{"id":1034,"date":"2025-04-11T15:58:39","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T13:58:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.minetuscany.com.\/?post_type=territory&#038;p=1034"},"modified":"2026-05-14T15:49:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T13:49:01","slug":"montecatini-val-di-cecina","status":"publish","type":"territory","link":"https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/en\/territory\/montecatini-val-di-cecina\/","title":{"rendered":"Montecatini val di Cecina"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"1080\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1920 \/ 1080;\" width=\"1920\" autoplay controls loop src=\"https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Video-Montecatini_1.mp4\" playsinline><\/video><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><strong>A village where history intertwines with earth, stone, and copper.<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:23px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Montecatini Val di Cecina has its roots in the heart of the Middle Ages. Its first written attestation dates back to 1099, in a document where the bishop of Volterra confirms properties to the parish church of Sant'Eleuterio of Gabbreto. Among the words of that ancient document, a detail emerges that takes us back in time: the boundaries of the lands are marked by \"an oak tree near Montecatrini,\" like a whisper from the past that still speaks to us today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Information about the 12th and 13th centuries is scarce, but it is with the 14th century that Montecatini awakens, transforming into a true castle: a fortified center, protected by walls, and with a new centrality. Its history is guided by the family of Bocchino Belforti, a well-known name in the chronicles of the time, protagonist of Volterra's political life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:5px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is during this period, in the second half of the 1300s, that the village sees the birth of two of its most recognizable symbols:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:5px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The tower,<\/strong>a stone sentinel facing the sky<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The church of San Biagio Vescovo,<\/strong>founded in 1356, which inherits the title of parish church from the decaying parish of Sant'Eleuterio.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"561\" src=\"https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com.\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Torre_dei_Belforti2-scaled-e1722336197859-1024x561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-791\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Torre_dei_Belforti2-scaled-e1722336197859-1024x561.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Torre_dei_Belforti2-scaled-e1722336197859-300x164.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Torre_dei_Belforti2-scaled-e1722336197859-768x421.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Torre_dei_Belforti2-scaled-e1722336197859-1536x842.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Torre_dei_Belforti2-scaled-e1722336197859-2048x1122.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com.\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Montecatini-VdC-Miniera-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1077\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Montecatini-VdC-Miniera-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Montecatini-VdC-Miniera-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Montecatini-VdC-Miniera-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Montecatini-VdC-Miniera-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Montecatini-VdC-Miniera-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Montecatini-VdC-Miniera-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Montecatini-VdC-Miniera-12x12.jpg 12w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The language of stones tells of the skill of the craftsmen of the time: church, tower, and walls were built with the <strong>filaretto technique,<\/strong>made of regular courses of squared stones, interspersed with thin bands of mortar. A technique typical of Romanesque style, which arrives late in Montecatini, when elsewhere new methods with stone and brick were being experimented with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:5px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the fall of the Belforti power over Volterra, the castle of Montecatini also loses centrality. It thus enters the orbit of the city, following its destiny until the tragic <strong>sack of Volterra in 1472,<\/strong>when Federico da Montefeltro conquers the city. A war fought for control of the alum of the metalliferous hills: a treasure hidden in the earth, contested for centuries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:23px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><strong>A new era: the discovery of copper<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:5px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For centuries Montecatini lives a silent history, without major events. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it is in the nineteenth century that the village experiences a second birth, this time linked no longer to stones and towers, but to the bowels of the earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:5px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <strong>1827<\/strong>, following the discovery of <strong>copper outcrops<\/strong> in the Caporciano area, just southwest of the castle, a mine is opened with innovative techniques for the time. In a few decades, that mine becomes <strong>the richest in Europe,<\/strong> of the 19th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:5px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The copper of Montecatini, extracted in granules, first reaches <strong>Livorno<\/strong> and then <strong>Londra<\/strong>becoming part of the engine of industrial Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:5px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <strong>1888<\/strong> , the <strong>Societ\u00e0 Anonima delle Miniere di Montecatini<\/strong>, (Anonymous Society of Montecatini Mines) is born, destined to become one of the most important names in Italian industry: <strong>Montecatini<\/strong>, mother of the future giant <strong>Montedison<\/strong>born from the merger with Edison in 1963.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:23px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Our live webcam<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:23px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" id=\"refreshing-image-1\" \n     src=\"https:\/\/webcam.soluzionimeteo.it\/montecatinivdc\/webcam.jpg\" \n     alt=\"Webcam Montecatini Val di Cecina\" \n     style=\"width: 100%; height: auto;\">\n\n<script>\n  setInterval(function() {\n    const img = document.getElementById('refreshing-image-1');\n    const timestamp = new Date().getTime(); \/\/ Aggiunge il timestamp per evitare cache\n    img.src = \"https:\/\/webcam.soluzionimeteo.it\/montecatinivdc\/webcam.jpg?t=\" + timestamp;\n  }, 30000);)\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-e5d5f30245ced10018a2e9a197dc522e wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariovignali.it\/web_cam_val_di_cecina\/montecatinivdc_centro_storico.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Montecatini Val di Cecina &#8211; Castello<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" id=\"image\" \n     src=\"https:\/\/mariovignalicam.it\/img\/montecatini.jpg\" \n     alt=\"Vista da Torre Belforti\" \n     style=\"width: 100%; height: auto;\">\n\n<script>\n  setInterval(function() {\n    const img = document.getElementById('image');\n    const timestamp = new Date().getTime(); \/\/ Aggiunge un timestamp unico\n    img.src = \"https:\/\/mariovignalicam.it\/img\/montecatini.jpg?t=\" + timestamp;\n  }, 30000); \n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-77f9de31505b0dbb4a9e7ff9beb6bf38 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariovignalicam.it\/montecatini_vc_live_da_torre_belforti.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Montecatini Val di Cecina &#8211; Colline<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:5px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mining heritage meets medieval splendor: Montecatini Val di Cecina offers a journey through Tuscan copper mines, ancient castles, and authentic landscapes steeped in history and charm.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":1059,"template":"","class_list":["post-1034","territory","type-territory","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/territory\/1034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/territory"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/territory"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.minetuscany.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}