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MONTE SPAZZAVENTO
Monte Spazzavento Organic Farm is located in Avane, in the province of Pisa. Its main purpose is the recovery and safeguarding of historic olive groves cultivated on centuries-old terraces that were created following the clearing of the original Mediterranean scrub for construction and naval purposes at the time of the Maritime Republic of Pisa.
One of the defining features of this place is indeed the dry-stone walls that stretch for kilometres. Despite the continuous effort to restore the terraces, many of the dry-stone walls have collapsed due to the activity of wild boars and the lack of attention shown by various asparagus pickers who raid Mount Spazzavento in spring and autumn.
We strongly feel that this heritage cannot be lost. Since February 2016 we have been focussing on the recovery and restoration of the dry-stone walls. To do so, we have joined the work-study program and collaborated with the scientific high school in Pisa as well as the agrarian technical institut in Mutigliano (Lucca). Thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of the students, we have recovered several stretches of walls.
WOOF
Since December 2015, Monte Spazzavento has also been an Educational Farm, and is part of the Farm Network
Our land has been mostly abandoned due to the difficulty of cultivation. The manual labour such as the landscaping and trimming proved to be very hard, while it was impossible to use modern machinery due to the shape of the land and lack of pathways. Giacomo Ranieri Barsanti and his family, the owners, have dedicated their time to preserve and upkeep this land, by also relying on the valuable help of WWOOFERs, travellers who have a passion to learn about local culture, history, traditions, culinary habits, and territory.
The basic production of our company is olive oil. However, we also have vegetables and natural fruits of all kinds. We also have chickens and we sell eggs to local organic markets. Our chicken live in a large fenced area and learn to sleep on the trees since they are chicks; they are known as acrobatic chicken.
Guests have the opportunity to be guided through the farm, following the ancient routes and mule tracks that continue and merge into a historical landscape unknown to tourists. On the way to the summit of Mount Spazzavento, the landscape is described, the old centuriation, the old olive groves, the habits and customs of old peasants, the great fatigue of men, women, children and animals, as well as their joy, singing, traditions, history of cultivation and relevant economy, the way of life of the people, the organisation of society and its evolution from the Neolithic Age, in accordance with the stories handed down, texts and lots of specific books on this land from the family archives, collected in the course of time.
The Barsanti family has been living here for unknown time. From the top of Mount Spazzavento, you can continue walking on the marked trails, discovering Etruscan artifacts, medieval fortresses and towers, churches, archaeological remains, caves, and much more.
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