Art and History meet in Vicchio
Vicchio is an Italian town located in Tuscany and more precisely in the Mugello valley, where just over 8000 inhabitants live. This is the place where two fundamental painters for the history of Italian art originated. These are Giotto, who lived between the 13th and 14th centuries and whose birthplace is still preserved within the municipality, and Beato Angelico, who worked during the 15th century Renaissance.
Furthermore, Carducci’s stays with a local noble family led to the installation of the statue that celebrates the father of perspective, Giotto, in the central square of the town.
The strong bond with Giotto and the Beato Angelico Museum
Giotto, an artist of undisputed world fame, was very attached to the Mugello area.
It is also important that one of his sons, who became prior of the church of San Martino in Vespignano thanks to the efforts of his father, subsequently held positions as his procurator in Mugello. Furthermore, three of Giotto’s four daughters got married to as many men who lived in this territory, indelibly sealing the link with the native land of the Tuscan painter and architect.
As far as Fra Angelico is concerned, the Museum of Sacred Art and Popular Religion, inaugurated in 2000, is named after him. Numerous works preserved since the 1960s are exhibited inside. Furthermore, the bronze monument stands in front of the building dedicated to the painter, represented as the Dominican monk he actually was.
The gaze of the sculpture is turned towards the sky, while with his hands he holds the tools that allowed him to create his famous masterpieces to his chest. The author is Sergio Benvenuti who created a similar statue, but with slight variations, exhibited in the Basilica of San Marco in Florence.
The Vicchio earthquake and the events of the Second World War
In the summer of 1919 Vicchio was shaken by one of the major earthquakes in Italian history of the last century, which reached a magnitude of 6.2.
This caused 700 of the 1,500 houses in existence to collapse. Another 500 were so damaged that they were no longer habitable. On the one hand, the victims were more than a hundred, a small amount thanks to the fact that the worst shock was preceded by some minors who alarmed the people.
Even the moment when the earthquake occurred, that is in the afternoon, guaranteed the survival of most of the population, working in the fields.
Even in the second half of the Second World War, the population of Vicchio was the victim of some mournful events. On 6 March 1944 it was occupied by the partisans, who captured and shot some fascist sympathizers.
After less than a week, on 12 March, some soldiers of the Republic of Salò carried out round-ups, finding those who on 22 March converted into the infamous martyrs of the Campo di Marte.
Vicchio, a country to be discovered
Vicchio is today a delightful town rich in history, art and culture, offering attractions for many tourists and truly delicious local cuisine.
If you too want to discover the beautiful Vicchio we are waiting for you at Villa Campestri Olive Oil Resort!
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