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| INTRO |
Radda in Chianti… the heart of Chianti
Situated in the heart of the Chianti area, the municipality of Radda in Chianti is in an area of ancient settlements, and its Etruscan origin is testified by the archaeological finds recently found.
In medieval times, Radda was the seat of Lega del Chianti and ever since then it has preserved its characteristic elliptic form, maintaining its ancient structure intact on the Eastern side of the Chiantigiana road.
The Territory
Situated on the hills which occupy the land between the valleys of the Pesa and of the Arabia, the territory covers a surface area totalling 80.56 kilometres squared, entirely enclosed in the area of Chianti.
The maximum altitude of the area is found at Mount Querciabella (Monti del Chianti), 845 metres high. The population is about 1,630 inhabitants, of which 28% work in agriculture (cultivation of grapes and olives).
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The History
Even though the place names clearly indicate the Etruscan origin and the antiquity of the settlement in this territory, only recently have the excavations conducted at Poggio La Croce and at Malpensata brought to light important Etruscan archaeological finds. In the middle ages, important feudal families and local noblemen had numerous castles built in the area, but these strongholds fell quite soon, under the control of Florence. The first information regarding the castle of Radda dates back to the beginning of the eleventh century. Around the mid-thirteenth century, when the Republic of Florence organized the small communities in its territory into leagues, the castle of Radda became the most important place in the entire League of Chianti. Of all the castles of the area, only Volpaia is still well preserved while others, like Albola and Monterinaldi, have only some parts still intact or have been transformed into villas.
An interesting testimonial of the ancient religious organizations is the Pieve Church of Santa Maria Novella which, even if largely reconstructed, has maintained its original structure, as the Roman capitals demonstrate. The church of San Niccolò a Radda also dates back to Roman times, as do the churches of Albola, Bugialla, Livernano, Montemaione and the canonicals of San Fedele a Paterno and of Santa Maria in Colle. From a Roman nucleus, the convent of Santa Maria in Prato developed further in successive centuries. The church of Sant’Eufrosino a Volpaia, known as “La Commenda”, is decidedly unusual thanks to its features linked to the architecture of the Florentine Renaissance. Finally, the little chapel of the Mercatale, at Radda, deserves a mention, as it dates back to the XVIII century and shows features which are typical of the Tuscan mannerism.
Distances
Siena - 25 km, Florence - 35 km, Arezzo - 35 Km, San Gimignano - 25 km.
Population: 1720
Area: 80.05 km2
Height above sea level: 535m
Postcode: 53017
Dialling code: +39 0577
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