Sito archeologico di Montaccianico

On a wooded hill north of Sant’Agata stood Montaccianico, the principal castle of the Ubaldini in the Mugello. Florence destroyed it in 1306 and prohibited rebuilding; that same year the Republic founded the fortified town of Scarperia nearby. Archaeological research has since explored the buried remains.

Why it matters

From the thirteenth century, Montaccianico was a centre of Ubaldini power and guarded routes across the Apennines towards Emilia. After repeated campaigns, the Florentine Republic took the castle in 1306, razed it and banned its reuse. The foundation of Scarperia in the same year marked the expansion of Florentine authority in the Mugello. The site’s abandonment preserved archaeological evidence of the medieval stronghold.

What to notice

The castle occupied a promontory overlooking routes between Tuscany and the Po Valley. Excavations have revealed the remains of the fortress and its stratigraphy. The site’s archaeological value comes in part from the lack of later building after its destruction.

Context and history

The Ubaldini held Montaccianico as their principal stronghold in the central Mugello from the thirteenth century into the early fourteenth. The castle’s political importance grew after 1302, when it became a centre for Ghibellines and White exiles opposed to Florence, according to the excavation project’s account. Florence’s siege and destruction of the castle followed in 1306. The modern “Montaccianico Vive” project brought together medieval-archaeology specialists and students from the University of Florence, volunteers from the Mu.Sa association and local students to investigate the site.