Empoli
Empoli | |
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| Comune di Empoli | |
 Piazza Farinata degli Uberti | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Empoli  | |
St. Andrew | |
| Saint day | November 30 |
| Website | Official website |
Empoli (Italian pronunciation:
History
Archaeological finds have revealed that Empoli was already settled in the early Roman Empire times, and continued to exist until the 4th century AD. The river acted as a communication way for the trade of agricultural products, together with the local amphorae. In the Tabula Peutingeriana of the 4th century Empoli is called in portu ("in the port") as a river port on the Roman road Via Quinctia, which led from Fiesole and Florence to Pisa. Empoli was also on the Via Salaiola, connecting to Volterra's salt ponds.
Since the 8th century Empoli consolidated as a town around the castle, known as Emporium or Empolis. In 1119 it was absorbed into the Guidi counts' possessions. In 1182 it fell under Florentine rule. In 1260, after the Battle of Montaperti, Empoli was the seat of a famous council in which Farinata degli Uberti opposed the destruction of Florence.
Later Empoli became an important fortress, and was therefore repeatedly sacked and attacked. In 1530 its fall marked the end of the independence of the
Main sights
- Piazza Farinata degli Uberti, also known as Piazza dei Leoni ("Lions Square"), is marked in its centre by a fountain by San Miniato in Florence. The green stones were from Prato, and the white ones are from Carrara: today the lower part of the original decoration remains. In 1735 the architect Ferdinando Ruggieri extensively modified the façade and the interior structure, including the ceiling. It houses noteworthy artworks including paintings by Francesco Botticini, a terracotta by Luca della Robbia, an altarpiece (1785) by Zanobi del Rosso and a triptych by Lorenzo di Bicciportraying the Madonna in Throne with Saints.
- The Palazzo Ghibellino is the former palace of the Guidi counts. It was probably erected in the 11th century. In 1260 it was the seat of the Ghibelline parliament where the fate of the Florence's Guelphswas decided. In the 16th century, the palace was restored, leaving little of the original structure, though.
- The Palazzo Pretorio was the Town Hall in the Middle Ages. Currently, it houses several activities, including an auditorium.
The house of the painter Pontormo is in the frazione (hamlet) of Pontorme.
Sport
Empoli's main
Twinnings
Sankt Georgen an der Gusen, Austria
Notable people
- Farinata degli Uberti, real name Manente degli Uberti (1212–1264), politician leader [anti-Papal]
- Giovanni da Empoli (1483–1518), navigator[3][4]
- Jacopo Carrucci, better known as Pontormo (1494–1556), painter
- Jacopo da Empoli (1551–1640), painter
- Alessandro Marchetti (1633–1714), mathematician and writer
- Giuseppe del Papa (1648–1735), doctor and philosopher
- Ippolito Neri (1652–1708), doctor and poet
- Renato Fucini (1843–1921), writer
- Giuliano Vanghetti (1861–1940), orthopaedist
- Ferruccio Busoni (1866–1924), musician
- Alberto Castellani (1884–1932), Eastern countries scholar
- Mentore Maggini (1890–1941), astronomer
- Remo Scappini (1908–1994), politician and anti-Fascist militant
- Carlo Rovini (1932–1988), poet and writer
References
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ Error: Unable to display the reference properly. See the documentation for details.
- ^ Salonia, Matteo (2019). "The First Voyage of Giovanni da Empoli to India: Mercantile Culture, Christian Faith, and the Early Production of Knowledge about Portuguese Asia". International Journal of Maritime History. 31 (1): 3–18.
- ^ Salonia, Matteo (2021). "A Dissenting Voice: The Clash of Trade and Warfare in Giovanni da Empoli's Account of His Second Voyage to Portuguese Asia". Itinerario. 45 (2). Cambridge University Press: 189–207.
External links
- . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. VIII (9th ed.). 1878. p. 182.
- Official website (in Italian)
- Della Storia d'Empoli (in Italian)
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