On a hilly spur between the Cornia River and the Cecina Valley, stand the castle and the village of La Leccia. The ancient urban settlement, of medieval origin, is located in the municipality of Castelnuovo Val di Cecina, along the road joining Sasso Pisano to Larderello. It owes its name to the cork and holm oak forests which surround it.
The history of La Leccia is linked to that of Volterra: we have evidence of the existence of a castle, which has unfortunately been destroyed, as early as 1028, and we know that it was long disputed between the Municipality and the Bishops of Volterra, who claimed its ownership.
Not far from the village, we find the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Book. The religious building, built at the beginning of the 17th century, has a T-shaped plan and is preceded by an exterior portico supported by pillars. It takes its name from a painting attributed to Matteo di Pietrantonio de' Gondi da Leccia that depicts the Virgin Mary with Child, where the Virgin is depicted in the act of reading a book. The picture, initially kept here, since 1958 can be admired in the nearby church of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle.
La Leccia still retains its medieval appearance, with the ancient remains of a wall of the enclosure and some structures of its castle.
