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History of Barberino Val D'Elsa in Chianti, Tuscany

This area was the place of ancient settlements, as many Etruscan and Roman findings of this area witness. In terms of fortress and village, placed in the area of the parish country church of San Pietro in Bossolo, Barberino was mentioned in a document that was found in the papers of Passignano in 1054.

However the development of the village can be traced back to the first decades of the 13th century. In the following century the village was already under the jurisdiction of the city of Florence, that surrounded it with walls and defended it with a military garrison. Later Barberino became officially part of the Florentinian Republic and was seat of a jurisdiction of the Podesta.

On the main square you can still admire the coat of the arms on the praetorian palace that goes back to the 14th century and also the Palace of the Barberinis. The town still has the old medieval ellipse shaped structure inscribed in the circle of the walls, with its access doors, one facing Northwards - therefore named "florentinian" - and the other one facing Southwards - named Roman-.

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