Museo Piaggio

Northwestern Tuscany

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The Vespa, Italy's iconic scooter, revolutionised travel when Piaggio launched it from its factory in Pontedera, 25km southeast of Pisa, in 1946. The complete story – from the Genovese company's arrival in Tuscany in 1921 to its manufacturing of four-engine aircraft and hydroplanes, to its WWII destruction and rebirth as the only Vespa factory in Europe – is grippingly told in Pontedera's Museo Piaggio, in a former factory building.

The 'wasp', as the two-wheeled utility vehicle is affectionately known, has been restyled 120 times since its creation.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • View Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta in San Gimignano in the Duomo square. 16 June 2017 San Gimignano, Tuscany - Italy

    Collegiata

    24.59 MILES

    Parts of San Gimignano's Romanesque cathedral were built in the second half of the 11th century, but its remarkably vivid frescoes, depicting episodes…

  • The last of the three major buildings on the piazza to be built, construction of the bell tower began in 1173 and took place in three stages over the course of 177 years, with the bell-chamber only added in 1372. Five years after construction began, when the building had reached the third floor level, the weak subsoil and poor foundation led to the building sinking on its south side 1264707656

    Leaning Tower

    12.51 MILES

    One of Italy's signature sights, the Torre Pendente truly lives up to its name, leaning a startling 3.9 degrees off the vertical. The 58m-high tower,…

  • Leaning tower of Pisa, Italy Piazza del Duomo ; Shutterstock ID 456166966; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Duomo

    12.56 MILES

    Pisa's magnificent duomo was begun in 1064 and consecrated in 1118. Its striking tiered exterior, with green-and-cream marble cladding, gives onto a…

  • Cattedrale di San Martino

    Cattedrale di San Martino

    13.94 MILES

    Lucca's predominantly Romanesque cathedral dates from the 11th century. Its stunning facade was constructed in the prevailing Lucca-Pisan style and…

  • battistero duomo & leaning tower of pisa tuscany italy

    Battistero

    12.64 MILES

    Pisa's unusual round baptistry has one dome piled on top of another, each roofed half in lead, half in tiles, and topped by a gilt bronze John the Baptist…

  • Palazzo Comunale

    Palazzo Comunale

    24.6 MILES

    The 13th-century Palazzo Comunale has always been the centre of San Gimignano's local government; its magnificently frescoed Sala di Dante is where the…

  • City Wall

    City Wall

    14.37 MILES

    Lucca’s monumental mura (wall) was built around the old city in the 16th and 17th centuries and remains in almost perfect condition. It superseded two…

  • Antico Palazzo dei Vescovi

    Antico Palazzo dei Vescovi

    23.64 MILES

    The bishops' palace, wedged next to the cathedral, provides a fascinating tour of Pistoia's urban history, ranging from touchable scale models of…

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Nearby Northwestern Tuscany attractions

1. Martelli Pasta Factory

6.82 MILES

Here's an interesting fact for you: the Barilla company makes as much pasta in 20 minutes as this family-run factory makes in a year – Martelli Pasta…

2. Torre Camponaria della Cattedrale

11.15 MILES

Climb this 12th-century bell tower, built as a watch tower for the adjoining Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta e di San Genesio, for a lovely city view.

3. Torre di Frederico II

11.2 MILES

No visit to San Miniato is complete without a stiff hike up to this reconstructed medieval fortress tower – the panorama at the grassy top is wonderful.

4. Mura di Pisa (Eastern Entrance)

11.67 MILES

Access the eastern end of Pisa's 12th-century city walls via a purpose-built staircase inside Torre di Legno, in a gated courtyard next to Piazza…

5. Giardino Siotto

11.75 MILES

Straddling the southern bank of the River Arno, this attractive city park – complete with children's playground and benches aplenty – is ensnared within…

6. Museo Nazionale di San Matteo

11.8 MILES

This inspiring repository of medieval masterpieces sits in a 13th-century Benedictine convent on the Arno's northern waterfront boulevard. The museum's…

7. Palazzo Blu

12.21 MILES

Facing the river is this magnificently restored 14th-century building with a striking dusty-blue facade. Inside, its over-the-top 19th-century interior…

8. Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina

12.34 MILES

Don't miss this waterside, triple-spired church, an exquisite Pisan-Gothic gem encrusted with tabernacles and statues. It was built between 1230 and 1233…