Pontassieve
Encyclopedia
Pontassieve is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Florence
in the Italian
region Tuscany
, located about 14 km east of Florence
, nearby Fiesole
, at the confluence of the Arno and Sieve
rivers.
In 1375 Florence had a castle erected here for an essentially strategic use on the land of Pontassieve. First the town took the name of "Castel Sant’Angelo" (Saint Angel Castle), later obtaining the current referring to the importance of the bridge on the river, that was the main way joining the Republic of Florence to the territories of the Mugello, Casentino
and the city of Arezzo
.
At the end of the 18th century the new House of Lorraine
’s Dukes gave a great impulse to the town economy. Thanks to the Ducal works for the reclamation of the territory and the opening of two new roads, that joined Pontassieve to the Casentino and Emilia
, Pontassieve lived a remarkable economic growth. Under the Lorenese domination Pontassieve was elevated to the rank of Vicarship’s Town Hall comprising part of the territories belonging to the Arno and Sieve valleys.
In 1859 the construction of a Florence-Rome railway (later followed by the Florence-Borgo San Lorenzo line) gave an additional impulse to the town's economy, turning it into an industrial hub. In 1861 Pontassieve was annexed to the newly formed Kingdom of Italy.
During World War II
Pontassieve, for its importance as a rail junction, suffered substantial damage: the railways and the town itself were repeatedly bombed by Allied planes, which destroyed it almost entirely. The town's present day aspect is due, for the most part, to the post war reconstruction. Even though, the town has kept its original medieval look in the city center.
Among the several celebrations periodically taking place in Pontassieve we remind here the traditional "Toscanello d'oro" held yearly on May. The celebration consists of a show-market where it is possible to taste and buy valuable local wines and typical courses of Pontassieve.
, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Griesheim
, Germany Saint-Genis-Laval
, France Znojmo
, Czech Republic
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:...
(municipality) in the Province of Florence
Province of Florence
The Province of Florence is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. It has an area of 3,514 sq. km and a population of 933,860 in 44 comuni....
in the Italian
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...
region 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 ....
, located about 14 km east of Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, nearby Fiesole
Fiesole
Fiesole is a town and comune of the province of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a famously scenic height above Florence, 8 km NE of that city...
, at the confluence of the Arno and Sieve
Sieve River
The Sieve is a river in Italy. It is a tributary of the Arno River, into which it flows at Pontassieve after a course of 62 km. The Sieve rises in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, near the Futa Pass, at 930 m of elevation....
rivers.
History
The first rulers of the area were the Quona nobles, whose Lordship is documented from the 11th century. These, a branch of whom at a later date also appeared under the name of Filicaia, settled in Florence at the end of the 12th century and in 1207 sold a large part of its territory of jurisdiction to the Bishopric of Florence.In 1375 Florence had a castle erected here for an essentially strategic use on the land of Pontassieve. First the town took the name of "Castel Sant’Angelo" (Saint Angel Castle), later obtaining the current referring to the importance of the bridge on the river, that was the main way joining the Republic of Florence to the territories of the Mugello, Casentino
Casentino
The Casentino is the valley in which the first tract of the river Arno flows to Subbiano, Italy.It is one of the four valleys in which the Province of Arezzo is divided. Mount Falterona, from which the Arno starts, represents the northern boundary between the Casentino and Romagna...
and the city of Arezzo
Arezzo
Arezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
.
At the end of the 18th century the new House of Lorraine
House of Lorraine
The House of Lorraine, the main and now only remaining line known as Habsburg-Lorraine, is one of the most important and was one of the longest-reigning royal houses in the history of Europe...
’s Dukes gave a great impulse to the town economy. Thanks to the Ducal works for the reclamation of the territory and the opening of two new roads, that joined Pontassieve to the Casentino and Emilia
Emilia (region of Italy)
Emilia is a historical region of northern Italy which approximately corresponds to the western and north-eastern portions of today’s Emilia-Romagna region...
, Pontassieve lived a remarkable economic growth. Under the Lorenese domination Pontassieve was elevated to the rank of Vicarship’s Town Hall comprising part of the territories belonging to the Arno and Sieve valleys.
In 1859 the construction of a Florence-Rome railway (later followed by the Florence-Borgo San Lorenzo line) gave an additional impulse to the town's economy, turning it into an industrial hub. In 1861 Pontassieve was annexed to the newly formed Kingdom of Italy.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Pontassieve, for its importance as a rail junction, suffered substantial damage: the railways and the town itself were repeatedly bombed by Allied planes, which destroyed it almost entirely. The town's present day aspect is due, for the most part, to the post war reconstruction. Even though, the town has kept its original medieval look in the city center.
Economy
The economy of the town is based on the industrial activities including food, mechanical and electronic industries, and on the manufacture of glass and pottery. Flourishing is also the artisan manufacture of leathers, and remarkable are the productions of the "Vino Chianti Putto" and of a very valuable oil.Among the several celebrations periodically taking place in Pontassieve we remind here the traditional "Toscanello d'oro" held yearly on May. The celebration consists of a show-market where it is possible to taste and buy valuable local wines and typical courses of Pontassieve.
Main sights
- Church of Sant'Eustachio, at Acone, also referred to as Sant'Eustachio in Jerusalem, used to be the mother church of the vast Acone parish.
- Church of Santa Maria, also at Acone. Its foundation dates to 925. Protectors of the church were, among many, the Donati family and the San Matteo Hospital in Florence.
- Church of Sant'Andrea, at Doccia. Mentioned for the first time in 1024 in official Vatican papers by bishop Ildebrand, as a property of San Miniato al Monte monastery.
- PievePieveIn the Middle Ages, a pieve was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended.The Italian word pieve is descended from Latin plebs which, after the expansion of Christianity in Italy, was applied to the community of baptized people...
of San Giovanni, at Rèmole, dating to 955. It was head of a parish extending on both sides of the ArnoArnoThe Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber.- Source and route :The river originates on Mount Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a southward curve...
river. - Pieve of Santi Gervasio e Martino, at Lobaco. The old church, dedicated to San Gervasio is located in Alpiniano, and dates back to the 11th century.
- Sanctuary of Madonna delle Grazie. This sanctuary is also known as "Madonna del Sasso" because of a series of apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1484. The building was erected in 1490, taking the place of a medieval oratory.
- Church of San Martino at Molin del Piano, first documented in the 13th century. It was owned by the bishop of Fiesole and the Saltarelli family.
- Pieve of San Lorenzo, at Montefiesole. Existing since 1190 but transormed into a parish in 1461, it lies next to the ruins of the castle belonging to the bishop of Florence, who ruled these lands.
- Prepository of San Michele Arcangelo, documented since the beginning of the 13th century. Completely rebuilt in the 18th century, it was consecrated in 1788.
- Church of Santi Martino e Giusto, at Quona. Originally dedicated to San Martino, later called San Giusto after the first church was demolished.
- Church of Santa Brigida, in Pontassieve town. Built, according to tradition, on the cave chosen by the saint for meditation in the 10th century, it has been enlarged throughout the 16th-17th centuries and largely restored and modified in 1938 and 1954.
- Church of San Giovanni Battista at Monteloro. Documented since 1102, the small building lies next to the ruins of the eponymous castle, which was, since the 9th century, a fief of the FiesoleFiesoleFiesole is a town and comune of the province of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a famously scenic height above Florence, 8 km NE of that city...
bishop. - Villa Martelli, at Gricigliano in the localitàLocalitàA località, in Italy, is the name given to inhabited places that are not accorded a more significant distinction in administrative law such as a frazione, comune, municipio, circoscrizione, or quartiere. The word is cognate to English locality...
of Sieci. It has been converted into a seminary of The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign PriestInstitute of Christ the King Sovereign PriestThe Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is a society of priests in the Catholic Church that celebrates the Liturgy in Latin in accordance with its constitutions and founding documents. Its goals are to preserve and patronize traditional Latin Rite liturgical art and music...
(Institutum Christi Regis Summi Sacerdotis) and of Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Christ Sovereign PriestSisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Christ Sovereign PriestThe Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Christ Sovereign Priest is a consecrated lay group of women in the Roman Catholic Church, associated with the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. The Sisters are based in Gricigliano, Italy, along with the Institute. Their life is...
.
Twin towns
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, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
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The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a partially recognised state that claims sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony. SADR was proclaimed by the Polisario Front on February 27, 1976, in Bir Lehlu, Western Sahara. The SADR government controls about...
Griesheim
Griesheim
Griesheim is a town in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, in Hessen, Germany. It is situated approx. 7 km west of Darmstadt.-History:...
, Germany Saint-Genis-Laval
Saint-Genis-Laval
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, France Znojmo
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, Czech Republic