Vico D'elsa
Discovering Vico d'Elsa
Hello friends, today I'll tell you about Vico d'Elsa, a lovely village in the municipality of Barberino Tavarnelle, strategically located on a hill overlooking the middle Val d'Elsa. Let's go!
History
Vico d'Elsa has medieval origins and, being located near the Via Francigena, it enjoyed considerable importance in the Middle Ages. The village still retains its original elliptical medieval core, with two parallel streets and two squares at opposite ends of the settlement. In its past, the village also played an important political role: during the war between Florence and Semifonte in 1202, Vico d'Elsa was one of the main allies of the latter. Diplomatic meetings between the Semifontesis and ambassadors from San Gimignano were held in the castle of the village to prepare the counter-offensive against the Florentines. However, the negotiation failed, and with the fall of Semifonte, Vico d'Elsa also became part of the Florentine Republic.
Monuments and places of interest
Now, I'll take you to admire the monuments and places that make Vico d'Elsa such a fascinating village:
- Church of Sant'Andrea: dating back to 1329, it was completely rebuilt in 1934. It houses some beautiful works of art inside;
- Church of San Michele and del Santo Salvatore: located at the entrance of the village, it now serves as a storage area for a nearby farm;
- Chapel of San Michele: owned by the Guicciardini family, it is an example of a Renaissance chapel with a single nave devoid of decorative elements. Above the entrance door, there is a coat of arms;
- Church of San Bernardo: built in Gothic style, it is located in Piazza Torrigiani and is of considerable architectural interest;
- Villa Guicciardini di Vico: renovated in the 18th and 19th centuries, it has the Brancadoro-Majnoni-Guicciardini Chapel, which can be visited by appointment. The chapel is an example of Baroque with frescoes by Giovanni da San Giovanni;
- Fattoria Torrigiani: an ancient 15th-18th century villa, which was once an important center for agricultural activities;
- Villa Torrigiani di Valdigelata: located on the outskirts of the village and surrounded by a park, it was built between 1890 and 1896, and the interior frescoes are the work of Galileo Chini.
Bibliography and related links
If you want to deepen your knowledge of Vico d'Elsa and Tuscany, I recommend reading the following books: "Firenze e la sua provincia" by Ettore Camesasca and "La Toscana e i suoi comuni: storia, territorio, popolazione, stemmi e gonfaloni delle libere comunità toscane" by Franco Franceschi, Sergio Raveggi, Gian Piero Pagnini, Giampiero Gabelli, Moreno Mugelli. Additionally, you can find information about the writer Leto Fratini.
Conclusion
Guys, if you love history and art, I recommend visiting Vico d'Elsa and admiring its monuments and places of interest. Walking through its streets, you'll feel like you've gone back in time, in the beauty and magic of the past. Goodbye friends and until the next adventure!
