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History of Firenzuola where Michelangelo was Born, Tuscany

The construction of the chief town started in 1332 according to the will of the florentinian population. It was on the 29th of April 1306 that thanks to a resolution of the Republic of Florence, a new territory could be built and settled behind the Apennine in order to contrast the Ubaldini family, which was governor both of part of Mugello and of the Santerno valley and represented an obstacle for the territorial expansion of Florence itself.

Later, in 1371, after the construction of a strong wall circle, a fortress (Rocca) was finally built, which was the seat of the Podesta. As far as the name of the new teritory was concerned, Florence accepted the proposal of Giovanni Villani, an historian, who suggested the name of Firenzuola, literally small Florence, and as gonfalon they chose the image of half the symbol of Florence (the lily) and half the symbol of the comon people (a red cross in a white field).

In 1736 the delegates of the European Powers met here in Firenzuola and took the decision about the change of ownership of Tuscany in favour of the Lorena of Casa d' Austria, as consequence of the treaty of Vienna;
In 1807 after Tuscany was occupied by the french soldiers consequently to the Napoleonic conquests, the territory of Firenzuola was given to the district of Modigliana (Tuscan- Romagna area) and later it finally returned to Tuscany under the rule of the gran duke Ferdinando III.

It was here in Firenzuola that Michelangelo (Agnolo) di Ser Sebastiano came from; he was called "il Firenzuola", because he was born in Florence in 1493, but his family originally came from Firenzuola.

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