Montecarlo, Tuscany
| Montecarlo | |
|---|---|
| Comune | |
| Comune di Montecarlo | |
  Montecarlo Location of Montecarlo in Italy | |
| Coordinates: 43°51′N 10°40′E / 43.850°N 10.667°ECoordinates: 43°51′N 10°40′E / 43.850°N 10.667°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Province | Lucca (LU) |
| Frazioni | San Giuseppe, San Piero in Campo, San Salvatore, Turchetto |
| Area | |
| • Total | 15.6 km2 (6.0 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 162 m (531 ft) |
| Population (Dec. 2004) | |
| • Total | 4,450 |
| • Density | 290/km2 (740/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Montecarlesi |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 55015 |
| Dialing code | 0583 |
| Website | Official website |
Montecarlo is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Lucca in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Florence and about 12 kilometres (7 mi) east of Lucca. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 4,450 and an area of 15.6 square kilometres (6.0 sq mi).[1]
History
Fort and village Montecarlo was founded in 1333 by future Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV (Montecarlo - Charles' Mountain), who freed the nearby city of Lucca from Pisa city occupation. A true settlement, however, appeared only after the Florentine destroyed the nearby castle of Vivinaia, and the authorities of the Republic of Lucca moved the population to the hill where Charles' castle was.
Montecarlo was a possession of the Republic of Florence from 1437.
Main Sights
- Chiesa di Sant'Andrea – The Church was built in the 14th century. It dominates the village, as it is the highest building of it. This is the reason why from its foundation, it was forbidden to go up to the roof, for preventing from looking into the fortress. Just few traces of the original structure still stand, except for the crypt, because the church was rebuilt in 1783.
- Pieve di San Piero in Campo – The parish church of San Piero in Campo is at the foot of Montecarlo's castle. The building, among the first mentioned in Early Medieval Lucchese documents, has one of the oldest bell towers in the whole diocese of Lucca. The church was completely rebuilt in the 12th century and again after the village was destroyed in the 14th century.
- Rocca del Cerruglio
- Teatro dei Rassicurati
See also
- Montecarlo (wine)
- Battle of Altopascio
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Montecarlo (comune, Italy). |