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History of Palazzuolo sul Senio in Tuscany

In Medieval times, the municipal territory was called “Podere degli Ubaldini” because it was feud of this powerful family. Then in 1362, it passed from the Ubaldini to the Republic of Florence and the name was changed to “Florentine Podere” (or Alps). After the last feudal resistance in 1373, construction was begun of the residency palace of the Cardinal: this was the origin of the centre of Palazzuolo.

Later, a village divided into two parts by the Senio river was built, and became of significant importance as a mountain comunity because of its border position. The rise to power of the Medici decreed the end of the vicariate, which was transformed into a capitancy, abolished later in 1772, and then reduced to a podestà.

It was united to the jurisdiction under the Cardinal of Marradi by the Granduke Leopoldo II in 1837, ending the podestà. Even though it was a small provincial town, Palazzuolo was not indifferent to rivalries, and during the “restoration” in April of 1849, there was disorder between the “reactionaries and the republicans”.

In August of the same year, Garibaldi, escaping after the defeat of the Roman Republic, passed through Palazzuolo with the canonical Verità (Truth). After the Unification of Italy, the town paid its dues in human lives during the two World Wars. On the night of 25 September 1943, the first group of the Resistenza (resistance) was formed. The town was freed on 24 September 1944.

In the period after the war, the economy was based mainly on share-cropping agriculture, with low profits which induced the rural people to emmigrate. Later the development of initiatives of small industry or craftsmen (clothing, precision mechanics, milk transformation) contributed to stop the exodus.

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