Discover Levane

If you are planning a stay in Levane, you can get to know the area through its history, cultural traces, and surrounding landscape. Levane Alta is the historic center; alongside it are a 13th-century fresco, archaeological finds, and geological features that offer different points of interest. This can help you decide which aspect of the area is especially interesting for your trip.

Levane Alta and the History of the Area

Levane Alta is the historic center of Levane and dates back to the original fortified settlement. This was known as the “corte di Leuna,” meaning an inhabited village. Between 1278 and 1279, the lower-lying settlement of Levane began to develop on the right bank of the Torrente Ambra. In this context, the fortified settlement came to be known as Levane Alta. The chronology thus distinguishes the older fortified settlement from the later settlement that began to develop on the riverbank.

Levane Alta is also the birthplace of the Italian poet and jurist Jacopo da Leona. His connection to the area is part of both its literary and legal history. Together with the history of the fortified settlement, this connection gives Levane Alta a cultural dimension that extends beyond the area’s architectural development.

Archaeological Traces and the Castello di Leona

The Castello di Leona stood in the plain of Castelvecchio. Late Etruscan pottery fragments with black decoration, Roman and early medieval pottery shards, and an Etruscan well were found in the area around the castle. These groups of finds thus span several different periods. Remains of human activity have also been discovered in the Levane area.

The archaeological evidence relates to the area around the Castello di Leona; the castle itself was located in the plain of Castelvecchio.

Santuario di Santa Maria della Ginestra

The Santuario di Santa Maria della Ginestra is located on Poggio di Monteleoni near Levane Alta. The sanctuary preserves the 13th-century fresco “La Madonna con la Cintola.” This makes a precisely named place and an equally clearly identified work of art the focus here. Anyone interested in Levane’s cultural history can consider this alongside the older settlement and archaeological sites.

Geology, Views, and Landscape

The hills near Levane are of great interest to paleontologists and paleoclimatologists. Their geological layers document climate changes over the past one million years. This is a different timescale from the area’s history: while the development of the lower-lying settlement dates to 1278–1279, the geological records reach back over a million years.

Another distinctive landscape feature is the hill of Levane Alta, which offers wide panoramic views across parts of the Valdarno aretino. Near Levane, the 3.4-million-cubic-meter reservoir of the ENEL dam also shapes the Valle dell’Inferno e Bandella nature reserve. The area thus brings together a specific viewpoint and a protected area shaped by the reservoir.

Getting Your Bearings During Your Stay

Levane is located on State Road 69. The Strada Regia Aretina also historically passed through the area. These two details provide different kinds of orientation: the state road describes Levane’s location on a named road, while the Strada Regia Aretina is part of the historic route. You should therefore distinguish between these as the present-day and historical context of the area.

When choosing a destination, you can weigh these themes according to your interests: Levane Alta connects the area’s history with the birthplace of Jacopo da Leona; the sanctuary preserves a 13th-century fresco; and the hills, views, and nature reserve add to the picture of the landscape. The archaeological finds, in turn, bring the different historical periods of the surrounding area to life.

Discover more destinations: Pietraviva, Badia Agnano, Ambra, Solata, Cennina, Pogi, Capannole, San Pancrazio.

For the broader travel overview: Bucine.