Signa () 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 ...

'' (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 first ...

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 west 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 ...

. Signa borders the following municipalities:

Campi Bisenzio Campi Bisenzio is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about northwest of Florence. History The word Campi in the municipality's name stems from the fields which are widespread ...

Carmignano Carmignano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Prato, part of the Italian region Tuscany. It is located about west of Florence and about southwest of Prato. It is the centre of the wine region of the same name. Geography Ca ...

, Lastra a Signa,

Poggio a Caiano Poggio a Caiano is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Prato, Tuscany region Italy. The town, birthplace of Philip Mazzei, lies south of the provincial capital of Prato. Sister towns Poggio a Caiano has two sister cities: * Charlottes ...

, Scandicci.

History

The origins of Signa are uncertain. Most likely it already existed in ancient times, although it is not known if it was founded by 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 ...

or by Romans. It is also scarcely mentioned in the Low

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 ...

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Em ...

donated to one of his captains a "Castle of Signa", although this is disputed. The local pleban churches of San Giovanni Battista and San Lorenzo are mentioned in a 977/978 AD document.Scuola Elementare "Leonardo Da Vinci" e Gruppo Archeologico Signese, ''Signa fra Storia e Tradizione'' Signa acquired local importance in the 14th century after the construction of a nearby bridge, the only one in the area allowing passage of the

Arno river The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber. Source and route The river originates on Monte Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a so ...

. It was conquered by condottiero Castruccio Castracani and is also mentioned in

Dante Alighieri Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His '' Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: ...

's ''Divine Comedy''. Signa became an important centre of craftmanship in the 19th century.

Main sights

Pieve In the Middle Ages, a pieve (, ; la, plebe, link=no; plural ''pievi'') was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended. The Italian word ''pieve'' is descended from Latin Latin (, or , ) i ...

of San Giovanni Battista (7th-9th centuries). *Pieve of San Lorenzo *Church of Santa Maria in Castello *Church of San Miniato *Villa Castelletti *Villa San Lorenzo

Culture

Signa is a typical Tuscan town. On the day after Easter, there is an important religious festival in honour of the Beata Giovanna. There is a procession that parades in the streets of Signa, and many people wear old costumes. In

Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long l ...

's ''

Gianni Schicchi () is a comic opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano, composed in 1917–18. The libretto is based on an incident mentioned in Dante's ''Divine Comedy''. The work is the third and final part of Pucc ...

'', the "''molini di Signa''" (mills of Signa) are the most coveted by his relatives of Buoso Donati's properties. The 1875 novel ''Signa'' by

Ouida Ouida (; 1 January 1839 – 25 January 1908) was the pseudonym of the English novelist Maria Louise Ramé (although she preferred to be known as Marie Louise de la Ramée). During her career, Ouida wrote more than 40 novels, as well as s ...

(Mary Louise Ramé) is set in Signa.

People

The anonymous Master of Signa was from the town. Other natives include the artists Bruno Catarzi, Giuseppe Santelli, Raffaello Fossi, Alimondo Ciampi, and Alvaro Cartei; the academics Tommaso Bisagno and

Boncompagno da Signa Boncompagno da Signa (also ''Boncompagnus'' or ''Boncompagni''; c. 1165/1175 – after 1240) was an Italian scholar, grammarian, historian, and philosopher. Born in Signa, near Florence, between 1165 and 1175, he was a professor of rhetoric (' ...

; Blessed Giovanna da Signa; the journalist

Piergiorgio Branzi Piergiorgio is a masculine Italian given name. Notable people with the name include: *Piergiorgio Cortelazzo (born 1969), Italian politician *Piergiorgio Farina (1933–2008), Italian jazz violinist *Piergiorgio Negrisolo (born 1950), Italian footb ...

; and the actor Giancarlo Gori.

Sister Cities

Signa is twinned with *

Pukë Pukë ( sq-definite, Puka) is a town and municipality in northern Albania. It was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Gjegjan, Pukë, Qelëz, Qerret and Rrapë, that became municipal units. The ...

, Albania

References

External links

Official website
Cities and towns in Tuscany {{Florence-geo-stub