San Casciano in Val di Pesa trip planner

San Casciano in Val di Pesa is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 15km southwest of Florence.San Casciano in Val di Pesa borders the following municipalities; Greve in Chianti, Impruneta, Montespertoli, Scandicci and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa.HistorySan Casciano’s territory was inhabited since Etruscan times, as evidenced by archaeological findings in Montefiridolfi (The Bowman’s Grave) and Valigondoli (Poggio La Croce’s excavations). In Roman times San Casciano was a post-stage posted at the tenth mile from Florentia. The toponym "Decimo" (i.e. tenth) is still attached to the Pieve di Santa Cecilia a Decimo (a parish church near San Casciano which was mentioned in 1043 in a document by Charlemagne) and commemorates a milestone (decimum lapidem) on an important Roman road (probably that linking Florentia and Sena Julia). Archaeological findings and toponymic evidence are clear evidence of the town’s antiquity, and that there was a significant population is indicated by the large number of parish churches in the area (e.g. Pieve di Santa Cecilia a Decimo, Pieve di San Pancrazio, Pieve di San Giovanni in Sugana and Pieve di Santo Stefano a Campoli), not to mention the significant number of subordinate churches. There is little doubt that the area was still densely populated in the Middle Ages, based upon the many castles which were built at the time for the bishopric of Florence or powerful families like the Buondelmonti or Cavalcanti.