Premium Featured Accommodation

History of Figline Valdarno near Florence

The Valdarno Superiore was shaped by remote natural events. In the Pliocene Epoch the valley of Valdarno had in its basin a big fresh water lake which had been created by some streams; it was about eight kilometers wide and it extended between the mountains of Pratomagno and Chianti and forty kilometers long between Laterina and Lignano.

The Arno river had been absorbed by this lake. It was then the river Arno that shaped the final aspect of this valley. The origin of the Figline we see today can be traced back to the 13th century, but previously there was a castle on the opposite hills, that first belonged to the landowners Ubertini Da Gaville.

In 1198 the "old Figline" came under the rule of the municipality of Florence but it was a very rebelliuos submission: the last episode occurred in 1252, when the population of Figline offered asylum to the Ghibellines that had run away from Florence and for this matter the castle was besieged and forced to yield; this was the reason that convinced Florence to destroy completely the walls and the houses of the rebellious Valdarno people. Some families were forced to move to town, the others had to rebuilt their houses on the plain, where the trading area had developed.

The new village remained without walls until 1357, then Florence itself decided to protect this new centre that was considered the barn of Florence, because of the abundance of corn. The impressive walls were built in 1390 but this didn't prevent the village from going through bloody attacks, particularly by mercenary troops.

In recent history Figline has followed the events concerning Florence and nothing in particular is to be mentioned a part from the rebellious episodes against the french government in May, 1799 and the participation of many people from Figline to the movement of "Viva Maria". Incisa was enclosed in the territory of Figline, rule of the first-grade podesta, from 1822 to 1851. Figline is homeland of the great humanist and philosopher Marsilio Ficino.

Articles