Humility and hospitality
Set in a lush, green and inviting place, Chiesina Uzzanese became an urban conglomerate during medieval times, since countless pilgrims passed through here as they journeyed along the via Francigena. Not far from a bridge called “uzzanese”, which crossed the Pescia river, a small sacred building was constructed, taking the name “Chiesina Uzzanese,” just as the town did. Next to the small church, a modest farmhouse quickly became a place for weary travelers to rest: it was a Xenodochio, a refuge where the town’s women would offer food and personal care to those traveling toward France or Rome.
The streets of history
If this humble town’s past might seem as calm as they come, we have to remind you that it was right in these parts that the reckless Hannibal passed through, with his army and elephants in tow, along the path toward Arezzo, where they would face off with the Romans in the Second Punic War. The leader had some difficulty passing through this territory, because the animals—already exhausted after crossing the Alps—would sink into the muddy marsh as they moved, getting stuck.
A difficult work
The remains of the mill
in the small hamlet of Molin Nuovo bear witness to what was always the main
trade in the area. Residents dedicated themselves to agriculture, and to the cultivation of flowers, jobs that were
possible after the eradication of the swamp, better known as the “Padule,”
which was nearby the actual town center.
Chiesina Uzzanese is laid out across the Tuscan "from Leonardo to Pinocchio" path, which comprises the hills of Vinci and Montalbano up until the steep slopes of Collodi. It's a land that is "a certain type of marvel, suspended-in-time."