Levane: Natural History and Historical Traces
Levane combines landscape with geological and human history. The area around the town offers various points of interest: the Valle dell’Inferno e Bandella nature reserve, shaped by the reservoir of the ENEL dam; the historic center of Levane Alta; the Santuario di Santa Maria della Ginestra; and traces from antiquity and the Middle Ages.
Waters and Geological History Around Levane
Near Levane, the 3.4-million-cubic-meter reservoir of the ENEL dam shapes the Valle dell’Inferno e Bandella nature reserve. The hills near Levane are of great interest to paleontologists and paleoclimatologists. Their geological layers document climate changes over the course of the past one million years. The water, hills, and geological layers thus provide various points of interest within the landscape around Levane.
Levane Alta and the View over the Valdarno
Levane Alta forms the historic center of Levane. The hill of Levane Alta offers a wide panoramic view over parts of the Valdarno aretino. Levane Alta is also the birthplace of the Italian poet and jurist Jacopo da Leona.
From the Fortified Settlement to the Lower Settlement
The fortified settlement was referred to as “corte di Leuna,” meaning an inhabited village. Between 1278 and 1279, the actual lower settlement of Levane began to develop on the right bank of the Torrente Ambra. In this context, the fortified settlement was given the name Levane Alta. The dates mark the beginning of the lower settlement on the right bank of the Torrente Ambra and explain the distinction between the two settlement areas.
Archaeological Traces Around Castelvecchio
The Castello di Leona was located in the plain of Castelvecchio. Late Etruscan pottery fragments with black decoration, pottery shards from the Roman and early medieval periods, and an Etruscan well were found around the Castello di Leona. The finds date from the late Etruscan period through the Roman era to the early Middle Ages. Remains of human activity have also been discovered in the Levane area. The archaeological sites are therefore distributed between the plain of Castelvecchio, the area around the Castello di Leona, and the Levane area.
The Santuario di Santa Maria della Ginestra
The Santuario di Santa Maria della Ginestra is located on the Poggio di Monteleoni near Levane Alta. The sanctuary preserves the 13th-century fresco “La Madonna con la Cintola.” The location of the sanctuary and the dated artwork provide another specific connection to the history of Levane Alta.
Levane in the History of Roads
Levane is located on State Road 69. The historic Strada Regia Aretina also ran through Levane.
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