Valdarno @ Characteristic Features of Valdarno Valley
Valdarno: Characteristic Features - From ancient times the valley was a zone of transit: in the Etruscan-Roman epoch it was crossed by the so-called Via Cassia vetus which, running along half way up the slopes of Pratomagno, connected the territory of Arezzo to Fiesole. The modern provincial road no. 1, known as the road of the seven bridges, traces practically the same route. Along the bottom of the valley runs the state road, SS 69, connecting Arezzo to
Florence Easy access to the area from both north and south is provided by the A1 Firenze-Roma motorway and the Florence-Rome railway line, both running through the valley. The entire valley is scattered with churches and castles, illustrating the fact that the
Valdarno has always been an area of strategic and political importance. Initially a feud of the Guidi counts of Casentino, from the end of the thirteenth century the Vaidarno came under the dominion of the
Florence Comune, which then organised the construction of the so-called "walled towns" (Terranuova Bracciolini, San Giovanni Vaidarno, Castelfranco di Sopra and Figline Vaidarno), urban settlements protected by walls and featuring a classic chessboard layout.
Today the Vaidarno is one of the most economically developed areas of Tuscany, especially in the sphere of small and medium-sized craft enterprises: glass and crystal, clothing, leather goods and accessories are the most widespread manufactures. Alongside these, the traditional agriculture of the area is mostly performed on small family-run estates which offer the typical local products such as wine (Chianti dei Colli Aretini,
Chianti dei Colli d`Ambra and
Chianti dei Colli fiorentini), oil (Colli d`Ambra and Pratomagno oil),
preserved meats (Pratomagno ham), legumes (coco and zolfino beans, chick peas), Pratomagno chestnuts and Vaidarno chickens.
Vaidarno, like the entire province of
Florence possesses an extremely valuable cultural and artistic heritage, housed largely in the local museums which, although often small in size, are nevertheless very important in terms of the value of the works on display and above all of the cultural identity of the territory. They are authentic gems gathered within the diffused museum system promoted by the Florentine Provincial Authority and metaphorically entitled "the string of pearls".
.... from
Valdarno ( Apt -
Florence )
