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| Vaglia |
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Districts |
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Bivigliano
Caselline
Fenaglia
Fontebuona
Montorsoli
Pratolino |
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At a glance |
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Situated at
292m above sea level in the valley of the River Carza, an eastern tributary of the River
Sieve, Vaglia covers a total are of 56.94km2 and has a current population of 4,736. |
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Useful contact numbers |
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Charitable
Organisations: Tel. 055407663/055407777
Ambulance : Tel. 055407575
GP Surgery : Tel. 055406406
Emergency Doctor : Tel. 055409093
Traffic police : Tel. 055407585
Carabinieri (Military/Civil Police) : Tel. 055407915
Public Library: Tel. 055407892
Pro Loco Promo Vaglia (Local development agency): Tel. 055406457 |
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Local Events |
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Local Market:
every Wednesday morning in Bivigliano,
every Thursday afternoon in the square of Vaglia.
July
The Threshing Festival, a celebration of local arts and crafts is held during the second
and third weeks of the month. |
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| Places of Interest |
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| Pieve di San Pietro : Aside from the Pieve di San Piero a Sieve,
this 8th-century parish church is the oldest in the Mugello. The façade of the church is
composed of an open gallery with three arches, below a central stained-glass window.
Attached to the church, there is an attractive stone bell tower. The interior features a
beautiful 16th-century painting of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane contained
within a wooden crucifix attributed to Giambologna. Villa
Demidoff : This country house dates from the 11th century. In 1568, both the villa and
the surrounding gardens were purchased by the de Medici family, and the
following year, Francesco I entrusted the refacing of the entire villa to Buontalenti.
Work was completed in 1581, on the villa and on the surrounding 150 hectares, which
featured gardens, woodland, fountains, statues and caves. Of particular interest are,
firstly, the chapel (designed by Buontalenti) and, secondly, the majestic monumental
fountain of the Colosso dellAppennino. Eleven metres high, Francesco had it was
hollowed out so as it could also act as his personal refuge. Currently, the villa is owned
by the regional council of Florence, and houses a centre for documentation on most of the
worlds major parks. The villa is open to the public - call 055/409051 for
information.
Chiesa di S. Jacopo a Festigliano : This circa 11th-century
church features an entranceway with an open gallery above that leads to the nearby
presbytery. The church has a single nave, and an adjacent bell tower, and features a
wonderful 18th-century organ finished in gold.
Pieve di S. Cresci a Macioli :
Work on this parish church almost certainly started before the 10th century. The three
naves are covered by trusses, and divided by seven Ionic columns. Here too, the curch
organ is an interesting piece - this one dating from the 19th century with a carved
pediment finished in gold.
Santuario di Monte Senario : This sanctuary was first built in the 15th century,
and has since been significantly altered and modernised, with most of the work being done
in the 17th and 18th centuries. The origins of the sanctuary date back even farther, to
1241, when seven Florentine merchants founded the order of the Servants of the Virgin
Mary, based on Mount Senario. The church, named St Marys, dates, like the sanctuary
buildings, from the 15th century. Its vaulted ceiling features a striking fresco of the Virgin
Mary who confers the habit on the Seven Founding Saints. Above the altar, there is an
impressive 16th-century crucifix surrounded by a series of angels and cherubims picked out
in gold. To the left of the church, there is the gothic-styled Chapel of the Seven
Founding Saints, constructed in 1933. All the walls and the vaulted ceilings of the
chapel are covered in frescoes. The relics of the Seven Founding Saints are
preserved in the golden urn that sits above the altar. The walk from the foot of Mount
Senario to the Sanctuary is not be missed. This short trip is called the Via Matris,
and passes by seven tabernacles intended for those meditating on the Seven Sorrows of
Mary. |
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