SemifonteOn a hill less than a km from Petrognano stands the Chapel or Rotonda of San
Michele, a 1:8 scale replica of the cupola of the Duomo of Florence. This structure is all there is to commemorate the city if Semifonte which was razed to the ground by the
Florentines in 1202. After the demolition, the stone was transported to Barberino Val d'Elsa and was used in 1204 to build the walls that still stand today.
Rotonda di San Michele at Semifonte
Petrognano
The borgo of Petrognano with Semifonte in the background The village of Petrognano is located on the road that runs from Barberino Val d'Elsa to Certaldo. This tiny Tuscan "borgo" comprises a few 13 C and 14 C tower houses around the Villa Capponi ( Giannozzi) located in Piazza Brandi at Marcialla. This is because Petrognano was once a village attached to a city that has long disappeared: Semifonte.
Villa Capponi ( Giannozzi)
The Chapel of San Pietro was originally a small church that contained several paintings which have been transferred to the Church of San Donnino in Certaldo. The Montigliano SS. Annunziata Tower House incorporates elements that date from the 12 to 15 C. It has been enlarged several times over the years.
The Morello Tower House with outbuildings dating from the 13 C, traditionally believed to
have been part of the outer perimeter of Semifonte. |
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