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Towns of the area

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Calenzano

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Inhabitants in 1991: 14.959

The Municipal territory of Calenzano extends for 76,87 square kilometres in Val di Marina, between the mountains of Calvana and those of Morello as far as the plains between Firenze and Prato. The capital, placed in an elevated position, was originally a feudal castle.

Calenzano an important junction varied in Roman times, it was a feudal to the Guidi Counts in the Medieval era, and they built a fortress in the XII century dominating the road which led to Mugello. From the Guidi it then passed to the property of the great Fiorentine families, the Cavalcanti, the della Tosa. the da Sommaia, the Scali who had huge possessions in the surrounding territories. Severely damaged by the Ghibellini after the battle of Montaperti (1260), it suffered new devastation under the hand of Castruccio Castracani in 1325 and by the Visconteo army in 1351. It came definitely in the possession of the Fiorentina republic in 1352, who valuing its strategic importance, immediately took care to conveniently fortify it (even today the conspicuous ruins of the wall and two turreted gates are conserved in the castle) and this reinforcement was soon demonstrated useful the following year when Calenzano successfully resisted the siege imposed by Pisa and the company of English adventurers in its pay.

It was Seat of Law of the Fiorentino county and the first formulation of the local statutes was in 1411, when the inhabited centre came to see one of its most prosperous periods, while the ancient Lords of the area were substituted by new proprietors like the Medici and the descendents of an emigrant Notary of Calenzano in the middle of the 1300s, who having transferred to Firenze, gave the start to the commercial fortune of the descendants of Ginori. Only marginally involved in the dramatic event in consequence of the expelling of the Medici and of their return at the beginning of the 1500s, in modern times Calenzano, exempted from the role of military advanced post defending the city, definitely assumed the trait of agricultural centre with comfortable villas to stay in.

Places to visit:
Museum of toy soldiers and historical figures, singular collection of unique pieces or of series assembled with them.

Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Picture by Gianfranco Bracci
Translated by Ann Mountford


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