Читать книгу The Way of St Francis. Via di Francesco: From Florence to Assisi and Rome онлайн

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Looking down toward Compiobbi

Turn left and aim uphill on the gravel road past a yellow, concrete utility tower. Turn right at the tower and follow the dirt road across the hillside among vineyards. The road turns right again to head down toward the tracks and when it is near, back up a path to the left that goes through a small woods. Soon come to a gravel road which you follow right and downhill. The gravel road becomes concrete as it enters the outskirts of Pontassieve.

Stay on this road as it passes a small piazza and then veers right and downhill, ending at the Via Gualdo Reni. Turn left here and follow the road through the Porta Fiorentina city gate, finding Piazza Vittorio Emanuelle II on the right.

PONTASSIEVE 108MPOP 20,622

Central Pontassieve

In the Middle Ages, Pontassieve was called ‘Castel Sant’Angelo’ for the Florentine castle built here. The town later became known for its strategic bridge across the Sieve River, which opened to Florence the territories of Mugello and Casentino. By the 18th century Pontassieve’s location made it a regional economic hub, and in the 19th and 20th centuries the railroad made it an industrial center. Its economic importance led the Allies to bomb the town repeatedly during World War II. Although none of its medieval features remain, the town was rebuilt along its medieval lines, with winding roads that follow the contours of the riverbank. The modern town hall is built on the foundations of the original medieval castle, and Via Ghiberti, the bustling, central commercial road, connects it with the Sieve bridge as in days past. Today, Pontassieve is a hub for artisanal leather, Chianti wine, olive oil, and handmade glass and pottery.