Pontedera
Pontedera is a small Italian industrial town in Tuscany, Italy, in the province of Pisa. Pontedera is the headquarters of the Piaggio company,from the 1930s one of most important Italian manufacturers motor vehicles such as the Vespa and the Ape. Piaggio was a subsidiary of FIAT. Today the owner of Piaggio is Roberto Colaninno.
| Comune di Pontedera | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Province | Pisa (PI) |
| Frazioni | Pietroconti, La Rotta, I Fabbri, Treggiaia, Montecastello, Santa Lucia, La Borra, Il Botteghino, Il Romito, Gello, Pardossi |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Paolo Marconcini (since June 2004) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 46 km2 (18 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 14 m (46 ft) |
| Population (December 31, 2004) | |
| • Total | 26,842 |
| • Density | 584/km2 (1,511/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 56025 |
| Patron saint | San Faustino |
| Saint day | October 10 |
| Website | www.comune.pontedera.pi.it |
Pontedera is in the Arno valley at the confluence of the Era River and the Arno River. The Town has a small lake in Pietroconti called Braccini lake.
Important places and monuments in Pontedera
Churches:
- Il Duomo (The Dome of the city)
- The Church of Santa Lucia
- The Church of Santissimo Crocifisso
- The Cimitero of Misericordia
- The Church of Santa Maria Madre della Chiesa
- The Church of Misericordia
- The Church of San Giuseppe al Ponte
- The Church of San Giuseppe
- The Church of Madonna dei Braccini
- The Church of Cappuccini
- The Church of Sacro Cuore ai Villaggi
- The Church of Madonna di Ripaia
- The Church of San Lorenzo e San Bartolomeo
- The Church of San Martino (destroyed)
- The Church of San Michele di Travalda (destroyed)
- The Church of San Tommaso (destroyed)
- The Church of San Lorenzo di Rapida (destroyed)
- The Church of Santa Margherita di Tavella (destroyed)
- The Church of San Sebastiano (destroyed)
- The Church of Stimmate di San Francesco (destroyed)
Palaces:
- Palazzo Stefanelli
- Palazzo Pretorio
- Palazzo Paoletti Zeppini
- Palazzo Bellincioni
- Palazzo Pitschen
- Palazzo Ciompi
Festivals
- "Fiera Naturamica", Festival about agriculture (April)
- "ExproModel&Show" (October)
- "Fiera di San Luca", Since 1471 (October) ;
- "Festa del commercio", Since 2004 (September); since 2007 the festivals joined the "Notte Bianca";
- "Shopping sotto le stelle", in evening shops are still open (July)
- "Palio della balestra", about the Pace di Pescia since 2001 (September);
- "Fiera dei fischi e delle campanelle", in the frazione of La Rotta, (August), since 1907.
- "Qui rido io", Festival about humorism, (June), since 2003;
- "Sete sois sete lunas", Internation Festival of Pop Music, (July) since 1992;
- "Aperitivi in musica", on Cavour's Square, (all year), since 2001.
- "Mangia...longa",Festival about loca food, (June), since 2005;
- "BavieraFest", Italian version of Oktoberfest, (June), since 2006.
