Inhabitants in 1991: 6.271
The
municipal territory of Vicchio extends for 138,89 square kilometres between
hills and mountains in Val di Sieve in central Mugello. Medieval Podesta
Office it reached its present day territorial aspect in 1983 when
the districts of Celle and Villa were detached from it and aggregated
to the municipality of Dicomano.
The building of the castle walls at Vicchio according to the official
origin goes back to 1324. It was constructed on the will of the
Fiorentina republic, who on those hills and mountains had for almost
half a century
battled against the antique Lords of the territory the Guidi Counts,
by walling a small group of houses raised up in the preceding years
by the
hands of those who had abandoned the run down castles and the feudal
courts of Ampinana, Gattaia, Filiccione and Montesassi. The population
of the
new land augmented in the course of the XIV century with the definitive
submission of Count Guido da Battifolle, and acquired importance
after
they had received from Firenze in
1477 the concession of being able to hold a weekly market. In 1529
the castle posed an epic resistance
to the troops of Filibeto d'Orange and of Pope Clement VII, who in
spite of the major quantity of means had to wait more than four months
and suffer in the meantime numerous defeatds before the captain who defended
it Filippo Parenti thought it necessary to retreat to Marradi.
Gravely damaged in an earthquake in 1798 another ruinous one
suffered again in 1919. The tradition has it that in the neighbourhood
of Vespignano Giotto was born (1267?-1337); and the Blessed Angelico
(1395-1455) also came from Vicchio. During the second world war
it was badly damaged and the nazi troops effected scourges and bloodshed
in 1944.
Places to visit: Museum of Blessed Angelico,
which does not contain works of art of the artist of whom it takes
its name, but has a collection of sacred art with objects coming from
the churches of the territory. Piazza Giotto, square in
shape on which front the antique Palazzo Pretorio and the parochial
of S. Giovanni Battista. Birth place of Giotto at Vespignano,
which hosts a collection of document and testimonies of the life to
the artist. |
Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford |