Vicchio
Discovering Vicchio
Hi everyone! Today we will talk about Vicchio, a small town with just over 8,000 inhabitants located in the beautiful Tuscany region, in the Mugello valley. If you are a fan of figurative art, you will surely love Vicchio, as this city is the birthplace of two famous painters: Giotto and Beato Angelico. The birthplace of Giotto, located on the hill of Vespignano, is a popular tourist destination. In 2001, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the installation of the sculptor's statue in the square of the same name in the center of the town, Vicchio celebrated in style.
A brief history of the city
Between 1559 and 1571, Benvenuto Cellini lived intermittently in Vicchio, and in the house that belonged to the goldsmith and sculptor, there is now a jewelry school with exhibitions being held there. In 1860, during the plebiscite for the annexation of Tuscany to Sardinia, Vicchio strongly opposed the annexation, although the "yes" votes did not reach the majority of those eligible. In 1901, Giosuè Carducci, often a guest of the noble family of Giarrè Billi in the fraction of Pilarciano, was the president of the committee that led to the erection of the statue of Giotto in the central square of the town.
The Mugello Earthquake
I would like to tell you about the Mugello Earthquake, which had its epicenter in Vicchio and was one of the major Italian earthquakes of the twentieth century. The 6.2 magnitude earthquake destroyed 700 of the 1500 existing houses, with an additional 500 damaged to the point of being uninhabitable. There were over one hundred victims, far fewer than the number of homeless people. The earthquake occurred around three o'clock in the afternoon, after some warning tremors, in an area and season when the majority rural population was working in the fields. At that time, the city walls and three of the six towers also fell. Only the Cerchiai tower remains visible from Victory Square. The Tower of Levante and the Tower of Ponente, the two major towers, were destroyed by the German army during its retreat.
Tragic events during World War II
Finally, I would like to tell you about two tragic events that occurred during World War II. The first concerns the occupation of Vicchio by the partisans on March 6, 1944. Later, several fascist sympathizers were captured and executed. The roundup carried out by the militiamen of the Italian Social Republic on March 12, 1944, led to the capture of several young farmers from the area and a Sardinian airman who had taken refuge with one of them near Gattaia. The five, called the martyrs of the Campo di Marte, were executed on March 22, 1944, accused of evading the draft by Mario Carità. They were all twenty-one years old and their names were Leandro Corona, Ottorino Quiti, Antonio Raddi, Adriano Santoni, and Guido Targetti. On April 25, 2008, they were awarded the Civil Valor by President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano. A plaque was placed in a recreational center outside the town, in the locality of Caselle, in their memory.
Conclusion
Vicchio is a city full of history, where art and culture blend perfectly. If you decide to visit, you won't regret it. You can admire the natural beauty of the Mugello valley, learn more about the life of Giotto, and discover a tragic era in Italian history. In short, I can't wait to visit this beautiful city again and learn even more about its history and culture.
