We arrive at San Piero a Sieve after having left the northern slopes of Monte Morello, coming from Florece, along the Bolognese road, after few kilometers. Here we can perceive the most striking and significant view of Mugello, enclosed north by the green blanket of beechwood, silver firs and mountain pines from Tuscan-Emilian Apennine,south by the ramifications surrounding Florence basin; west it by Vernio and Calvana mountains and east by San Benedetto and Falterona Alps (where the Arno river has its source). In the heart of this land, in the centre, in a naturalistic and important background, we find San Piero a Sieve; it is a medieval origin village from where the Mugello plain extends, crossed by the Sieve, a rushing tributary of the Arno river.

The bridge over the Sieve

The bridge over the Sieve river plays a significant role in San Piero a Sieve origin and evolution. As a matter of fact this village rose as a road junction close to the ancient bridge which, crossing the Sieve, led to the Giogo Pass through the Bolognese road. Therefore, being a very important road junction has always been the characterising element of this Mugello village history. The Florentine Republic in 1372, financed the bridge reconstruction since it recognised its strategic importance (it is one of the most ancient ones over this river). Thus, a wall structure was built in order to replace the stone and wooden one guaranteeing the passage over the river until then.

San Pietro's Parish

San Pietro's parish is located in a central position as regards to the built chief town and opposite to the present main road; it is one of the most ancient, probably the most ancient, Mugello parishes. The present building, dating back to the half of the XIIth century, was probably set on a previous building, being the Parish already mentioned in a document dated 1018.
This church, as it looks now although partially restored, reproposes the building rules typical of the Romanesque period characterising a large part of the Florentine countryside during the XIth and XIIth centuries.
In front of the Parish, on the opposite side of the road, there is the Compagnia Oratory, where, since 1275 the ancient village hospital worked.

The historical centre

The first San Piero a Sieve urban agglomeration develops itself during the XIth century, close to the bridge over the Sieve river, around the San Pietro rural church.
Afterwards, the village developed between the axis of the old Cafaggio road and Colonna square (the Town hall square) on the east side of the hill dominated by San Martino fortress which joins the Romanesque parish farther down, though a small aggregation. This is the old, but still centre of the village.

Spugnole

Among the standing artistic and architectural elements in the chief town's neighbourhood, we distinguish the suffrage Santa Maria and Niccolò church at Spugnole, located on the site of the homonymous ancient castle. The more recent history considers the Spugnole church (we have information of it since1066) as one of the best examples of minor church in the Romanesque era in the whole Mugello.

Comune di San Piero a Sieve
Piazzetta del Comune n. 1
50037 SAN PIERO A SIEVE (FI)
Tel: 055/848751
Fax: 055/848432
E-mail: comune.sanpiero@tin.it
URP: urp@comune.san-piero-a-sieve.fi.it

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