The Valley di Chiana , Valdichiana in Italian, is a valley of alluvial origin of the central Italy in Toscane, located between the Province of Arezzo and the Province of His.
Geography
The Valley di Chiana is presented in the form of a 100 km length an undulating furrow and a surface of approximately 1 832 km ². The valley advances north towards the south between the basin of Arezzo and the plain of Orvieto and recovers the watershed of the channel of Chiana, the principal river which is born with the Lake Montepulciano. In the east, it is delimited by the slopes of Préappennins where the highest reliefs of the area rise: the Alta Sant' Egidio (1 057 m), the mount Lignano (837 m) and the mount Corneta (744 m). At the west, on the contrary, it arrives until the Val of Orcia.
The landscape is most of the time undulating with a long plain near the Canale Maestro della Chiana. Average altitude is approximately 405 Mr.
Hydrography
Formerly crossed by Clanis (of Latin " clinus" , leant, inclined), old affluent of the Paglia, itself flow of the the Tiber, the Valley di Chiana is crossed today by the Canale Maestro della Chiana. This last, recovering almost entirely the initial course of Clanis, runs in contrary direction, i.e. south towards north and is an affluent of the Arno.
The other rivers have, for the majority, a torrential mode, often dry during the summer, whereas they undergo important risings for the other periods of the year. In fact small rivers take their source in the mountains for then throwing itself in the Canale Maestro della Chiana.
Climate
The climate of the Valley di Chiana is typically continental with hot summers and moderately cold winters. The diurnal temperatures are high when the sky is released. Spring and the autumn are soft in general, with, sometimes, of the periods of precipitation (rather between September and December). Snow-covered precipitations are rare: usually snow falls between December and January, but it holds in the valley only a few days.
Geographical subdivisions
The Valley di Chiana can be subdivided by respecting the current provinces which, in any event, keep the historical distribution between the territory aretin in hands of the family of Medicis and that with the hands of the Republic of His: there is habit indeed to make the distinction between the Valley di Chiana aretin and the Valley di Sienan Chiana.
Valley di Chiana arétin
By Val di Chiana arétin one understands the territory of the province of Arezzo including/understanding the communes of:
- Castiglion Fiorentino
- Civitella in Valley di Chiana
- Cortona
- Foiano della Chiana
- Lucignano
- Marciano della Chiana
- Assembles San Savino
Valley di Sienan Chiana
By Val di Chiana Sienan one understands the territory of the province of His including/understanding the communes of:- Chianciano Term
- Chiusi
- Montepulciano
- San Casciano dei Bagni
- Sarteano
- Sinalunga
- Torrita di Siena
- Trequanda
Surface and demography
Transportation routes
The Valley di Chiana is connected perfectly to the remainder of Tuscany and Italy.
It is crossed in its length by the highway of the Sun and account only three tollbooths: Valley di Chiana (in Bettolle, on the commune of Sinalunga), Assembles San Savino and Arezzo .
De San Zeno, locality on the commune of Arezzo and very near to the chief town, begin a fast track which crosses the Valley di Chiana aretin until Monte San Savino and Lucignano. Moreover, to Bettolle passes the highway link in the direction of Perugia and the Ombrie towards the east and of His, while crossing the Valley di Sienan Chiana, in the west. Moreover, the various agglomerations of the valley are connected between them by a powerful road system.
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on the level railways
History
Geology
Taking into account the geological phenomena at moved back times, the Valley di Chiana started to be raised in its median part and, following the deposits of alluvia, separated in two parts, one directed towards the Arno, the other towards the the Tiber.
In turn, of the geological and volcanic phenomena (because of the relative proximity of the Amiata volcano, now extinct) caused the deviation of the Arno towards the west. This is why the basin was occupied by the river called thereafter, Clanis, by the Romans, a torrent which takes its source in the mountains in the neighborhoods of current Castiglion Fiorentino for then joining the river Paglia, affluent of the the Tiber.
First settlements
Testimonys of first human settlements in the Valley di Chiana are given by archaeological vestiges of the prehistoric and protohistoric time. Most important is the cranium of Olmio to which one gave the name of the locality of the commune of Arezzo where it was found in 1863. It consists of a brain-pan having belonged to an alive homo sapiens in the middle of Pleistocene. It is necessary to add the remainders of tools also found in the zone of Arezzo close to the torrents Castro and Vingone and dated from the Mesolithic .
The Etruscan time
After, at the time villanovienne the settlement of the Valley di Chiana had undergoes very a Net population growth, the arrival of the Étrusques changed the situation of the valley notably. The zone then knew a great prosperity thanks to the effective agricultural techniques brought by the Étrusques and the intense marketing activity with the areas bordering. The influence of the monarchs (or lucumon) of Arezzo, Cortone and Chiusi allowed systematic cereal cultures, more particularly of corn, very appreciated by the Étrusques. Moreover, the important draft of Clanis made it possible the Étrusques to sail on small boats and to make the trade of food products, manufactured goods and also, quite simply, the transport of the men and animals. The Étrusques created small ports along Clanis. The most eloquent example is given by Brolio, today a hamlet little populated on the commune of Castiglion Fiorentino but, at the time, flourishing Etruscan city: in 1863 were found there many Etruscan bronzes, monks or not, relative to various times ranging between 7th and 5th centuries before J-C.
In any case the splendor and the importance of the Valley di Chiana for the Etruscan period are also attested by the innumerable archaeological vestiges found in the valley and in particular in Cortona. Here, like also in other places of the Valley di Chiana, were brought back in the light of the objects of great value, like famous bronze Lampadaire (4th century before J-C), of the small statues, the crockery, the objects of goldsmithery and the various tools.
They are generally objects found in necropoles (like the famous necropolis of Sodo on the commune of Cortona) or ruins of old Etruscan centers (as in Melmone di Brolio where the traces of the old foundations of dwellings were found).
Roman domination
The defeat of Véies and the progressive occupation of the Etrurie by the Republic of Rome which ended in the Etruscan defeat with Sentino (295 A.C.), made it possible to the Romans to enter the Valley di Chiana. The Roman presence in Valley di Chiana is documented since 3rd century A.C. and by the vestiges of the time. In Arezzo, is, preserved in excellent state, the very beautiful Roman amphitheater, whereas in Brolio were found a votive little genius and even of the large clay plates with, above, the " fish stylisé" employee like marks recognition during the time paléochrétienne first followers of the worship of Christ being in Italy. Moreover examples of local toponymy prove their Roman origin clearly. One thinks of the locality of Castroncello (on the commune of Castiglion Fiorentino), whose name derives clearly from Latin castrum, by highlighting the presence of a Roman camping. One considers also the two agglomerations of Lucignano (from which the name derives, with much probability, of a castrum Lucinianum, thus called in honor of the consul Lucio Licinio Lucullo which had occupied the zone in Ier century A.C. during the war between Silla and Gneo Papirio Carbone) and Marciano della Chiana (derivative of the name of Marcia people, patrician family and having with and place a fundus).
The Romans either did not give up the resources of the Valley di Chiana. The geographer Greek Strabone and the Roman historians Pline the Old man and Tacit described the Valley di Chiana like the " attic of Etrurie". In particular, Tacite points out how, during the Second Punic War, the forwarding of Publio Cornelio Scipione (202 A.C.) had been able to count on at least 10000 quintals of grain coming from the " opulent arva" (rich person fields) of the Valley di Chiana.
Moreover the strategic position of the Valley di Chiana, with the crossroads of the important centers of Florentia (the current Florence), of Arretium (current Arezzo), of Cortona, Clusium (today Chiusi) and, finally, Rome, consuisit Romans to make there pass the Via Cassia, realized by the consul Cassio Longino in Ier century after JC d.C.
However the arrival with the capacity of Auguste changed considerably the vision of the Valley di Chiana close them centers to the Roman capacity. The many risings of the Paglia, affluent of the the Tiber (which often reproduced, flooding Urbs) led the Roman hydraulicians to retain the main cause of it: Clanis, river of exceptional drawing from water, and thus, according to their way of seeing, to build a stopping close to the mouth of Poglia.
This was carried out during Ier century after JC, while bringing inevitable harmful effects to the Valley di Chiana: Clanis indeed, not being able more to discharge its water on Poglia, ends up breaking the dams, while changing, in little time, a lake. Water, while not being able more to run out, stagnated on vast spaces of the Valley di Chiana, which, quickly, were transformed into an unhealthy marsh.
The medieval time and formation of the marshes
Of Valdichiana, this unhealthy area in the Middle Ages, one intends some to speak in the documents written about the time. It should be specified that almost the totality of the migration (if it never took place) population of the plains in the centers of the sites in the hills did not occur before the 11th century. There are indeed testimonys, especially in the episcopal documents of the times, pievi disseminated in the territory of the Valley di Chiana, even in the zones punts. It is pointed out then that Charlemagne having to move during the winter of 786 from Rome to Florence, borrowed the Via Cassia and thus the Valley di Chiana. It is thus conceivable which it depopulation took place after the year 1000, when the territory of the Valley di Chiana, any possibility of installation, culture or exploitation of the ground being made impossible.
Dimensions of the marsh became considerable and Leonard de Vinci, in a chart which it carried out at the end of the 15th century, shows us in the center of the Valley di Chiana a vast territory submerged by water, surrounded by hills on which precisely the inhabitants were. Water putrid and stagnant, often dangerous for which was to cross them (it is told that the young person Sainte Margherita de Cortona, current owner of the city, during a night escapade with his lover Arsenio Del Pecora of his Laviano native village until Montepulciano, whose Arsenio was the lord, risked the drowning after the boat had been reversed) brought the mosquito anophèle and, consequently, the malaria. The disease exterminated the local population during centuries, especially during the hot and wet periods. Thus remain famous the words of Dante in worms 46-47 of song XXIX of the Hell: “Qual dolor drilled, of Li spedali/di Valdichiana will tra 'L luglio E 'L settembre”. And the same author remembers stagnant water of Chiana in the worms 23 of song XIII of the Paradise, where it describes slow the " mòver of Chiana".
The local agglomerations, put at hard test by the marsh, organized to ensure the connections of true ports on this water covered with snap rings and reeds, like one deduces it from the statuary of Cortona of 1325, which represented " three new boats for the ports of Fasciano, Foiano and Creti". There are moreover testimonys of ports like Cignano and Farneta (always in the area of Corona), in Bettolle (in the commune of Sinalunga) and in Cesa (in the commune of Marciano della Chiana). And then, current toponymy points out vast the acquitrinio: the two zones of Castiglion Fiorentino are eloquent which bear the name of Rivaio and Spiaggina, while in the same commune one finds the locality of Nave and Melmone (zone of the locality of Brolio
The dramatic situation was still accentuated by the Black Death which did not save the Valley di Chiana in the 1348.
On the other hand, in any event, the existing agglomerations already at the time Etruscan, Roman and lombarde, knew a considerable importance, especially at the strategic level, in a zone which continued to arouse the interest of the powerful towns of Florence, Arezzo, His and of Perugia. The consequence of the conquest of Arezzo by Florence and the tender of Perugia at the pontifical State was that, only the towns of Giglio and its rival, His, remained in string to try to occupy the zone definitively. The turning took place in 1544, when Sennois (which controlled already the current areas of the Valley di Chiana sennois, plus the fortified town of Lucignano), ordered by the Florentin, but nevertheless hostile in CosmeI de Médicis, Piero Trozzi, invaded the Valley di Chiana, destroyed Foiano and occupied Castiglion Fiorentino and Marciano. For any response, the florentins, ordered by the marquis de Marignano, said it Medichino, delivered Marciano and, from there, started their against offensive during the famous battle of Scannagallo, or Marciano (August 2nd, 1554).
From this moment, the Valley di Chiana was definitively under the domination florentine, Médicis initially, then Lorena from which is resulting the Large duke from Tuscany.
Domination of Florence and the cleansing
A long time, the government of Florence, conscious of the potential richness of the Valley di Chiana, sought to cleanse the marsh while utilizing eminent engineers like Galileo Galilei, Evangelista Torricelli and Vincenzo Viviani: but all the attempts were balanced only by one considerable expenditure, without bringing any durable improvement. To the truth, such plans all presented, a common point: with each one of them, one sought to go against the natural laws i.e. the normal flow of water more especially as the government of Florence had firmly prohibited to reject water of Chiana in the Arno because, according to Florence, that would have caused waves of believed of the entraîant river of the floods for the city.
However, an engineer, the count Vittorio Fossombroni, equipped with exceptional competences in hydraulics, managed to show the falseness of similar assumptions. Charged in 1788 by the Large Duke Léopold I with Lorena with resuming work, Fossombroni conceived a system relatively simple, able to provide excellent results: " the cleansing by the comblement". It mainly consists to make it possible river water to stagnate in the marshy zones, while letting form a deposit the alluvial refuses of which they are rich and, so " of combler" aforesaid surfaces. After having deposited the refuses, water is evacuated by artificial channels. The flow is facilitated in addition by the fact that the sediments allow plane progressive heightening, by thus transferring water in closer river basins.
It was for this reason that was built the Canale Maestro della Chiana by taking again almost entirely the old course of Clanis. The Valley di Chiana could rise by transferring water of the many torrents which envasaient it in the Channel which, in its turn, redirected them towards the Arno. Such a system did not have any consequence on the course of the large river Tuscan nor on the town of Florence: indeed, the rising of the Arno of 1966 was not caused by water coming from the Valley di Chiana.
The Valley di Chiana is well dammed up today, the most famous dam (and most imposing) being in Brolio on the commune of Castiglion Fiorentino.
The project of Fossombroni, which, at the time, found executors effective like Federico Capei de Lucignano and the engineers who succeeded to him, Alexandre Manetti (in 1838) and Carlo Possenti (in 1860), bore its fruits at the end of few years. Giovan Battista Del Corto recalls in its History of Valdichiena how Fossombroni, by taking its retirement in 1828, had been able with satisfaction to admire progress of carried out work and “announced in the atmosphere purified the first appearance of the trip hammers to Foiano and elsewhere”.
Indeed, into very few years, the landscape changed completely. The valley was drained, the ground became again fertile and cultivable, the malaria disappeared and the inhabitants could again live the plain with the support of the communes and the Florentin government which, remembering the great agricultural richness at the time Etruscan and Roman, wanted to return to these great outputs to satisfy the food needs.
The success of the cleansing to dam up the Valley di Chiana caused inspiration for other engineers, Manetti, the first among all, which worked then with the cleansing of vast extended from Maremma.
Valdichiana of Napoleon to the Italian Unit
The Countryside of Italy, carried out by Napoleon in 1796, had as a consequence the French occupation of the unit pre states, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany included. In Valley di Chiana, at this time there, the drainage works beat their full and the French did not oppose it. Napoleon was strongly struck by the talent of Fossombroni, so much so that he exclaimed: " What a misfortune! A so large minister for a so small State! ".
In 1799, the Valley di Chiana was in the center of a movement anti-French named Viva Maria which, during a very short time, released the inhabitants of Aretin and reached even His.
The history points out how the French, after the Marengo victory (June 14th, 1800), took again the control of Italy until 1814. With the Restoration, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany was reconstituted and the drainage works of the Valley di Chiana were completed. The quality of life of the inhabitants of the Valley di Chiana improved gradually and, meanwhile, they took part in mass in the plebiscite by which, on March 15th, 1860, Tuscany was annexed to the kingdom of Sardinia and then to the kingdom of Italy.
The economic revival and the second world war
The years which followed the Italian Unit saw an constant improvement of the life of the inhabitants of the Valley di Chiana. The grounds, again fertile, intensely were cultivated or dedicated to the breeding, according to the conditions of the share-cropping. This allowed the surge of many peasants coming from the periphery and the valley was repopulated in the space of a few decades.
After having known a short period of armed robbery (what was rather usual in the Italian campaigns of then), during which the fame of the local gangster Gnicche continued, the Valley di Chiana engaged definitively towards normality.
This one however was upset by the passage of the face at the time of the Second world war. For the many soldiers coming from the Valley di Chiana, fallen in the battles to which took share Italian divisions, and the abroads died in the buildings during the exchanges of shots between the Germans and the allies (in Foiano della Chiana it there today an English military cemetery), it is necessary to add the innumerable civilian victims among which one retains especially the " Martyrdoms of Civitella". This episode, one of most tragic of the Italian history, took place on June 29th, 1944, when the German soldiers of division " Hermann Göring" , in garrison in the city, 266 civilians following the murder of two other soldiers by partisans massacred. The destruction was so many (always in Civitella a allied bombardment destroyed about completely old the rocca longobarda in which had taken refuge some German) which they made much difficult the resumption of the post-war period.
Indeed, once the finished war, almost all the centers of the Valley di Chiana underwent a depopulation which ended only with the " boom économique" the Sixties. It followed a phase of increase in population notable.
Economy
The cleansing bore its fruits and, today, the Valley di Chiana is one of the more fertile agricultural zones of Italy. A notable percentage of the local population has an activity in the primary sector (agriculture, breeding and linked activities) through farms but also, to some extent, through individual farmers, having more or less important properties.
Primary sector
Flourishing agriculture, thanks to the development of with an uninterrupted policy of cleansing, produces today high cereal harvests (corn, corn, sunflower, barley), vegetables (
Flourishing agriculture, thank you with large I develop that of it improves stopped never, product today high of cereal renderings (corn, corn, sunflower, barley), ortaggi (black cabbage, cauliflower, Tuscan white beet, red onion, lettuce the four season old, lettuce of Sant' Anne, tomato biqueue, tomato heart of ox, tomato with bunch, round zucchini, bean sall' ochio, Roman bean) and of the fruits (mainly the apple and fishing). The porcine, bovine, ovine breeding (amongst other things, production of the pig Tuscan) and of the poultry is widespread. In the locality of Manciano Misericordia (commune of Castiglion Fiorentino) there are even breedings of ostriches
However a series of typical and famous products deserve a particular quotation.
Wine
The Valley di Chiana is a required wine soil (white and red) since the Etruscan time. Places in the North of the Valley di Chiana belong to the Chianti, while in the remainder of the valley is widespread the production of Bianco Vergine of Valdichiana, one of the white wines most appreciated in Italy and in the world. The production generally comes for half of wine growers who, after the vintage, bring their grape to the cooperative wine caves.
Below the detail of the principal wines of the Valley di Chiana with their denomination.
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Bianco Vergine della Valdichiana D.O.C
- Valdichiana Bianco Vergine Frizzante D.O.C
- Valdichiana Chardonnay D.O.C
- Valdichiana Grechetto D.O.C
- Valdichiana Sangiovese D.O.C
- Valdichiana Wine Santo D.O.C
- Valdichiana Wine Santo riserva D.O.C
- Valdichiana rosato D.O.C
- Valdichiana rosso D.O.C
- Valdichiana spumante D.O.C
- Chianti Colli Aretini D.O.C.G
- Colli dell' Etruria Power station D.O.C
- Colli della Toscana Power station I.G.T
- Cortona D.O.C
- Rosso di Montepulciano D.O.C
- Wine Santo di Montepulciano D.O.C
- Toscano I.G.T
Olive oil
The healthiness of the climate, the richness of the ground and the typically undulating landscape made that the Valley di Chiana is the fatherland excellent olive oils. The farmers bring their individual harvest for crushing.
The principal oil of the Valley di Chiana is Colline di Arezzo which is a variety of Toscano. This one obtained the IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta) (D.M. of the Ministry for the Agricultural policies, Alimentaires and Forest dated July 21st, 1998), but can also have the label DOP (reg. N. 694 of March 20th, 1998) and then, in this case, it is accompanied by an additional geographical mention (such as for example " Hill di Arezzo" , but also of other alternatives like " Senesi" hill; , " Montalbano" , " Seggiano" , " Hill di Firenze" , etc…).
Oil Colline di Arezzo is an oil of an intense color green with tonalities tending towards the greenish yellow, with a fruity perfume penetrating and of a prickly and slightly bitter savor which, with time, attenuate, as well as a persistent after-taste.
Chianina
- to deepen, see Chianina
Honey
Excellent local honey is seldom produced today by professional bee-keepers: generally, the honey which is sold is collected directly by the inhabitants having of the hives.
The vegetable origin of the honey chianino (i.e. the nectar whose the bees nourish themselves) is mainly the acacia, the sunflower, the Sainfoin and, most invaluable, the Arbousier.
If not, simple honey millefiori is produced.
Secondary industry
The " boom économique" , already quoted, of the Sixties led to the birth and the development of industrial centers in the agglomerations of the Valley di Chiana. If it is true that, if one excludes Arezzo, the others remain centers with agricultural prevalence, they deserve nevertheless that one mentions the principal types of industries which are installed there. The presence of a very fertile ground obviously stimulated the birth of food industries (factories of pastes, poultry breedings, factories of jam, a large sugar refinery). The textile sector is also developed, as well as the construction trade (the return to the countryside strongly reorganized vast zones of the Valley di Chiana) and goldsmithery. At the artisanal level, one must quote the production of ceramics (Brolio and Marciano).
Tertiary sector
These last years, the Valley di Chiana increased its tourist frequentation considerably. If tourism touches Arezzo already for a long time and the boroughs of Cortona and Montepulciano, the historico-artistic interest presented per many of other localities (not only chief towns of commune), it also moved on new objectives. Indeed, the tourist surge is considerable in Castiglion Fiorentino, Lucignano, Foiano della Chiana, Monte San Savino (and in its commune the splendid castle of Gargonza), San Casciano dei Bagni, Chiusi, Sinalunga, Trequanda and Torrita di Siena, and this resulted in a very strong hotel occupation.
Tourism touches also the countryside itself. Many are those which decide to spend one day or more with the great outdoors by making excursions, horse or cross-country. In the structures of agrotourism of the Valley di Chiana are proposed various activities: educational, sporting, agricultural, cultural or entertaining. The whole for purposes to collect this specificity of the territory (enology and gastronomy, history, craft industry, nature, art, archeology) which characterize the Valley di Chiana since centuries.
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