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LA SETTEPONTI
The ancient Via dei Setteponti winds along the foot of the
Pratomagno, crossing intact landscapes, and offers an extraordinary
chance to enjoy the nature, the history and the real traditions
of this marvellous part of Tuscany.
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The
old connection between Florence and Arezzo runs along the hills at
the foot of the Pratomagno, where there are olive groves, vineyards,
small nice houses surrounded by neat gardens and stone villages.
Despite the appearance, the landscape around Le Setteponti
is not so natural and wild as it might seem. The marvellous scenario
is actually the outcome of the secular relationship between man and
nature, with paved trails from the Roman period or the Middle Ages,
plotted with small stone buildings which used to shelter religious
persons and shepherds. The slopes of the Pratomagno feature cottages
and residential villas, while there are small stone houses on the
peaks which witness the first medieval settlements and the tracks
are lined with marvellous churches and tabernacles which express the
popular devotion.
The rocky part of the Pratomagno features rivers and streams
which divide the small valleys from the top of the mountains which
are rounded and sweet. The itinerary of La Setteponti crosses the
whole Pratomagno, from the hills with olive groves to the highest
tops and the pastures on the ridges. To slowly take this itinerary
means discover the real fascination of the landscape with centuries
of history. The origins of Le Setteponti go back to the Etruscans,
but during the Romans it lost its function due to the opening of the
Via Cassia in the 2nd century b.C..
Then the Via Francigena became the main road for the connection
between the north and the south of Italy, but Le Setteponti never
lost its importance which, during the Middle Ages actually increased
thanks to the many smaller roads which connected the villages and
the castles which in the meantime had developed in the area. This
network of roads has been well-preserved and today you can still see
the trails which from Le Setteponti reached the ridges and the valleys
of the Pratomagno connecting it with the Casentino. In the Renaissance
Le Setteponti featured a strategic importance for the Florentine Republic
which wanted to conquer the Valdarno.
From the 18th century the road of the valley, much linear and
safer, became the main road , though it still was connected with Le
Setteponti. Today, the road winds along hills with residential areas
which attract tourists who want to enjoy the history and the nature.
Un viaggio alla scoperta del Pratomagno segue dunque l'andamento della
Setteponti, che tocca le quattro località principali: Castglion
Fibocchi, Loro Ciuffenna, Pian di Scò e Castelfranco di Sopra.
A tour to discover the Pratomagno must thus run along Le Setteponti,
which passes the four main villages: Castiglion Fibocchi, Loro Ciuffenna,
Pian di Scò and Castelfranco di Sopra.
Departing from Arezzo, the first village you reach is Castiglion
Fibocchi, which the Counts Guidi gave to the Pazzi family in the
12th century. After being part of Arezzo, Castiglion Fibocchi became
Florentine in 1384 and then part of the Grand Duchy of Florence. The
historical centre of the village is located over the modern part and
preserves much of its ancient fascination with silent and narrow streets.
The boundary wall is also well-preserved, with the Porta Fredda built
in the 12th century and restructured in the 19th century. The original
stone arch with its low curve is intact.
The Palazzo Comunale is characteristic with its clock-tower
which was built in 1854 incorporating some older buildings which used
to be part of the parish church of the village. The tower was added
in 1927, when the whole complex was restructured in a new-medieval
style. In the surroundings of Castiglion Fibocchi you have to visit
the cottages from the end of the 19th century which represent the
typical rural architecture of the Pratomagno. A nice example is the
Podere San Pietro, located around 100 metres from the village.
Also visit the ruins of the old Pieve di San Quirico Sopr'Arno
and the medieval castle of Gello Biscardo, located in the marvellous
landscape of the Pratomagno. To get here you have to pass Cstiglion
Fibocchi and La Setteponti, taking the road to Gello Biscardo. Further
on you take the trail CAI number 53 to the ruins of the Pieve di San
Quirico Sopr'Arno. Probably of early-Christian origins, the church
was open until the 14th century, when it was abandoned due to its
charming but complicated location, as it was hard to reach it.
Today the church is part of a farm complex, also abandoned
and in ruins, and is a nice stop when discovering the Pratomagno and
its history, from where you have a marvellous view. Back to the road
of Gello Biscardo, you soon reach the medieval castle, which used
to belong to the Umbertini family and then was taken over by the Florentines
in 1385. Today Gello Biscardo is a hamlet to the municipality of Castiglion
Fibocchi and is worth a visit thanks to its church , dedicated to
John the Baptist and probably of Longobard origins, though it today
features a façade from the 19th century.
The itinerary continues to Loro Ciuffenna, was a fortified
castle located over the river Ciuffena which still flows below the
village. The Romanesque bridge can still be seen, built in stone with
one arch, as well as the old water-mill, which is still in use. Only
one of the two gates has been preserved, the so-called "porta
fiorentina", which was modified in the 19th century.
Also the village under the castle is well-preserved and is
an excellent example of medieval architecture. The old houses are
connected by narrow streets, stairways, small squares and covered
passages, where you find charming restaurants and inns with typical
dishes. To witness the importance of Loro in the Middle Ages, we have
the chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta, built as a parish church of the
castle in the 13th century. Inside you find some precious frescoes
from the 14th and the 15th century.
The surroundings of Loro Ciuffena is plotted with medieval
castles and villages, perched in a dominating position. A tour around
Loro Ciuffena will thus offer lots of pleasant surprises. Visit the
small village of San Giustino Valdarno, a hamlet of the municipality
of Loro along Le Setteponti, located around the church with the same
name which was built in the 12th century. Thanks to an accurate restoration,
the inside of the church features its primitive Romanesque architecture
and not the Baroque stucco which were added in the 18th century.
Not far from San Giustino, you must visit the charming castle
of Borro, which goes back to the 11th century. Today the fascinating
village of Borro has 20 inhabitants and walking the silent streets
of the village is an unforgettable experience. After passing the stone
bridge, which recently replaced the ancient drawbridge, you can visit
the Parish Church, the Oratory and the Pieve Santa Maria Maddalena.
Some of the houses of Borro feature marvellous dioramas made with
poor material such as plaster, though they are absolutely enchanting.
They represent the daily-life of the village in the Middle Ages, when
the artisan worked in their workshops, the Christmas-crib and the
most famous fairytales.
The itinerary along La Setteponti continues to the municipality of
Pian di Scò, founded between the 12th and the 13th century
as a farming village, close to the Romanesque church with the same
name. The centre of the village developed from the 14th century, when
the Florentine domination guaranteed protection and peace which were
necessary to grow the land. The nearby river Resco favoured the development
of mills which was supplied by an artificial drain. The drain supplied
some of the machines of the farms, which still today can be seen.
When the mills stopped working, they were not completely abandoned,
but continued to characterise the villages. In the modern village
of Pian di Scò you can visit the Chiesa di San Miniato, embellished
with a medieval chapel, the Chiesa di San Lorenzo with an architecture
from the 18th century and a nice Renaissance parsonage and the Romanesque
parish church of Pian di Scò. The parish church is definitely
the most interesting building of the village, mentioned already in
the 11th century and restructured in the beginning of the 20 century.
Inside you can see the beautiful Romanesque capitals sustained by
limestone pilasters.
In the mountain area of Pian di Scò you can visit the
archaeological excavations of Poggio alla Regina, where an important
medieval castle of the Guidi family used to be situated. The Guidi
family was a powerful feudal family who governed the Casentino, the
Valdarno and Romagna for centuries. The site is one of the most important
mountain settlements of the Valdarno and was mentioned already in
the 11th century. It is believed that the castle of Poggio alla Regina
used to feature an important defensive function for the Guidi family
when the Florentines started the conquer of this area of Tuscany.
The castle was the last to fall when the Florentines already dominated
the valley below.
In the surroundings of Pian di Scò you also find the
village of Faella, an ancient historical village which preserves the
marvellous Romanesque church Santa Maria. In the surroundings of the
village you can explore the cottages and admire the spectacular crags
which surround the valley of the river Faella, Here you find a fairytale
landscape, plotted with rock needles and pinnacles excavated by the
rain. The crags feature sand and clay in the lower part and stones
further up and are constantly transformed by the atmospheric agents
that will soon destroy them. The caves you find in the malleable substance
have inspired legends of fairies and elves and other popular stories.
The itinerary of Le Setteponti reaches the municipality of Castelfranco
di Sopra which, together with Terranova Bracciolini and San Giovanni
di Valdarno, is one of the "Terre Nove" (New Land) which
Florence founded in the Valdarno Superiore between the 13th and the
14th century. The building of these new towns was the Florentine way
to submit the feudal families which dominated the Valdarno Superiore.
All the "Terre Nove" were designed by Florentine engineers
according to a rigid symmetric geometry, which is to be find in the
historical centre of Castelfranco. It is believed that Arnolfo di
Cambio designed the "Terre Nove", locating it close to the
Badia di San Salvatore at Soffena.
The Florentine architect created a square-shaped village, surrounded
by fortified walls and crowned with towers and four gates. Today only
the main gate is preserved, called Porta Campana due its bell-tower.
The two main streets cross each other in the middle of the village
where you find a big rectangular square. In the square you can see
the Palazzo del Comune Vecchio (the Old Town Hall), from the 14th
century, with the armorial bearings of the Priori and the Podestà
(governors) on the façade. In the historical centre you have
to visit the Chiesa di San Filippo Neri, a marvellous example of Tuscan
Baroque, built in the first part of the 17th century.
One of the most significant monuments of Castefranco is the Chiesa
di San Tommaso, which is believed to be contemporary with the foundation
of the village. In the surroundings of Castelfranco the landscape
is fantastic and it is worth the time to discover the castles, fortifications,
villages and medieval churches. The suggestive landscape of the crags,
pinnacle-shaped erosion structures, needles and natural bastions extend
around Castefranco and you just have to take a walk to experience
this unforgettable fairytale atmosphere.
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