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The itinerary of cotto The itinerary is divided in two sections: the first one –to be covered preferably on foot- is in the centre of the town, in particular in “the brickworks neighbourhood” one of the most striking places in Impruneta.
The second section –preferably by car- will enable the visitor to discover all the different typologies of the cotto objects in the territory, along the ancient ways, in the gardens of the villas, in the farmyards and around the colonial houses.
The first section of the itinerary, organised in a circular way, starts from the Buondelmonti Square, in the centre of the town, where many cotto objects made in the brickworks in Impruneta can be admired. From the town centre, the itinerary heads towards the brickworks neighbourhood, where brickworks are still active. They are usually run by a family and they still maintain the traditional way of manufacturing such as the one called “a colombino”.
The natural site of the Interest Point will be in the historical brickworks Agresti in the very centre of the brickworks neighbourhood. Its function is to collect and to highlight all the proof and the evidence of the historic heritage including objects and instruments.
As regards the second section, the itinerary will run from the centre of the town to its outskirts, and so arriving at some production centres that are far away from the town. These centres have an industrial production and therefore produce a vast range of products, from the traditional to the avant-guarde ones. Some of those factories still retain machines that can be considered pieces of industrial archaeology (i.e. machines made in the XIX century for the automation of some production phases). These factories are situated south of Impruneta, between Ferrone and Falciani. In this area there is also a clay quarry, which is still in use and is visible from the street. This quarry, which is included in the itinerary, will enable the visitor to observe the raw material (the clay), necessary for the production process. Following this itinerary we can easily see the gardens of the villas which are decorated with orci(pitchers), vases and statues which are placed both inside the villas and on the surrounding walls. This is an ornamental tradition which is characteristic of both Impruneta and Florence, where usually protective walls and the facades of the villas are decorated with vases placed on top of the roof as well as on the sides of it.
As far as the tabernacles are concerned and more generally speaking the use of terracotta for devotional purposes, the Church of San Miniato a Quintole (where the cotto elements are above the entrance door and on the side of the arches of the portico) and the tabernacle of Sant’Isidoro, a model of bas-relief made in cotto in the XVIII century, deserve to be mentioned.
Knowledgeable of these elements the visitor, will understand the way in which cotto in Impruneta has been used in the past and is still widely used in our present days as a material both for sacred and profane purposes. Above all the visitor will come to know how cotto as brick has always been used both as a decorative and a structural material.
In our studies we have highlighted another aspect, which is the use of cotto in the old colonial houses in order to witness the use of this material in the building of said houses.
The typical uses of terracotta in the rural building trade are: the brick floor in the farmyards, the load-bearing pillars in the loggias and in the porticos, the grating in the haylofts, the antique cabin kiln and roof tiles.
Three of the colonial houses have been included in this itinerary for the characteristic quality of their structures and for the use of terracotta.
The map of the products of Impruneta cotto in Florence has been included in order to highlight the main examples of the manufacts that have witnessed the close relationship between Florence and Impruneta over the centuries. This map can be considered as a vademecum which enables the Florentine visitor to capture immediately the signs of Impruneta’s rich production.
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Where to eat Find restaurants, pizzerias and coffee bars in Impruneta...>> |
| | Where to stay Find hotels, B&B, agritourisms where you can stay in Impruneta...>> |
| | The Furnaces Discover ancient terracotta furnaces in Impruneta...>> |
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| | Ecomuseum The cultural heritage of Impruneta, which was built up over the centuries, is diffused over its territory, which is an extraordinary landscape...>> |
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