BARBERINO DI MUGELLO: Situated in the torrent Stura valley, Barberino is one of the nine municipal districts in the Mugello valley.
This town was born in the Middle Ages, a period of fights for the conquest of the economical power. For long years it has been a very active center for the commercial life of the whole valley. The name "Barberino" comes from the coat of arms of the Cattani family from Combiate, which at that time were the Lords of these places, carved on an architrave in their castle, representing a man with three beards.
BORGO SAN LORENZO: This town was born around a court of the Ubaldini family, where once there was an ancient roman village, it has always been the most important town of the Mugello area, because it is situated in a good position from the economical point of view, in fact it is near the two roads which connect the valley with Florence: via Faentina and via Bolognese.
FIRENZUOLA: Firenzuola, whose name means "little Florence", has been contended from the beginning of the 20th century between the domains of Tuscany and Romagna. This town was built during the first half of 1300 by the district of Florence to contrast the power of Ubaldini, a family which at that time dominated Mugello almost unopposed. Town walls were built in the Middle Ages and they are still visible today.
MARRADI: Marradi is one of the districts of High Mugello, together with Firenzuola and Palazzuolo sul Senio.
PALAZZUOLO SUL SENIO: Palazzuolo is one of the districts of High Mugello. It is situated in a connection area, near to the street which led to via Faentina, a wide communication channel in the ancient times. From the 12th century the Ubaldini were Lords of the town, they rendered it a a commercial and exchange center. In the 14th century the town was ceded to Florence; then it became a vicariate and then, under the Medici, it became, together with Marradi, seat of a captaincy.
SAN PIERO A SIEVE: The ancient village of S.Piero a Sieve has developed around an ancient pieve from the 11th century, on the main communication channel connecting Florence with Imola and Bologna. The period of highest glory corresponded with the medicean domination: to Medici is in fact due the constrution of wonderful villas.
SCARPERIA: This town was founded at the begginings of the 14th century with the name of Castel S. Barnaba, (called "la Scarperia") for the will of the Florentine Republic, to contrast the feudal power of Ubaldini. In the following century Scarperia became seat of the florentine Vicariate and grew from the economical point of view, thanks to its position: this town is in fact located on the main road which in the Middle Ages connected Florence to Imola and Bologna.
VAGLIA: The district of Vaglia has been inhabited from the antiquity by Ligurian populations and then by the Etruscans. The first inhabited place has developed in christian age around the Pieve, cited in a document of the 10th century. Till the 14th century, Vaglia was governed by the Bishop and then it passed under the jurisdiction of Florence. After a long period of altern vicissitudes, from the 18th century, with the recovery of Tuscan Gran Duchy, Vaglia had a positive period, thanks to the construction of the Regia Postale Bolognese, the road which sostituded the old one passing trough Monte Morello.
VICCHIO: The area of Vicchio is populated since ancient time, but the town grew for importance at the end of the 13th century, when Florence began the creation of the so called "new lands" in Mugello to take the control of these areas and stop the feudal power of Ubaldini. Vicchio grew rapidly for importance and economical power, until it became seat of a Podesteria, suppressed at the end of the 17th century.