whose relics passed through the area around the 12th century. Over time, popular pronunciation distorted Lussorio into Ruxore and then Rossore, giving the Estate the name by which we know it today.
TOURIST INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS
The San Rossore Estate is open every day:
- from 7.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. in spring and summer (from Aprile 1st to October 15th),
- from 7.30 a.m. to 15.30 p.m. in autumn and winter (from October 16th to March 31).
Entry is permitted up to half an hour before closing.
ACCESSES
Access is possible from the 4 entry points:
- Ponte alle Trombe
- Cancello de La Punta
- Cancello del Marmo, with exclusively pedestrian access, cycle access, with mount
- Cancello of the the cycle/pedestrian bridge over the Arno River, near Cascine Nuove with exclusively pedestrian, cycle, and mounted access.
Access from the sea or from the rivers bordering the Estate is prohibited by any means.
Docking or mooring is prohibited on the entire San Rossore beach, on the right bank of the Arno River, and on the left bank of the Serchio River.
AREAS OF USE OF THE ESTATE
The San Rossore Estate is divided into 3 zones with more restrictive use methods as you approach the coast.
1. GREEN ZONE (C): it is open access and use and all services are concentrated here. It is passable by car on paved roads and parking is permitted in marked areas.
2. YELLOW ZONE (B): It is freely accessible on foot or by bicycle, remaining along the paths marked by directional signs. Guided horseback tours are also possible in this area, but only if accompanied by an authorized Equestrian Environmental Guide.
3. RED ZONE (A): it is accessible in limited numbers and only by guided tour on foot, by bicycle or on horseback and upon payment of a daily entrance fee, typically included in the fee paid to the Guide.
HOW TO GET THERE
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
On Saturdays and Sundays, bus no. 26 operates from the Sesta Porta, stopping in Piazza dei Miracoli and making two stops on the estate.
The timetables are available on the AT - Autolinee Toscane (https://rd-sftp-data.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/autolineeToscane/IVU/OUTPUT/TIMETABLES_WINTER/UPI/26.pdf)
PRIVATE TRANSPORT
Visitors' motor vehicles and motor vehicles may only travel on paved sections of road in the green zone.
Parking is permitted in areas specifically designated as parking, which are located only in the green zone.
Access to the red zone by motor vehicles is not permitted.
ACTIVITIES
VISIT THE ESTATE ON FOOT OR BY BICYCLE
- WITHOUT A GUIDE: You can walk along all the marked trails in the green and yellow zone, building your own tailor-made itinerary. Trail map link: https://www.parcosanrossore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Tenuta-San-Rossore_MAPPA-SENTIERI.pdf;
- WITH A GUIDE: the accompaniment of a Guide is at the discretion of the visitor in the Green and Yellow Zone, while it is mandatory if you want to access the red zone. The visit takes place only on the itineraries defined by the Park Authority and upon payment of the entrance fee. The itineraries reach all the way to the sea, access to the beach is only provided at specific viewing points and it is not possible to walk along the shoreline.
The engagement of a Guide must be preventive and planned by the visitor, there is no possibility of forming groups for guided tours on site and on an impromptu basis.
How to contact the Environmental Guides?
Guides is available on the Park website (https://www.parcosanrossore.org/le-guide-del-parco/).
How to rent bicycles and wheelchairs?
To rent bicycles and wheelchairs you must contact the Top5Viaggi agency (https://top5viaggi.com/).
VISIT THE ESTATE ON HORSEBACK
For horseback riding on the estate, you must always be accompanied by an Equestrian Environmental Guide authorized by the Park Authority, whether you stay in the green or yellow zone or go to the red zone. The itineraries wind through the wooded area and there is no access to the beach.
How to book a guided tour on horseback?
By contacting the Equitiamo Equestrian Environmental Education Center (https://www.facebook.com/equitiamo/?locale=it_IT)
It is also possible to visit the Estate with your own horses, but always in the presence of an Equestrian Environmental Guide authorized by the Authority.
EATING ON THE SAN ROSSORE ESTATE
Restaurants/bars:
- Da Poldino (Cascine Vecchie)
- L’Ippodromo (Cascine Vecchie)
- La Sterpaia (La Sterpaia),
Snacks and typical products:
- Bottega del Parco (Cascine Vecchie)
Organic honey production:
- Sapori Mediterranei (La Sterpaia) with activities to approach beekeeping and adult training on request.
STAY OVERNIGHT ON THE SAN ROSSORE ESTATE
Casale La Sterpaia is a structure dating back to the Savoy period that today houses a hotel with 22 rooms with bathrooms.
BEACHES
All beaches on the San Rossore Estate are in the red zone and are not freely accessible.
The beaches can only be reached on foot or by bicycle with a guided tour led by an Environmental Guide.
Bathing is always prohibited.
Within the Migliarino San Rossore Park, you can visit other beaches independently and where swimming is permitted: Lecciona and Marina di Vecchiano beaches, north of the San Rossore Estate.
MOTOR DISABILITY
People with motor disabilities can use their own walking equipment, such as wheelchairs, even motorized ones. The use of privately owned passenger cars or buses is excluded.
The “Sabrina Bulleri” (northern portion of the B11) is a 1 km accessible nature trail with a stabilized and compact surface. The starting point of the trail is reached after walking for about 900m along Viale del Gombo, which is asphalted. Nestled in the heart of the Estate, among holm oaks, oaks, ash trees and wetlands rich in biodiversity, the route leads to the Paduletto wildlife observatory.
DOGS
In the green zone, dogs are allowed and must always be kept on a leash. It is mandatory to collect excrement.
The yellow zone and red zone are prohibited for dogs to prevent the risk of contact between pets and wildlife and the resulting risk of accidents that could potentially also involve humans.
INFORMATION
For more information on the San Rossore Estate, you can consult the dedicated section on the Park Authority website (https://www.parcosanrossore.org/cosa-fare-nel-parco/).