Mugello
The Mugello is a historic region and valley in northern Tuscany, in Italy. It is located to the north of the city of Florence and consists of the northernmost portion of the Metropolitan City of Florence.
It is connected to the separate Santerno river valley by the Futa Pass.
History
The Mugello valley was settled by a Ligurian tribe known as the Magelli, whence the name. Then the region was occupied by the Etruscans who have left many archeological traces and who built the first road network of the Mugello.
The subsequent Ancient Roman conquest and colonization of the Mugello region dates back to the 4th century BCE. It is not only testified by several finds such as tombs, coins, and walls, but also, through toponymy, e.g. names of places ending with the praedial suffix -ano (Latin -anus) or -ana: Cerliano, Figliano, Marcoiano, Galliano, Lucignano, etc.
In the Middle Ages the Mugello was home to numerous castles.
The Mugello region was later acquired by the Republic of Florence. Several patrician families of the area built villas here, such as those of the Medici including Villa Medicea di Cafaggiolo and Villa Medicea del Trebbio.
Present day
Recently a dam was constructed across the Sieve river, forming the reservoir of Lake Bilancino in the Mugello valley.
The Mugello gives its name to the Mugello Circuit (Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello), an automobile race track that hosts an annual Moto GP event.
Towns
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mugello. |
Coordinates: 43°57′00″N 11°23′00″E / 43.95°N 11.3833°E