Inhabitants in 1991: 5.137
The
communal territory of Capraia e Limite extends for 25 square kilometres
in the hills of the Valdarno Inferiore, on the right bank of the river.
A feudal possession then a Podesta Office, in 1874 the community
seat was transferred from Capraia to Limite.
Capraia, noted for the first time in 998 in a privilege
of Ottone I with the name of Cerbaria (that is savage place), is tied
to the Aberti Counts of whom we find mention in 1142 in
a concession of one tenth of everything produced in the are to
the monastery of San Tommaso, situated at Capraia, on behalf of the Fiorentino
Episcopate. The presence of this castle, situated in an extremely
important position and controlled by Pistoi who had made it at outpost
to control the river traffic, made necessary in 1203 the construction
of Montelupo on the part of the Fiorentini. In 1249 at Capraia,
where they had taken refuge, the exiled Guelfi of Firenze were
beaten by the Ghibellini and the Imperial troops. In the XIV century
the castle was acquired by the municipality of Firenze, and became
one of the principal areas of possession by the Frescobaldi family,
until in 1740 they were conceded as Feudal with the title of Marquisate,
together with Castellina di Greti. There is no record of the important
facts tied to the rise of the town which should have had a reasonably
tranquil life, even though it was situated in an area close to the confines
of the Fiorentino state for a long time. It did however suffer damage
during the second world war, when the town was the object of destructive
bombardments. The present day Seat of Municipal, Limite is a river
slipway near Castellina di Greti.
Places to visit S. Stefano, church which houses
a canvas by Filippo Tarchiani 1621. |
Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford |