From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Galluzzo is a suburb of Florence, Italy, located in the southern extremity of the florentine comune. It is known for the celebrated Certosa monastery which was founded in 1341 by Niccolò Acciaiuoli.

Galluzzo was an autonomous comune until 1928, at which point its territory was split an in part assigned to the comune of Florence in accordance with the 2562th Royal Decree (01/11/1928), which foresaw the expansion of the florentine administrative territory (together with the fractions of San Felice ad Ema and Cascine del Riccio); the rest was assigned to the newly formed comune of Scandicci (known as Casellina e Torri until that same date) as the fraction of Giogoli; thirdly to Bagno a Ripoli (Grassina). The remainder formed the present comune of Impruneta.

At the time in which the comune was disestablished, it had circa 22000 inhabitants and was undoubtedly the most populated of the florentine province, after Prato and Empoli; its comunal territory bordered with those of Florence, Casellina e Torri, San Casciano in Val di Pesa, Greve in Chianti and Bagno a Ripoli. The comune, which at the time of national unification extended roughly 68 square km, had already undergone a previous reduction in 1865, which with the 2412th Royal Decree (26/07/1865) had lost a strip of land between the city walls and Due Strade to the comune of Florence.

Al momento della soppressione, il comune aveva circa 22000 abitanti ed era indubbiamente il più popolato della provincia fiorentina dopo Prato ed Empoli; la sua circoscrizione comunale confinava con quelle di Firenze, Casellina e Torri, San Casciano in Val di Pesa, Greve in Chianti e Bagno a Ripoli. Il comune, che al momento dell'unità nazionale si estendeva per circa 68 kmq, aveva già visto ridursi il proprio territorio nel 1865, quando col Regio Decreto N°2412 del 26 luglio aveva ceduto al comune di Firenze una fascia di territorio compresa tra le mura della città e la località delle Due Strade. The comune's standard featured a cockerel with a raised leg, clearly derived from the placename.

Some trace the origin of the curious name (at variation of the word "gallo", cockerel) of the suburb to the Galluzzi family, which were the regional "biadaioli", and whose crest was a golden cockerel in an azur field. Others maintain that the name Galluzzo derives from the old tavern located on the road leading to Rome from Florence, and whose logo was a cockerel. It must be noted however that this logo was simply a reproduction of the a cockerel carving on a milestone on the side of that same road. This latter hypothesis is more likely, given that even the historian Andrea Dei, in his Cronaca Senese of 1253 states that "a company of armed Sienese and Pisans performed a quick raid into Florentine territory as far as the Galluzzo stone, and as a token of disrespect cut off the cockerel's head".

The late 13th century suburb of Galluzzo Vecchio (old Galluzzo), which originally must have consisted of a handful of houses and villas scattered between the Certosa bridge and the church of Saint Lucia of Massapagani, expanded as a group of residential buildings starting from the corner of via Massapagani and via Barni, around a 14th century church.

Historically a zone inhabited by artesans and agricultural workers, Galluzzo had relatively few inhabitants until the mid 19th century. As far as the predominant activities are concerned, given the vicinity to Impruneta, until the 16th century there was a consistent presence of terracotta producers, until more recent eras when, in addition to kilnmen, cement plants were built. At the beginning of the 20th century there was also a series of other industries which later disappeared, such as a large windmill adjoined to a pasta factory, and a factory where olive oil was extracted by means of carbon sulphate, with which were also produced soaps of various types. The particular lithological composition of the surrounding hills also allowed for the construction of various caves for the extraction and processing of stone, the most important of which were those of Monteripaldi, Poggio ai Grilli and Montebuoni of Montecuccoli. The women of the region had for a long time offered laundry services, given the abundance of flowing water, in addition to which they also produced straw plaits and braids.

Today, the heart of the residential nucleus is Acciaioli Square, in which is erected the monument to victims of WWI, Il cuore del centro abitato oggi è Piazza Acciaioli, in mezzo alla quale si innalza il monumento ai caduti della prima guerra mondiale, mounted on which is the victory monument.

Galluzzo is cited by Dante Alighieri in the XVI song (verses 52-55) of the Divine Commedy.

Oh quando fora meglio esser vicine
quelle genti ch’io dico, ed al Galluzzo
ed a Trespiano aver vostro confine

—Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy