Ricasoli
History
The Castle of Ricasoli, located in the hamlet of Ricasoli in the municipality of Montevarchi, has a very ancient history. There is a document from March 1067 that refers to the donation made to the Abbey of Coltibuono of a portion of land located in the place called "Pancolo", now a hamlet of Greve in Chianti. The castle was equipped with a strong fortress and was declared an imperial fiefdom in 1187 by Henry VI. In addition, the lordship of Ranieri Firidolfi was invested. In 1191, Henry VI decided to appoint co-feudatories of the Guidi counts, to whom he assigned half of the castle and the territory. In 1220, Frederick II of Swabia confirmed the cohabitation between the Ricasoli and Guidi families.
However, shortly thereafter, the Ricasolis decided to get rid of the Guidis, who then sold many other properties in Valdarno to the Ricasolis, becoming the sole owners of the castle. In the register of the tithes ordered by the City of Florence in 1290, the castle and its territory were assessed for the sum of 1500 lire. Moreover, the register reveals that before 1290, the castle had not been subject to taxes because the Ricasolis had been exempted until then from land and personal taxation on the goods and individuals of the family. In 1349, Albertaccio di Bindaccio sold the castle to the Florentine Republic, ending the lordship of the Ricasolis over the fiefdom.
Notes
This brief historical text on the Castle of Ricasoli and its ownership by the Ricasolis provides detailed information on its history and ancient properties.
Bibliography
Among the various bibliographies cited for more information on the Castle of Ricasoli, there is the Dizionario geografico, fisico, storico della Toscana, First Edition of 1846 curated by Emanuele Repetti, Genealogy and history of the Ricasoli family of 1861 by Luigi Passerini, and the book of 1963 by the Archival Superintendence for Tuscany, entitled Gli archivi storici dei comuni della Toscana.
Other projects
The Castle of Ricasoli is now a hamlet of Montevarchi, a town in the Tuscany region of the province of Arezzo. The website of the Municipality of Montevarchi offers useful information on the services, attractions, and culture of the city.
