il mio amato paese my beloved town - Circolo Didattico Figline ...

FIGLINE VALDARNO
The Past
Primary school “San Biagio”
Figline V.no
Italy 2012-2014

FIGLINE OR “FIGULINAE”
The name “Figline” derives from the Latin "figulinae"
transformed over time into "Figline" which means "art of the
potter" In fact, the clay soil allowed the manufacture of vases and
terracotta tableware.
Nel medioevo il
nome diventa
“FEGGHINE”

INFORMATION ABOUT FIGLINE
The first mention of the castle of
"Fegghine " dates back to 1000 AD
This castle was found on a hill in the
area of the San Romolo.
The inhabitants descended regulary
in the valley and founded the great
"forum of Figline", a kind of market.
Over the years, the population
increased and it became a small
town.
"ceramic plate"

Our town walls
The walls surrounding the town of Figline data back to 1300
The wall was 1,700 meters long and there were 19 - 20
battle towers

There were four gates to get into and out of
Figline : porta Fiorentina to the North, Porta
Aretina souh of the square, in the west Porta
Senese and in the east Porta San Francesco.
Map of the ancient walls

A good part of this wall with towers can
still be seen, but the gates were
destroyed

Today the only gate existing is Porta
Senese
Porta
Senese
Porta
Aretina
Porta
Fiorentina
Porta San
Francesco

WHO PAID FOR THE WALLS?
The construction of the walls of Figline were
paid by the citizens with money derived from
local taxes (called " Gabelle").

The "Praetorian
Palace" is
located in
Piazza Bianchi.
It is a building
dating from the
fourteenth
century and
later restored by
the architect
Enzo Cerpi.
Il Palazzo Pretorio

Outside the building,
there are various
coats of arms of the
old mayor.
The building is
completely made of
stone adorned with
Guelf battlements.
The bell, now located in
the entrance hall, was
once on top of the
tower

THE BELL
The bell, which dates back
to 1384, was a war booty
which celebrates the
defeat of the Ghibellines.
On the bell we can read: "to
perpetuam destructionem
et mortem totius partis
Ghibelline" (for the eternal
destruction of all
Ghibellines.)

During the 19th century,
the building was turned
into a prison. There is
also a chapel dedicated
to war victims. Inside
there is a beautiful
enamel terracotta base
-relief of the Madonna
and Child

LA COLLEGIATA DI SANTA
MARIA
The church of
"Santa Maria"
called
"Collegiata"
was built in
1252 and
was
consecrated
in 1257.

The church stands on the site of an ancient
church dedicated to Our Lady

The facade, of the
1600, is like a hut
with a central
marble portal.
Above the door
there is a circular
rose window.
At the top, the
construction has
a triangular
pediment
Detail of the
main entrance

INSIDE COLLEGIATA
The nave is covered
by wooden beams.
There are four tall
windows called
"monofore " that
provide light inside.
The main altar is
made of marble,
with a large
wooden crucifix.

SAN FRANCESCO CHURCH
San Francesco church
is located in Figline
Valdarno in Piazza
San Francesco
The church was built
between the late
12th and early
14th(1200-1300)
century
The architectural style is"Gothic - Renaissance"
In front there is a portico, the facade has two
types of stone: GREEN MARBLE and LIGHT
STONE .

Inside there are some" frescos"
‣ LA CROCIFISSIONE E I SANTI di Francesco d’Antonio
(1418 circa)
‣ LA MADONNA CHE DONA LA CINTOLA A S. TOMMASO
‣ CRISTO IN PIETA’ FRA I SANTI
BARTOLOMEO,FRANCESCO, LUDOVICO DI TOLOSA E
IACOPO

GARIBALDI THEATRE
The theatre was
built by the
'Academia dei
Ristori " based
on the project of
architect Angelo
Pierallini.
It is located behind
the walls of
Figline Valdarno
near Porta
Fiorentina

The opera "Ernani" by Giuseppe Verdi opened the
theatre in the spring of 1871
Inside
The theatre was seriously damaged during the
World Wars

• The town hall bought the
theatre in 1973 and started
its renovation in 1985
• The theatre was inaugurated
in 1995 with the season of
prose, plays and classical
music.

"Spedale dell’Annunziata"
The " Old
Hospice of Lady
of the
Annunciation"is
located in Piazza
Marsilio Ficino
It was founded in
the late sixteenth
century by the
nobleman "Ser
Ristoro"

Originally it was a shelter for pilgrims and
beggars
In 1600 it was transformed into a real
hospital

In 1890 the Serristori family moved the
hospital to Villa San Cerbone
The premises were transformed in to small
residential homes.
Today, under the portico there are bars,
shops and a small chapel

VILLA SAN CERBONE –
SPEDALE SERRISTORI
The "villa of San
Cerbone" dates
from the
fourteenth
century.
Mr. Serristori in
1890 decided
to make it the
new location for
the "Hospital"

At the hospital, you can visit the interesting
ancient apothecary. Here there are many
collections of ampoules, ceramic vases and
antique books

The ghost hospital
In this hospital there is also a ghost .....
The ghost of a brunette woman who
wanders the corridors with a knife in her
hand looking for her husband's lover.
Her name is Veronica Cybo

The logge of the
internal courtyard
External view of
hospital

Old photos
Palazzo pretorio
Teatro Garibaldi
Chiesa San Francesco
Piazza Marsilio Ficino

ANCIENT PAINTERS
Giovanni
di Papino
Calderini
This painter was
born in 1499, the
most famous
painting is
"Madonna and
Child" exposed in
the sanctuary of
Santa Maria a
Ponterosso

Maestro di Figline
" Maestro di Figline"
is an anonymous
artist of the fourteenth
century:
The title "Maestro di
Figline" is derived
from an altarpiece
with the Virgin and
Child preserved in
Collegiate church of
Figline
Madonna in trono col Bambino
fra San Ludovico di Tolosa e
Sant'Elisabetta di Ungheria

The painter was
born in Figline
Valdarno in 1837
and died in
Florence in 1901.
One of his greatest
historical works is
exposed in the
Uffizi in Florence.
"Corradino di
Svevia"
Egisto Sarri