Valdelsa

The Valley of Elsa , Valdelsa in Italian, is the valley of the Elsa river, tributary of the Arno, which takes its source on the western side of Montagnola of His between His and Radicondoli. The river runs in the direction South-North in a landscape of low and round hills with a strong human presence.

High Valdelsa and Valdelsa of the plain

Vadelsa is formed by two zones, more by the historical and economic aspects that by its geographical characteristics: high Valdelsa ( Alta Vadelsa ) and Vadelsa of the plain or low Valdelsa ( Based Valdelsa ). High Valdelsa is in the province of His with Poggibonsi like principal city. Vadelsa of the plain is in the province of Florence with like principal city Empoli, even if this city is not administratively in Valdelsa but in the Valdarno.

Economy

The economy of Valdelsa is made up in two great sectors: one which is still turned towards the manufactured goods, primarily in the most important agglomerations being in the plain (Empoli, Castelfiorentino, Certaldo, Poggibonsi, Colle di Val of Elsa, Barberino Val of Elsa) and the other which, slowly, by jolts loans at the same time of idealism and ambiguity, gives up industrialization and turns over to agriculture, but to an agriculture turned towards the products of quality, the country holidays and the services which are referred to it. One generally finds this part “advanced” of Valdelsa in the small agglomerations in the undulating parts with the side of the valley. Pionnière in this field (for Italy, because in other European countries this experiment went back to several decades already), the commune of Montaione which thanks to the will of some contractors, joined then by the Municipal authorities (even with some false notes), had already, with beginning of the year 80, started to drop industry for, with tops and bottoms, réapproprier his agricultural vocation. This “return” to agriculture put an end to one period of emigration which had started in the Fifties and allowed to the inhabitants hills of Valdelsa to increase their standard of living.

Valdelsa of the plain, Empoli or Florence?

From an administrative point of view, discussions are in hand to attach Valdelsa of the plain (the part which is in the province of Florence) to a possible province of Empoli.

Partisans of Empoli

In fact primarily the industrial companies and artisanal push with this fastening, considering that Florence is moved away too much, at the same time geographically and culturally, to meet its needs. The economy florentine does not have much relationship with that of the plain of Valdelsa and, so the local contractors say to have difficulties in find answers to their needs in the institutions for Florence (chamber of commerce, province, etc).

Partisans of Florence

On the contrary, they are the new farmers, more particularly those whose products are of great (or very large) quality, which support that it would be a dramatic damage to pass from Florence, universally known city for its cultural richness, in Empoli, city much less known if it is not by its industrial activity, generating, for the opinion, of pollution and not very compatible with, for example, the organic farming or natural tourism. They fear, moreover, that possible a future provincial administration with Empoli seeks to use the resources to favor industry with the detriment of the environment.

See too

Elsa (river)

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