Collesalvetti


Collesalvetti is a comune in the Province of Livorno in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southwest of Florence, northeast of Livorno and only south from Pisa.
The toponymy was first recorded in 1272 as Collis Salvecti in a land sale contract drawn up by “notary Salvetto, son of Borgo, in Villa di Colle,” owner of the hill.
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Geography

The territory is mainly flat and forms a triangle between the Lower Pisan Hills and the Livorno Hills. The northern part consists of a wide plain of alluvial origin, crossed by the Fosso Reale canal, into which the Isola, Tora, and Tanna streams flow. The southern part, on the other hand, is mainly hilly, crossed longitudinally by the Tora stream, and is characterized by soil consisting of calcareous-siliceous clayey tuff. The physical appearance of the territory is very different from what it was in past centuries: the most obvious changes are the reclamation of marshy land and deforestation. The area south of Pisa, up to the area currently occupied by Livorno, was in fact almost exclusively marshy: this remains evident in the place names “Faldo,” “Stagno,” “Guasticce,” and others. During the Medici period, this large area was gradually reclaimed: in 1554, Cosimo I de' Medici ordered the construction of the Fosso Reale, with the function of collecting the turbid waters of the nearby streams and draining the marshy land; later, in 1672, it was re-excavated by order of Cosimo III by the Dutch engineer Van der Street and the mathematician Damiano Michelini. During the 18th century, the “colmate” system was successfully used to reclaim the remaining marshes.
Collesalvetti borders the following municipalities: Cascina, Crespina, Fauglia, Livorno, Orciano Pisano, Pisa, Rosignano Marittimo.

History

Etruscan-Roman Period

The earliest known settlements in Collesalvetti is from the Etruscan-Roman period. Although some excavations have found traces of human presence from the prehistoric times: in 1993, a Bronze Age pile-dwelling area was discovered in the Guasticce plain, while prehistoric and Hellenistic artifacts were found in the vicinity of Stagno. Traces of Roman presence are faint: the most obvious sign is the Via Æmilia Scauri, now completely covered by the SR 206, along which several finds have been made. In particular, in 1989, a Roman post station was found near Torretta Vecchia. This post station, dating back to the 1st century BC, was a point of assistance and refreshment for travelers, and included a thermal bath. Other Roman artifacts have been found near Vicarello and Mortaiolo.

Medieval Period

There are various documents relating to the medieval ages: the earliest written sources date back to the Carolingian era, which indicate that the territory of Collesalvetti was divided into seven curtes; at the end of the 10th century, the localities of Nugola, Castell'Anselmo, Parrana, and Colognole were elevated to castles, and there are records of numerous churches and some monasteries. Collesalvetti was simply called Il Colle, perhaps because it was the first hill encountered coming from Pisa along the Via Emilia. Pisan rule began in 1109, during which time the castles fell into decline and the territory was divided into 13 municipalities: Montemassimo di sopra and di sotto, Nugola, Poggio Sigeri, Cordecimo, Santo Apostolo, Vicarello, Collesalvetti, Cugnano, le Parrane, Colognole, Farneta, and Postignano, all falling under the captaincy of Porto Pisano.
In Collesalvetti, there was also the castle of Colle Romuli, which no longer exists today. This fortress was owned by the Orlandi family, a consular family from Pisa, who exercised control over the territory.
The oldest document mentioning the town is a charter from 1178 containing a bull issued by Pope Alexander III confirming Ugone's ownership of the assets belonging to a parish that included the assets of “Civite in Colle”. In 1272, the name Collis Salvecti appeared, derived from the name of the owner, Salvetto, hence the name Collesalvetti. According to documents from the period, the ecclesiastical organization was entrusted to two parishes: Vicarello, with its church of San Jacopo and the chapel of Santi Quirico e Giulitta in Collesalvetti, and San Lorenzo in Piazza, which was very important and included all the churches in the rest of the territory, where an important agricultural fair was held.

Government

''Frazioni''

The comune is formed by the municipal seat of Collesalvetti and the frazioni – towns and villages – of Castell'Anselmo, Colognole, Guasticce, Nugola, Parrana San Martino, Parrana San Giusto, Stagno and Vicarello. The hamlet of Mortaiolo is also included in the municipality.

Twin towns

Collesalvetti is twinned with: