Monsummano Terme
Encyclopedia
Monsummano Terme is an comune
located in the Province of Pistoia
, Tuscany
, central Italy
. It is located in the Valdinievole
, and is a popular spa resort.
It is comoposed by two separate nuclei: Monsummano Alta, of Etruscan origins and with a castle (probably of Lombard
origins) and a line of walls, overlook the lower Monsummano Bassa, built starting from 1602 around a sanctuary commissioned by Ferdinand I, Grand Duke of Tuscany.
It was the birthplace of French actor Yves Montand
and Italian poet Giuseppe Giusti
.
, and is bordered to the north by the hills of Montalbano, to the south by the wetland Padule di Fucecchio, to the west by the Piana di Lucca, and to the east by the semi-hilly areas the town of Larciano.
Given the proximity to the Padule, the area displays a wealth of flora and fauna and is a meeting place for birdwatchers. The rivers are very short, of which the Candalla stream is the most prominent, flowing through the city center. The mountains are formed from the Montalbano chain, in which Vinci
is located, and Monsummano Alto, which is 340 meters high, known for the unmistakable shape for its quarries, now disused, which have given unnaturally steep slopes on the mountain.
The settlement of the castle of Monsummano Alto is documented from 1260, but probably existed since the previous century, or, as some have suggested due to the topology from the Lombard era. The castle was at the center of battles between Florence and Lucca, with its final conquest in 1331. The flat area was swampy (which can still be seen today through the Fucecchio Padule, close by), which became a human settlement in the second half of the 16th century with the construction of several farms and houses.
The lower section of the town dates mainly to the seventeenth century, when, after the miraculous apparition of the Virgin on 9 June 1573, the Grand Duke Ferdinand I of Tuscany started the construction of the Shrine of Our Lady of Fontenova (1602-1605) as well as other buildings for the reception of pilgrims, such as Osteria dei Pellegrini, now the city’s Museum.
During the 19th century Monsummano Terme was home of writer and politician Ferdinando Martini
(his villa is now the headquarters of the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Twentieth Century) and of the patriotic poet Giuseppe Giusti
. His birthplace and a memorial at the center of the square have both become dedicated to him. The monument also symbolizes his distaste for the clergy, showing the poet facing way from the church.
The city, after a flow emigration with the advent of Fascism
, became a place of immigration in the years 1951-1961, mainly from southern Italy, passing rapidly from 9,708 residents (in 1,951) to 11,631 (1961), due to the footwear sectors rise.
.jpg)
Other sights include:
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
located in the Province of Pistoia
Province of Pistoia
The Province of Pistoia is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pistoia. It has an area of 965 km², and a total population of 268,503 . There are 22 communes in the province .-External links:...
, Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, central Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is located in the Valdinievole
Valdinievole
Valdinievole or Val di Nievole ") is an area in the south-western part of the province of Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy. The saint Allucio of Campigliano was born to a wealthy, landed family in the Valdinievole and he ministered to the poor and travellers there.-Geography:The area is made up of 11...
, and is a popular spa resort.
It is comoposed by two separate nuclei: Monsummano Alta, of Etruscan origins and with a castle (probably of Lombard
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
origins) and a line of walls, overlook the lower Monsummano Bassa, built starting from 1602 around a sanctuary commissioned by Ferdinand I, Grand Duke of Tuscany.
It was the birthplace of French actor Yves Montand
Yves Montand
-Early life:Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, the son of poor peasants Giuseppina and Giovanni Livi, a broommaker. Montand's mother was a devout Catholic, while his father held strong Communist beliefs. Because of the Fascist regime in Italy, Montand's family left for France in...
and Italian poet Giuseppe Giusti
Giuseppe Giusti
Giuseppe Giusti was an Italian poet.-Biography:Giusti was born at Monsummano Terme, a small town of the Valdinievole, now in the province of Pistoia....
.
Geography
The district is located in the central-eastern ValdinievoleValdinievole
Valdinievole or Val di Nievole ") is an area in the south-western part of the province of Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy. The saint Allucio of Campigliano was born to a wealthy, landed family in the Valdinievole and he ministered to the poor and travellers there.-Geography:The area is made up of 11...
, and is bordered to the north by the hills of Montalbano, to the south by the wetland Padule di Fucecchio, to the west by the Piana di Lucca, and to the east by the semi-hilly areas the town of Larciano.
Given the proximity to the Padule, the area displays a wealth of flora and fauna and is a meeting place for birdwatchers. The rivers are very short, of which the Candalla stream is the most prominent, flowing through the city center. The mountains are formed from the Montalbano chain, in which Vinci
Vinci
-Places:Italy*Vinci, Tuscany, a comune in the Province of FlorenceSerbia*Vinci, Serbia, a community in Braničevo District-People:*Leonardo Vinci, an Italian composer*Roberta Vinci, an Italian tennis player...
is located, and Monsummano Alto, which is 340 meters high, known for the unmistakable shape for its quarries, now disused, which have given unnaturally steep slopes on the mountain.
History
In Etruscan and Roman times, the Valdinievole was classified as a transit site, with some sacred resting places, as evidenced by a bronze piece of art from the 3rd century BC promachos of Hercules, found in 1887 at Castelmartini and today can be found at the city’s museum. Going back to the Roman archeological sites (Villa San Paolo at Pozzarello, Vaiano and Segalare), on the slopes of Monte Albano.The settlement of the castle of Monsummano Alto is documented from 1260, but probably existed since the previous century, or, as some have suggested due to the topology from the Lombard era. The castle was at the center of battles between Florence and Lucca, with its final conquest in 1331. The flat area was swampy (which can still be seen today through the Fucecchio Padule, close by), which became a human settlement in the second half of the 16th century with the construction of several farms and houses.
The lower section of the town dates mainly to the seventeenth century, when, after the miraculous apparition of the Virgin on 9 June 1573, the Grand Duke Ferdinand I of Tuscany started the construction of the Shrine of Our Lady of Fontenova (1602-1605) as well as other buildings for the reception of pilgrims, such as Osteria dei Pellegrini, now the city’s Museum.
During the 19th century Monsummano Terme was home of writer and politician Ferdinando Martini
Ferdinando Martini
-Biography:Born in Florence, he worked as journalist and writer. He collaboreated to Il Fanfulla and in 1879 he founded the Fanfulla della domenica literary supplement, which he directed until 1882; he was also editor of La Domenica letteraria from 1882 al 1885 and professor at the University of...
(his villa is now the headquarters of the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Twentieth Century) and of the patriotic poet Giuseppe Giusti
Giuseppe Giusti
Giuseppe Giusti was an Italian poet.-Biography:Giusti was born at Monsummano Terme, a small town of the Valdinievole, now in the province of Pistoia....
. His birthplace and a memorial at the center of the square have both become dedicated to him. The monument also symbolizes his distaste for the clergy, showing the poet facing way from the church.
The city, after a flow emigration with the advent of Fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
, became a place of immigration in the years 1951-1961, mainly from southern Italy, passing rapidly from 9,708 residents (in 1,951) to 11,631 (1961), due to the footwear sectors rise.
Main sights
Monsummano, as well as being the center of one of the most important Italian footwear districts in the past (from the 1920’s and even parts of the 19th century), is a spa town with two natural caves: Grotta Giusti and Grotta Parlanti, the latter recently undergoing renovation following the closure.- The medieval castle and fortifications. The elliptical shape have led to suppose a LombardLombardsThe Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
origin, but the castle is mentioned for the first time in the 11th century. It was occupied by the FlorentinesRepublic of FlorenceThe Republic of Florence , or the Florentine Republic, was a city-state that was centered on the city of Florence, located in modern Tuscany, Italy. The republic was founded in 1115, when the Florentine people rebelled against the Margraviate of Tuscany upon Margravine Matilda's death. The...
in 1314, but was recaptured one year later by Castruccio CastracaniCastruccio CastracaniCastruccio Castracani degli Antelminelli was an Italian condottiero and duke of Lucca.-Biography:Castruccio was born in Lucca, a member of the noble family of Antelminelli, of the Ghibelline party. In 1300 he was exiled with his parents and others of their faction by the Guelphs "Black" party,...
after the battle of MontecatiniBattle of MontecatiniThe Battle of Montecatini was fought in the Val di Nievole on August 29, 1315 between the city of Pisa, and the forces of both Naples and Florence. The army of Pisa, commanded by Uguccione della Faggiuola, won a decisive victory despite being outnumbered. The Neapolitan forces, made up of nearly...
. Florence recaptured it in 1331. Of the castle today several gates and long stretches of the walls, partly covered by vegetation, as well as a single tower, remain. - Church of San Nicolao (12th century), included in the castle. It houses a 14th-15ht century wooden crucifix.
- Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Fontenuova (17th century)
- Church of San Michele e Lorenzo. It has a lunetteLunetteIn architecture, a lunette is a half-moon shaped space, either filled with recessed masonry or void. A lunette is formed when a horizontal cornice transects a round-headed arch at the level of the imposts, where the arch springs. If a door is set within a round-headed arch, the space within the...
painted by Giusto UtensGiusto UtensGiusto Utens or Justus Utens was a Flemish painter who is remembered for the series of Medicean villas in lunette form that he painted for the third grand duke of Tuscany, Ferdinando I, in 1599–1602....
and a Madonna with Child and Saints attributed by some to Piero di CosimoPiero di CosimoPiero di Cosimo , also known as Piero di Lorenzo, was an Italian Renaissance painter.-Biography:The son of a goldsmith, Piero was born in Florence and apprenticed under the artist Cosimo Rosseli, from whom he derived his popular name and whom he assisted in the painting of the Sistine Chapel in...
. - Villa medicea di Montevettolini
- Grotta Giusti
Famous people
- Giuseppe GiustiGiuseppe GiustiGiuseppe Giusti was an Italian poet.-Biography:Giusti was born at Monsummano Terme, a small town of the Valdinievole, now in the province of Pistoia....
, poeta - Ferdinando MartiniFerdinando Martini-Biography:Born in Florence, he worked as journalist and writer. He collaboreated to Il Fanfulla and in 1879 he founded the Fanfulla della domenica literary supplement, which he directed until 1882; he was also editor of La Domenica letteraria from 1882 al 1885 and professor at the University of...
, letterato e uomo politico - Yves MontandYves Montand-Early life:Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, the son of poor peasants Giuseppina and Giovanni Livi, a broommaker. Montand's mother was a devout Catholic, while his father held strong Communist beliefs. Because of the Fascist regime in Italy, Montand's family left for France in...
(Ivo Livi), cantante, attore - Fabio GalanteFabio GalanteFabio Galante is an Italian footballer, currently contracted with A.S. Livorno Calcio.-Career:...
, calciatore - Carmelo Orazio Nobile, chimico, scrittore, artista
- Giampaolo Pazzini, calciatore