Entrance to the Garden Restaurant in Piazza Giuseppe Giusti in Montecatini Alto

User Rating: / 1
PoorBest 

A Brief History of Montecatini Alto

 

The fortification of Montecatini took place between 1016 (still referred to as "villa", that is not fortified place) and the 1074 first mention of the "Castle". In the eleventh century it belonged to the Church of Lucca (Bishop of St. Martin) and "cliques" of "Lambardi" of Maona and Montecatini. Then became autonomous with its own console (shared appointed in 1167 in a decree of Frederick I). Also in the twelfth century took part in the wars against Pistoia ally of Lucca (1177-79). After having collected the exiles Guelphs of Florence and Lucca (1260), was part of Guelph and later the country was besieged and conquered (31 August 1315) by ghibellino Uguccione Faggiola, Lord of Pisa and Lucca, after a bloody battle in which the Guelph lost many men and had several prisoners. After the death of Castruccio Castracani Antelminelli (successor of Uguccione) nel1328, June 21, 1329 Montecatini also squeezed in league with other towns in the Valdinievole, under the protection of Florence. But the local non Ghibellini endure this domain exiled Guelphs. Besieged from Florence, after eleven months, had to capitulate (19 July 1330) finally subjecting the Florentine Republic. After a period of relative calm, but plagued by raids of various armies, and especially plagued by epidemics and famine in the summer of 1554, during the war of Siena (between France and Spain and its allies), Montecatini was occupied by mercenaries Franco-Italian Florentine exile in the pay of Piero Strozzi (opponent of the Medici). After a siege was retaken by the troops of Cosimo I de 'Medici and was almost totally destroyed, with the help of neighboring countries, on 10-11 July 1554. Of the seven gates that opened in about two km long wall is only the Village Gate. Of the 25 towers still remain few: there are two built-up area, in square, a part of the steeple of Prepositura, a part of the remains of the fortress, another is that of the Terms, then that of Caramel, or the ' clock, and the one near the door of the Village; other remains are placed outside the monastery and church of Santa Maria a Ripa and the remains of another stand in the way Castel Terms. Montecatini aliatine the eighteenth century revived by Lorens dynasty that finally sets its curative waters, already famous for many centuries, beginning the construction of the spa town.

 

The end of 800 and the turn of the century was a period filled with concern the escalation of misunderstandings which affect both the civic life than on the Public Administration of the City of Montecatini. The three components of the City Council: Montecatini Alto, Montecatini and Bagni di Pieve a Nievole were unable to find a minimum agreement to pursue a proper convivenza.L 'only solution was the separation resulting in the creation of three autonomous and independent entity. In fact June 29, 1905 with L. 353 was sanctioned the creation of three new municipalities: Montecatini Valdinievole (Alto), Montecatini and Bagni di Pieve a Nievole. In 1927, the Valdinievole detaches from Lucca and was annexed to the province of Pistoia which is created in that same year. In 1928, Bagni di Montecatini Terme Montecatini becomes. In 1940, Montecatini Alto ceases to be an independent town and village of Montecatini Terme is easy but maintaining its inalienable prerogative of being the "center" of the city of Montecatini Terme. Famous men were born in Montecatini Alto: the chronicler of Nadd Ser Ser Nepo, born in 1326, the philanthropist Messer Lemma Balducci who in 1384 erected in Florence, Ospedale di San Matteo; Ugolino di Giovanni Caccini (Ugolino da Montecatini) born around 1345, who wrote the famous "Tractatus de Balneis" first scientific treatise on the qualities and treatment of Italian thermal waters. Gaetano Livi Michael was born in 1695, also a clinician and scholar, wrote of the Bagni di Montecatini, Vincenzo Martinelli, born in 1702, and cosmopolitan man of letters he wrote, among other works, the "History of England" and "The History of the De 'Doctors', the Father Agostino Giulio Fennel in the eighteenth century left a precious manuscript with news of his land subsequently revised and updated with studies and personal reminiscences by Livi Lion who lived between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. And yet Talented Talents who became Bishop of Montepulciano and Ser Nicolo Tedeschi, scientist and elected Archbishop of Palermo. More recently, among the important characters in Montecatini Alto that left a strong sign of their presence there is the poet Giuseppe Giusti, who has lived in his youth and where he came unwind in the quiet of his home, the musician Giuseppe Verdi who spend their vacations in the last years of his life at the baths of Montecatini, Montecatini Alto which he attended assiduously to achieve with the coach to stop at the cottage built by Napoleon Melani, director of the Grand 'Hotel Locanda Maggiore at the baths, where Verdi was staying, and also to see the work to the cottage that prof. Peter Grocco, another famous character from the Italian medicine of the time and medical director of the Baths, was ordered to build in a beautiful scenic spot.

Contatti - Nostra Storia in prima pagina con foto