Impruneta

The history

The origins of Impruneta date well back to the Etruscan and Roman periods. Located on top of a ridge which divides the valleys of the two rivers, Ema and Greve, it grew in importance during the Middle Ages, when it became the leading village in one of the leagues of villages surrounding Florence.

Most of Impruneta’s fame is due to the cult of the miraculous icon of the Virgin, said to have been painted by San Luca.
Legend has it that it was found where the small church was built. This church was transformed over the 14th century into the favourite sanctuary of Florentines due to the presence of this icon, which was often carried in religious processions to Florence on the occasion of serious calamities: plague, famine, floods and war. A group of villages grew around this church, which gravitated towards the sacred building, and soon became a market town for the surrounding territory.

Its splendid hills were scattered with the summer residences of many Florentine noble families: Gherardini, Ricci, Rossi, Antinori, Corsini; while the square has for centuries been the background for the famous Fiera di San Luca, a favourite subject for paintings and engravings.

As well as agriculture, the other main activity, right from medieval times, was that of the terracotta kilns which turned Impruneta into the most important “factory” to serve the expansion in construction in Florence. It also became the main centre for the production of jars for the storage of olive oil.
Today Impruneta has about 15.000 inhabitants, the majority living in the town itself and in the adjacent villages of Tavarnuzze, Bagnolo, Pozzolatico and Ferrone.