Capannoli
Welcome to Capannoli: a friendly introduction
Hello everyone! Today I want to talk to you about Capannoli, an Italian town located in the province of Pisa, in Tuscany. With its 6,368 inhabitants, Capannoli is a charming small town that will conquer you with its natural beauty, history, and culture. In this short guide, I will tell you about the geography, climate, territory, origin of the name, and history of Capannoli. Are you ready? Then let's begin!
Geography
Capannoli is located in the beautiful valley of the Era River, in the territory of Alta Valdera. The territory of the municipality varies from an altitude of 25 to 148 meters above sea level, creating a total altitude excursion of 123 meters. The hills surrounding the town are composed of yellow sand and clayey sands of the Pliocene and a characteristic clay, mixed with rock salt and gypsum, called ''mattaione''. This type of clay represents the sediment from the Pliocene era, which covered the area between 2.5 and 4.5 million years ago. Capannoli was also the epicenter of some earthquakes throughout its history, including the one in January 1911.
Climate
The climate of Capannoli is classified as Zone D, with low atmospheric diffusivity, according to the Ibimet CNR 2002 report.
Territory
According to the new seismic classification of the Tuscany Region, Capannoli falls into seismic zone 3, characterized by medium seismicity, as established by Del.G.R.Toscana n. 878 of October 8, 2012.
Origin of the Name
The name Capannoli dates back to the medieval period and seems to derive from the word ''capanna'', which means 'hut'. In Tuscany, there are other similar names, such as ''Capannole'' in Bucine, ''Capannule'' in Montespertoli, and ''Capannori''. The choice of the feminine plural with the exit in ''i'' instead of ''e'' is a characteristic of this region.
History
The history of Capannoli dates back to the Lombard period, as shown by some documents from the archbishopric archive of Lucca from 843 and 1051. In the first document, signed by Eriprando I degli Aldobrandeschi, it is discovered that the bishop of Lucca had exchanged some land with him in exchange for a large area of land. In the second document, from 1051, the bishop of Lucca, Giovanni, pledged not to make any compositions with C. Guido, son of the late Count Teudici, without first obtaining the consent of the brothers Ugo and Teudicio. Ludovico Antonio Muratori then recounted that at the time of the year one thousand, different families owned the land near Capannoli, such as Marquis Alberto, son of Marquis Opizzo of Casalmaggiore, who made a deed of donation in favor of the Poggibonsi Abbey. Alberto had inherited various properties and lordships in the counties of Lucca, Pisa, and Volterra, among which were those of Capannoli, Forcoli, Peccioli, and Cesano. In the Middle Ages, when the village of Capannoli was founded under the jurisdiction of the Counts of Gherardesca, the castle was built around which the community of Capannoli formed. The town extends along the middle-hill axis that crosses Volterra, connecting Valdera with Valdarno. On June 14, 1099, at the request of Countess Matilde di Canossa, a part of the castle of the Counts of Gherardesca located "infra Comitatum Lucense, prope Camullianum" was given to Rangerio Archdiocese of Lucca with the faculty to hold it but the latter did not take possession of it.
Conclusion
So here is my guide to Capannoli. I hope it has been helpful and sparked your curiosity! Here you will find everything you need to discover this splendid Tuscan town, which will conquer you with its beauty and millennial history. Come visit us, you won't regret it!
