Montevarchi
Encyclopedia
Montevarchi is a town and comune
in the province of Arezzo
, Tuscany
, Italy
.
.
During the rule of the Medici, the town expanded considerably due to its flourishing agricultural trade and its wool and silk industries, controlled by the Woolmaker's Guild. Montevarchi remained under Florentine control until the end of the first half of the 18th century; then the town became part of the territory of Arezzo.
After the unification of Italy, it became an important centre for manufacture of felt
hats and, during the post World War II period, of shoes, hats, ladies' and children's wear. Today it is still a clothes production hub, while also important in the production of electricity (one hydroelectric and one thermoelectric plant).
, Cavriglia
, Gaiole in Chianti
, Pergine Valdarno
, San Giovanni Valdarno
and Terranuova Bracciolini
.
Roanne
, France
, since 1988 Kitzingen
, Germany
, since 1984 Betlehem, Palestinian National Authority
, since 1993 Bir Lehlu, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Rahat
, Israel
, since 2005
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:...
in the province of Arezzo
Province of Arezzo
The Province of Arezzo or Arretium is the easternmost province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Arezzo.It has an area of 3,232 km², and a total population of 323,288 in 39 comuni . At June 30, 2005, the main comuni by population are:- 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 ....
, 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...
.
History
The town of Montevarchi sprang up around 1100, near to a fortified Benedictine monastery founded by bishop Elempert of Arezzo. At first the castle belonged to the Marquess Bourbon del Monte di Santa Maria, then to the Count Guidi family. In 1273 ownership passed to the Signoria of Florence. One of the town's first "podestà" (mayor) was Brunetto LatiniBrunetto Latini
Brunetto Latini was an Italian philosopher, scholar and statesman.-Life:...
.
During the rule of the Medici, the town expanded considerably due to its flourishing agricultural trade and its wool and silk industries, controlled by the Woolmaker's Guild. Montevarchi remained under Florentine control until the end of the first half of the 18th century; then the town became part of the territory of Arezzo.
After the unification of Italy, it became an important centre for manufacture of felt
Felt
Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing woollen fibres. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials. Felt can be of any colour, and made into any shape or size....
hats and, during the post World War II period, of shoes, hats, ladies' and children's wear. Today it is still a clothes production hub, while also important in the production of electricity (one hydroelectric and one thermoelectric plant).
Churches
- Collegiata di San Lorenzo. The foundation of the Collegiate Church of St. Lawrence dates back to the 13th century. This so-called "collegiate church" was erected in 1561 by Pope Pius IV and the Grand Duke Cosimo de' MediciCosimo de' MediciCòsimo di Giovanni degli Mèdici was the first of the Medici political dynasty, de facto rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance; also known as "Cosimo 'the Elder'" and "Cosimo Pater Patriae" .-Biography:Born in Florence, Cosimo inherited both his wealth and his expertise in...
appointed Benedetto VarchiBenedetto VarchiBenedetto Varchi was an Italian humanist, a historian and poet.-Biography:Born in Florence to a family that had originated at Montevarchi, he frequented the neoplatonic academy that Bernardo Rucellai organized in his garden, the Orti Oricellari; there, in spite of the fact that Rucellai was...
as the first magistrate of this church. Originally built in RomanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style, the church was totally refurbished by Massimiliano Soldani BenziMassimiliano Soldani BenziMassimiliano Soldani-Benzi or Massimiliano Soldani was an Italian sculptor and medallist, mainly active in Florence....
in 1709 which gave it a decisive, but delicate, Baroque touch. San Lorenzo main treasure is the Relic of The Holy Milk which, according to tradition, was given to Count Guido Guerra, Lord of Montevarchi, by Charles I of Naples on 26 February 1266 after the victorious Battle of BeneventoBattle of BeneventoThe Battle of Benevento was fought near Benevento, in present-day Southern Italy, on February 26, 1266, between the troops of Charles of Anjou and Manfred of Sicily. Manfred's defeat and death resulted in the capture of the Kingdom of Sicily by Charles....
when Guido Guerra successfully led a Guelph formation of heavy cavalry against an onslaught.
- Church of Santa Maria al Giglio. The construction was begun in 1589 after a series of miracles attributed to the fresco that now is above the main altar. These so-called miracles were, in fact, part of an elaborate hoax organized by the Fraternita del Sacro Latte, a powerful local religious brotherhood, in order to increase the value of their properties in the area.
- Chiostro di Cennano. The Cloister of Cennano was formerly part of the Franciscan convent of San Ludovico suppressed on 1808. Typically Tuscan, it has the date 1471 carved in one of the capitals. The door of the cloister is dated 1522.
- The Holy Milk Relic Chapel or Della Robbia Temple was reconstructed in 1973 in the Museum of Collegiata to house the recovered original 15th century ceramic sculptures by Andrea della RobbiaAndrea della RobbiaAndrea della Robbia was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, especially in ceramics. He was the son of Marco della Robbia. Andrea della Robbia's uncle, Luca della Robbia, popularized the use of glazed terra-cotta for sculpture...
, removed from the church in 1709 and walled up for two centuries in the sacristy.
Museums
- Accademia Valdarnese del Poggio Library. The Library of the Academy, founded in 1805, contains 20,000 volumes, various incunabula and manuscripts including a valuable 15th century copy of The DecameronThe DecameronThe Decameron, also called Prince Galehaut is a 14th-century medieval allegory by Giovanni Boccaccio, told as a frame story encompassing 100 tales by ten young people....
.
- Museo Paleontologico. The Paleontology Museum is housed in the ex-Franciscan convent of San Ludovico. The museum hosts about 1600 fossils with samples of flora and fauna. Nearly all the fossils come from the Upper Valdarno area and date back to a period of time between upper PliocenePlioceneThe Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
and lower PleistocenePleistoceneThe Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
. The poster for the exhibition is the original one made in 1819 by Georges CuvierGeorges CuvierGeorges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
.
- Museo d'Arte Sacra. The Museum of Sacred Arts of the Collegiate Church of San Lorenzo houses sculptures, frescoes, crafted gold objects, ornaments, relics and manuscripts. Of particular interest are the liturgical objects commissioned by the local Holy Milk Brotherhood and notably the ceramic sculpture by Andrea della RobbiaAndrea della RobbiaAndrea della Robbia was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, especially in ceramics. He was the son of Marco della Robbia. Andrea della Robbia's uncle, Luca della Robbia, popularized the use of glazed terra-cotta for sculpture...
.
- Museo Ernesto Galeffi. This museum is dedicated to the artist for whom it is named who died in 1986 and hosts a huge collection of Galeffi's works donated to the community, housed in a villa donated by the Galeffi-Benini family. Ernesto Galeffi started as a graphic designer, then moved to painting and finally turned to sculpture. The museum, opened in 2001, holds sixty sculptures, ten paintings and over two thousands drawings.
Shopping
- SPACE. Is Prada's outlet store that is adjacent to the Prada Factory. Many tourists visit this store on a daily basis to take advantage of discounted prices.
Geography
The comune is bordered by BucineBucine
Bucine is a comune in the Province of Arezzo in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 45 km southeast of Florence and about 20 km west of Arezzo....
, Cavriglia
Cavriglia
Cavriglia is a comune in the Province of Arezzo in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 35 km southeast of Florence and about 35 km west of Arezzo...
, Gaiole in Chianti
Gaiole in Chianti
Gaiole in Chianti is a comune in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 40 km southeast of Florence and about 15 km northeast of Siena. The American magazine Forbes named it number one in its list of "Europe's Most Idyllic Places To Live."Each year, generally...
, Pergine Valdarno
Pergine Valdarno
Pergine Valdarno is a comune in the Province of Arezzo in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 50 km southeast of Florence and about 15 km west of Arezzo...
, San Giovanni Valdarno
San Giovanni Valdarno
San Giovanni Valdarno is a town and comune in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany, central Italy, located in the valley of the Arno River. It was originally called Castel S. Giovanni....
and Terranuova Bracciolini
Terranuova Bracciolini
Terranuova Bracciolini is a comune in the Province of Arezzo in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 35 km southeast of Florence and about 25 km northwest of Arezzo...
.
Twin towns
Kanougou, Burkina FasoBurkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
Roanne
Roanne
Roanne is a commune in the Loire department in central France.It is located northwest of Lyon on the Loire River.-Economy:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, since 1988 Kitzingen
Kitzingen
Kitzingen is a town in the German state of Bavaria, capital of the district Kitzingen. It is part of Franconia geographical region and has around 21,000 inhabitants.Surrounded by vineyards, Kitzingen County is the largest wine producer in Bavaria...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, since 1984 Betlehem, Palestinian National Authority
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
, since 1993 Bir Lehlu, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
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...
Rahat
Rahat
Rahat is a predominantly Bedouin city in the South District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 51,700...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, since 2005