Foiano della Chiana is a small agricultural town in eastern
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
, in the
province of Arezzo
The province of Arezzo ( it, provincia di Arezzo) is the easternmost province in the Tuscany region of central Italy. Its capital is the city of Arezzo. The province is bordered by the regions of Marche, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, and the provinces ...
, between the cities of
Sinalunga
Sinalunga is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Siena, in the Tuscany region of central Italy.
History
Aside from scanty prehistoric findings, the oldest historical remains date from the 8th century BC, when Sinalunga was perhaps an Etrusca ...
and
Cortona
Cortona (, ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Arezzo, in Tuscany, Italy. It is the main cultural and artistic centre of the Val di Chiana after Arezzo.
Toponymy
Cortona is derived from Latin Cortōna, and from Etruscan 𐌂𐌖𐌓 ...
. It is well known for its annual
carnival
Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...
.
History
Foiano's name, according to a legend, derives from the god Janus who, when he went up the Tiber River and settled in the shadow of a hill, called it ''Flos Janus''. Also, a parchment dating back to 842 CE was found in which
Lothar I
Lothair I or Lothar I (Dutch and Medieval Latin: ''Lotharius''; German: ''Lothar''; French: ''Lothaire''; Italian: ''Lotario'') (795 – 29 September 855) was emperor (817–855, co-ruling with his father until 840), and the governor of Bavar ...
mentions the Roman ''Campus Fugianus''.
In 1383, control of Foiano passed from Arezzo to
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 an ...
and the inhabitants built fortified walls around the town. In 1387 the city became a free
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
and the first communal statute was drafted. After the siege of the Aragonese, Foiano fell back into Florentine control and the new "heart shaped" town walls were built in 1480.
Foiano was the best defense point in the Valdichiana because it used to be surrounded on three sides by marshland. In order to access the town, the inhabitants and visitors would have to arrive by boat where it was marshy, otherwise by land into the town. The marshland existed where the Chiana river now flows. The Castle of Foiano was built on the southern side of the city and changed hands many times according to who ruled the land.
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...
arrived in Foiano in 1502 and began to draw up plans for the draining of the Valdichiana and also the famous map of Valdichiana. In 1525, Foiano was the first commune to give up its marshlands to 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 Muge ...
for draining. It took three centuries to drain the Val di Chiana, continuing during the
Lorena rule. Only when, with the fall of
Siena
Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...
in 1554, all the territory passed under the dominion of the Medici, a coordinated and complete plan of reclamation could be prepared. Figures like Leonardo da Vinci,
Antonio da Sangallo the Younger
250px, A model of the Apostolic Palace, which was the main project of Bramante during Sangallo's apprenticeship.
250px, The church of Santa Maria di Loreto near the Rome.html"_;"title="Trajan's_Market_in_Rome">Trajan's_Market_in_Rome.
image: ...
,
Baldassarre Peruzzi
Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi (7 March 1481 – 6 January 1536) was an Italian architect and painter, born in a small town near Siena (in Ancaiano, ''frazione'' of Sovicille) and died in Rome. He worked for many years with Bramante, Raphael, and lat ...
and
Vignola
Vignola (Emilian language#Dialects, Modenese: ; Bolognese dialect, Bolognese: ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Modena (Emilia-Romagna), Italy.
Its economy is based on agriculture, especially fruit farming, but there are also mechani ...
were involved in the work.
In 1789,
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
’s troops came through Tuscany, but the French Revolution had no influence on Foiano, which enjoyed their pre-existing protection under Florence. In 1862, Foiano took on the name Foiano della Chiana and it was one of the first municipalities to elect a town council by popular majority.
Main sights
Inside the walled city, there are art and architectural works by
Andrea della Robbia and other notable artists of the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
.
Inside the church of ''San Michele Arcangelo'', on the second south altar, a ''Madonna of the Rosary'' by
Lorenzo Lippi
Lorenzo Lippi (3 May 1606 – 15 April 1665) was an Italian painter and poet.
Biography
Born in Florence, he studied painting under Matteo Rosselli. Both Baldassare Franceschini and Francesco Furini were also apprenticed with Rosselli, the ...
and on the third north altar, and enameled terracotta of the ''Ascension'' by della Robbia and son Giovanni around 1495–1500.
The Corso Vittorio Emanuele leads to the Piazza della Collegiata where, inside the ''Collegiata'' itself, is the ''
Madonna della Cintola ''done in 1502 by Andrea della Robbia, and ''Coronation of the Virgin'' by the
Luca Signorelli
Luca Signorelli ( – 16 October 1523) was an Italian Renaissance painter from Cortona in Tuscany, who was noted in particular for his ability as a draftsman and his use of foreshortening. His massive frescos of the ''Last Judgment'' (1499–15 ...
school.
The church of ''Santa Maria della Fraternità'' houses four paintings by
Giovanni Camillo Sagrestani and the statue of ''Madonna and Child'' by Andrea della Robbia (around 1460), based on a model by his uncle
Luca
The last universal common ancestor (LUCA) is the most recent population from which all organisms now living on Earth share common descent—the most recent common ancestor of all current life on Earth. This includes all cellular organisms; th ...
.
Architectural works of Foiano include the 14th century ''Palazzo Pretorio'' along one side of Piazza Cavour, and the ''Palazzo delle Logge ''on the other, built between the 16th and 17th centuries. The Palazzo delle Logge was the residence of
Ferdinando II de Medici
Ferdinando II de' Medici (14 July 1610 – 23 May 1670) was grand duke of Tuscany from 1621 to 1670. He was the eldest son of Cosimo II de' Medici and Maria Maddalena of Austria. He was remembered by his contemporaries as a man of culture and ...
and the Municipal Historic Archive and the Library are now housed inside, with some of the halls used for exhibitions. The Civic Tower has been recently restored, preserving its original proportions and façade. The Garibaldi Theatre which used to be called Monte Pio in 1570 and the Palazzo Neri-Serneri are also found within the old town. Also, the grain loggias bearing the Medici arms are a good example of Foiano’s long history. Close to the town is located the small octagonal
temple of Santo Stefano della Vittoria, built by Giorgio Vasari for Duke Cosimo I and dedicated to Cosimo's victory in the
battle of Scannagallo.
Notable people
*
Antonio Circignani
Antonio Circignani (1560–1620) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance ( Mannerism) period and early Baroque. Born in Pomarance, he is known also as Antonio ''Pomarancio''. He was the son of the painter Niccolò Circignani, and with his ...
(1560–1620) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance. His works include ''Trinity'' in Chiesa della Santissima Trinità, Foiano della Chiana
*
Luigi Vannuccini (1828–1911), composer and singing teacher
*
Mario Lucrezio Reali (born Foiano 1939) is an Italian poet and writer and a prominent expert in natural gas and oil.
*
Alessandro Fei (born 1978) is an Italian men's volleyball player, a member of Italy men's national volleyball team. Lives in the town
*
Luca Vanni
Luca Vanni (born 4 June 1985) is an Italian former professional tennis player. He competed mainly on the ATP Challenger Tour and ITF Futures, both in singles and doubles. He reached his highest ATP singles ranking, no. 100 on 11 May 2015, and his ...
(born 1985) is an Italian professional tennis player. He competes mainly on the ATP Challenger Tour and ITF Futures, both in singles and doubles. Lives in the town
See also
*
Carnival of Foiano della Chiana
The Carnival of Foiano della Chiana ( it, Carnevale di Foiano della Chiana) is a carnival event yearly held in the Tuscan city of Foiano della Chiana, in Tuscany, in Italy. It is one of the most famous carnivals in Italy, even the oldest, starti ...
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foiano Della Chiana
Cities and towns in Tuscany