Valdarno is an area of the Tuscany.
To know
It is the valley where the Arno flows, which however was born in Casentino. It can be divided into upper Valdarno and lower Valdarno, which do not include the areas of Florence, Meadow is Pistoia, which fall under the Florentine plain. Both the upper and lower Valdarno are mainly located in the northern part of the Tuscany.
Geographical notes
The upper Valdarno is a large natural basin, closed to the north-east by the massif of Pratomagno and bordered to the southwest by the modest Monti del Chianti. The Arno enters it through the "Valle dell'Inferno", a long gorge now occupied by two contiguous artificial basins, leaving it at the "Strait of the Incisa". The Valdarno valley is divided between the Provinces of Arezzo and of Florence, even if the spoken dialect is Florentine. The Arezzo section widens to include the undulating territory crossed by the Amber, a left tributary of the largest Tuscan river.
The upper Valdarno has a remarkable variety of landscapes: alpine and solitary on the high slopes of Pratomagno; bumpy by picturesque phenomena of clayey erosion at the foot of the same ridge; characterized by the work of man in the central part. The door of the Valdarno is Ponticino (fraction of Laterina Pergine Valdarno), located on the left bank of the Arno along the state road 69; is the first town you meet after the river, with the jump of the Penna, leaves the Casentino and the Arezzo plain. The first town that the Arno crosses entering the Valdarno is Laterina (today a fraction of Laterina Pergine Valdarno]].
Background
Numerous artifacts have been found in the upper Valdarno which testify to the presence of human settlements since the Stone Age. There were numerous peoples who inhabited the valley, including the Etruscans, the Ligurians and the Romans, thanks to the fertility and abundance of fauna. On the Valdarno, there is a greater number of historical sources dating back to the Middle Ages, a period in which the Tuscany was one of the richest and most important areas ofEurope. During the Middle Ages, the first walls began to be built, and the villages took on considerable dimensions for the time.
In the Late Middle Ages, in the communal age, the Valdarno was at the center of three great centers in conflict with each other: Arezzo, Florence is Siena. Consequently, the Valdarno was the scene of many clashes; the valley, in addition to being strategic from a geographical point of view, was also important for food resources. After the victory of Florence in the battle of Campaldino, the valley was placed under the government of the Florentine Republic. Two military garrisons were created to reduce the Arezzo and Sienese incursions, and to limit or remove the power of the local lords who could foment a revolt against the Florentine state: San Giovanni (today San Giovanni Valdarno) and Castel Santa Maria (today Terranuova Bracciolini).
After having subdued Arezzo, Florence had to fight other enemies to continue to have hegemony in the valley: the Holy Roman Emperor Arrigo VII and Pope Sixtus VI. For this reason the Florentines built walls around Montevarchi and in San Giovanni, but this did not succeed in averting the conquest by the papal troops.
The Valdarno was plagued by the plague, as well as by the periodic flooding of the Arno, which each time claimed a large number of victims, destroying the fields and putting the survival of the Valdarno to a severe test.
Territories and tourist destinations
Urban centers
Other destinations
- Lower Valdarno - Territory between Montelupo Fiorentino to Pisa. In its meaning it includes the municipalities of Montelupo Fiorentino, Capraia and Limite, Empoli, Fucecchio, Santa Croce sull'Arno, Montopoli in Val d'Arno, San Miniato, Pontedera, farmhouse and Pisa.
- Upper Valdarno - Territory between Arezzo to Florence. In its meaning it includes the municipalities of Montevarchi, San Giovanni Valdarno, Terranova Bracciolini, Figline Valdarno, Engraved in the Val d'Arno, Rignano sull'Arno, Reggello is Pontassieve.
How to get
The upper Valdarno is crossed by numerous communication routes of regional and national importance.
By car
The main road that connects the municipalities of the Valdarno is the Regional Road 69 of Val d'Arno. In addition to the A1 motorway which runs parallel to the High Speed line.
On the train
It is crossed by the "very direct" high-speed line Florence-Rome which crosses the major municipalities of the valley.
In addition to the "direttissima", the Valdarno is also served by the historical line which carries out passenger service to Pontassieve, Rignano sull'Arno, Incisa Valdarno, Figline Valdarno, San Giovanni Valdarno, Montevarchi, Bucine, Laterina, Ponticino (fraction of Laterina Pergine Valdarno).
By bus
Road transport companies also operate in the Valdarno:
- Bus lines of Chianti and Valdarno regarding the province of Florence.
- Etruria Mobility for the province of Arezzo.
