Borgo San Lorenzo is a ''
comune
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
'' (municipality) in the
Metropolitan City of Florence
The Metropolitan City of Florence ( it, Città Metropolitana di Firenze) is an administrative division called metropolitan city in the Tuscany region, Italy. Its capital is the city of Florence. It replaced the Province of Florence. It was firs ...
in the
Italian region
Tuscany
it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Citizenship
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 = Italian
, demogra ...
, located about northeast of
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 18,085 and an area of .
[All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat.]
History
The first settlements in the central area of
Mugello
The Mugello is a historic region and valley in northern Tuscany, in Italy, corresponding to the course of the River Sieve. It is located to the north of the city of Florence and includes the northernmost portion of the Metropolitan City of ...
, later occupied by Borgo San Lorenzo, are certainly very ancient. There are numerous testimonies of the existence of settlements even before the
Etruscans
The Etruscan civilization () was developed by a people of Etruria in ancient Italy with a common language and culture who formed a federation of city-states. After conquering adjacent lands, its territory covered, at its greatest extent, roug ...
, of which we can find traces near Ronta. From the 2nd century B.C., the
Romans settled here, creating the village of Anneianum, on the road from
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
to
Faenza
Faenza (, , ; rgn, Fènza or ; la, Faventia) is an Italian city and comune of 59,063 inhabitants in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, situated southeast of Bologna.
Faenza is home to a historical manufacture of majolica-ware glazed ea ...
.
In the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, the town belonged to the Ubaldini family until the 10th century, when it passed under the civil power of the Florentine bishop, as demonstrated by the existence of an emphyteutic contract dated 941, in which the church of San Lorenzo in Mugello is described as belonging to the Florentine chapter. Given its favourable position as a road junction, controlling a crossing over the Sieve river, Borgo San Lorenzo acquired a certain importance that allowed it to prevail over the entire surrounding area and to become the market town.
The control of the Florentine Bishop was exercised through the
Bishop's Vicar, who exercised economic and civil power under the title of Podestà. This power gradually weakened in relation to the economic growth of Borgo, which in the early 13th century affected the whole of Mugello; this is also demonstrated by the use of its own measures in transactions, such as the staio and the mina burgensi.
As early as
1222, the bishop of Florence had to relinquish total control over the appointment of the jusdicente, reserving it for himself only once every four years and leaving the people a free choice for the other three years. Subsequently, there were further attempts to revolt against the bishop's authority, which in
1239
Year 1239 ( MCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Summer – A German expeditionary force under Emperor Frederick II invades the R ...
forced the then Podestà, Ubaldino della Pila, to issue an order prohibiting the building of houses and towers over 15 fathoms high.
The spirit of rebellion was led by the Guelph nobles who, in
1251, had to suffer the assault of the Ghibellines who had escaped from Florence, allied with the Lords of Romagna. Finally, in
1290
Year 1290 ( MCCXC) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* July 10 – King Ladislaus IV (the Cuman) is assassinated at the castle of Körö ...
, the municipality of Florence intervened and, by paying 3000 florins, acquired all the rights over Mugello.
In the following years Borgo San Lorenzo paid for its ties with the Florentine Guelph Republic, suffering attacks from the Ghibellines, as in
1303 when the town was conquered by Scarpetta degli Ordelaffi, a Ghibelline from Forlì; or as in
1312, at the coming of Arrigo VII, when the Ubaldini returned to Borgo. To protect itself from these attacks, and from the threat created by the
Visconti of Milan
The Visconti of Milan are a noble Italian family. They rose to power in Milan during the Middle Ages where they ruled from 1277 to 1447, initially as Lords then as Dukes, and several collateral branches still exist. The effective founder of the ...
, Florence intervened in 1351 by walling up the town of Borgo San Lorenzo and creating the new lands of
Scarperia and
Firenzuola.
The appearance of the town was thus regularised by means of a rectangular wall structure, with four gates with towers and a road axis that cut across the whole town lengthwise. Today's Piazza Cavour was the meeting point of the two main streets.
The town was the main centre of a league that brought together all the inhabitants of the area; it was the seat of political power, represented by a Podestà sent every six months from Florence; the men who held all public offices were also Florentine. The fact that each gate had two keys, one held by the Podestà, the other by an appointee every three months, was unusual.
In
1440
Events
January–December
* February 21 – The Prussian Confederation is formed.
* April 9 – Christopher of Bavaria is elected King of Denmark.
* April – Murad II lays siege to Belgrade. The city is heavily damaged, but the def ...
Borgo was besieged by Niccolò Piccinino, an ally of the Albizi against the
Medici
The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Mu ...
, but was not conquered. Between 1529 and 1530, during the siege of Florence, a mercenary captain took possession of the town and transformed it into an arsenal and shipyard for the construction of devices to be used against Florence. With the fall of the Republic in Florence, Borgo San Lorenzo became part of the Medici principality.
Under the
Hapsburg-Lorraine of Tuscany, Borgo San Lorenzo became the main centre of the entire Mugello, thanks to the centrality of its position in the area and the increase in building and agriculture brought about by Grand Ducal policy. In the 19th century the town's role was confirmed with the birth of a good industrial organisation and, towards the end of the century, with the creation of a railway network linking Florence, Faenza and
Pontassieve. In 1861 Borgo San Lorenzo was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy by
King Vittorio Emanuele II
Victor Emmanuel II ( it, Vittorio Emanuele II; full name: ''Vittorio Emanuele Maria Alberto Eugenio Ferdinando Tommaso di House of Savoy, Savoia''; 14 March 1820 – 9 January 1878) was Kingdom of Sardinia, King of Sardinia from 1849 until 17 Marc ...
of Savoy.
Geography
Borgo San Lorenzo borders the following municipalities:
Fiesole
Fiesole () is a town and '' comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a scenic height above Florence, 5 km (3 miles) northeast of that city. It has structures dating to Etruscan and Roman times.
...
,
Firenzuola,
Marradi
Marradi ( rgn, Maré) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about northeast of Florence at the borders with the Emilia-Romagna region.
Marradi borders the following municipali ...
,
Palazzuolo sul Senio
Palazzuolo sul Senio (formerly ''Palazzolo di Romagna''; Romagnolo: ''Palazol'') is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about northeast of Florence.
Palazzuolo sul Senio border ...
,
Pontassieve,
Scarperia e San Piero
Scarperia e San Piero is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence, in the Italian region Tuscany, located about northeast of Florence. It was created on 1 January 2014 after the merger of former ''comuni'' of Scarperia a ...
,
Vaglia
Vaglia is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about north of Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. ...
,
Vicchio
Vicchio is a town and '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about northeast of Florence. As of 2016, it had a population of 8,105 and an area of .
Geography
Vicchio borders the muni ...
.
It is considered a Zone 2 area according to the
Italian Seismic classification following the PCM 3274.
Demographic evolution
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Transportation
Access to the city of Borgo San Lorenzo includes a
Trenitalia
Trenitalia is the primary train operator in Italy. A subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, itself owned by the Italian government, the company was established in 2000 following a European Union directive on the deregulation of rail transp ...
local rail service from
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
and
Faenza
Faenza (, , ; rgn, Fènza or ; la, Faventia) is an Italian city and comune of 59,063 inhabitants in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, situated southeast of Bologna.
Faenza is home to a historical manufacture of majolica-ware glazed ea ...
.
References
External links
www.comune.borgo-san-lorenzo.fi.it/
Cities and towns in Tuscany
{{Florence-geo-stub