the History of Montelupo

After the final destruction of the Roman settlements during the Dark Ages of the fifth and sixth centuries, the restructuring of the population was probably anything but easy. In a phase of growth, determined to be between the seventh and eighth centuries, which one could assume carried on halfway into the ninth century, there must have followed, as in other parts of Italy, a period of great difficulty.

 

The last wave of invasions and the consequent appearance in Italy of populations devoted to systematic sackings, like the Hungarians, the Vikings, ..., but also the exploits of the Saracens who, on several occasions, turned up in the lower part of the Valdarno, could not help but make the local population very cautious in this part of Tuscany.

 

Living in a valley, with a navigable river like the Arno running through it, with the natural border of a range of mountains, easy to climb and then to descend suddenly into the bottom of the valley, could only happen with the necessary peace of mind, on the condition that there was adequate control of the access points from without.
In face of such insecurity in the lower valley, the population, slowly increasing, establishes itself on hillsides and hilltops. It is the period in history which sees the spreading castles, often small agglomerates with inadequate fortifications.

 

Between the ninth and eleventh centuries, the Alberti Counts fortified themselves around the Well of Capraia, in a strategic position with a source of water, and along the main thoroughfare between Florence and Pisa. On the other side of the river, they probably built a similar structure as a lookout post and as defense on the hilltop of Montelupo. »»