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| Welcome Montecatini Terme Vortal City Network |
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Montecatini is situated in Valdinievole and is one of the 11 villages that compose Valdinievole. The presence of men in this area dates from a long time ago. Since the beginning of the Paleoliticum, the region was inhabited by itinerant hunters, but from the Mesolithicum on, various settlements proved even more obviously the presence of men, prevalently in the hilly part that is. That is where the story of the region took a start, |
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a story full of resources and the scene of many disputes. At the begiinning of the XIVth century, at the border of Valdinievole emerged a new center of power: Florence. The inhabitants of Florence undermined the power of Siena and Arezza, that ruled over the valley before the Florence imposed itself. But exactly atthe moment when Florence tried to expand its power even more, there was an anti-clerical revolution in the north east of the region that succeeded in slowing down the expansionist process during the beginning of the fourteenth century. Leader of this revolution was UGUCCIONE DELLA FAGGIOLA, who became the imperial vicar and lord of Pisa and Lucca, threatning directly Florence. A war was inevitable since the rule over the entire Tuscan region was at stake. The year after, in 1315
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Ugoccione tried to besiege Montecatini, a strategical fortress, but thanks to its excellent position and the help of its ally Florence, the siege failed. The final battle took place on the 29th of August under Montecatini’s walls. The Guelph army (Florence + its allies) was taken by surprise by Ugoccione’s Ghibelline army and after many bloody disputes the Ghibellines resulted to be the conquering army. |
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| On the 31th of August also Montecatini surrendered. The following year Uguccione was obliged to flee and he took the village Castruccio Castracani degli Antelminelli. The last one became the first lord of Lucca and then from Pisa: he succeeded in expanding his power more and more in the whole of Tuscany. In 1323 Castruccio tried to lay hands on one of Florence’s strongholds, Fucecchio, but he was injured and forced to retreat. This is how Florence slowly but surely regained power. |
During the next centuries the armed conflicts continued in Valdinievole, but we have to wait until the sixteenth century to see Montecatini emerge again as the main actor in an important episode. In 1530, at the foot of Montecatini, one began to confine the well in bathtubs and one gave also names to the wells: "Mediceo", "Tondo", "Dei Merli", "Della Rogna". The area however remained polluted because of the immobility of the water |
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