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BAGNO A RIPOLI
On the other side of the river Arno from Fiesole, Bagno a
Ripoli was probably an Etruscan village and from the III century
b.C it became an important commercial centre.
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 It
was the seat of the Lega di Ripoli in the XII century, one of the
72 federations of communities in which the Florentine countryside
was divided into. Bagno a Ripoli preserves the oldest Romanesque parish
church in the surroundings of Florence, the Pieve di San Pietro, which
dates back to the VIII century. The façade of the church was
restructured to its original primitive Romanesque style in 1932. Inside
there are several artworks, among which some frescoes from the 14th
century attributed to Piero Nelli, also the author of the processional
crucifix that you find in the Cappella della Misericordia. The chapel
also features some paintings from the 17th century. In the territory
of Bagno a Ripoli you can also visit the Pieve di San Donino in Villamagna
that dominates the valley of the river Arno. Founded in the VIII century
and rebuilt during the Romanesque period, the church features a simple
façade with an imposing bell-tower. It preserves many artworks
made between the XIV and the XVI century. The Oratorio di Santa Caterina
is a real masterpiece of Italian Gothic and was built as a private
chapel by the Lords Alberti between 1348 and 1387. The exterior façade
is simple and delicious, in Romanesque style, while the interior holds
frescoes of rare beauty from the 13th and 14th century.
 At
Antella, a small hamlet to Bagno a Ripoli, you find the Pieve di Santa
Maria, which first plant goes back to year 1000. The church has been
restructured several times and finally in 1928 it was restructured
to its primitive Romanesque style. The sacristy and the bell-tower
evidence the Romanesque style, while the inside features numerous
artworks from the 15th and the 17th century.
There are also many castles plotted around Bagno a Ripoli such as
Belforte, Monte Acuto and Quarante, and many villas, like the Medicean
villas Lappeggi and Mondeggi. Along the river Arno you find the building
of Gualchiere di Remole, with powerful towers, which was used for
the manufacturing of the fabrics for Florence.
 The
beauty of the region around Bagno a Ripoli, a marvellous mix of the
graze of the landscape and the elegant antique buildings, has contributed
to a project to create an open-air museum, without paintings in closed
buildings but with streets, bridges, churches, villas and mills integrated
in customised itineraries.
Many remains that go back to the Neolithic era, today preserved in
the Antiquarium in Bagno a Ripoli, has been found during the excavations
around the territory. Tourists who want to experience the atmosphere
of the historical palaces of Bagno a Ripoli can stay at the Spedale
del Bigallo which, after a recent restorations, has finally returned
to its original function as a hostel and a cultural centre. The visitor
stay in the antique rooms, eat in the beautiful refectory with caisson
ceiling and relax in the marvellous hall with a stone fireplace.
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