The history of the Borough
The Borgo, or "Villa di Serignana" as it was known at the time, was born in the course of the 12th century within the vast fiefdom of the Counts Guidi, of the noble Ghibelline family. The Counts Guidi held extensive estates in Tuscany, however the main seat of their power was located in the castles of the nearby Casentino.
Borgo di Serignana, the Castle and the district of San Godenzo became properties of the Counts Guidi of Modigliana, and subsequently to the branch of the Counts of Porciano after imperial assignment, first by Emperor Arrigo VI in 1191 and then by Emperor Frederick II in 1247.
In 1305 the Counts Guidi granted the rural statutes to the "Villa de Serignana Superiori" which were published by the Municipality of San Godenzo in 1995.
After various events, which saw the family of the Counts Guidi opposed to the Lordship of Florence, we should take note of an important conference which took place in the Benedictine Abbey of San Godenzo in June 1302. The conference was attended by the Florentine exile families Ghibellines and Guelphs of “the white zone”, which included Dante Alighieri. What remains of the conference is the deed, signed by the notary Giovanni di Buto d'Ampinana, where the participants agreed to re-conquer Florence, committing financial funding and manpower and their future generations.
This event is remembered every year during the "Dante Ghibellino" celebration which, in addition to the historical re-enactment, has hosted an important conference on Dante's studies over the years.
In 1366 Count Guido Domestico ceded Serignana and all the possessions in the area to the Lordship of of Florence for 2650 gold florins.
Serignana returns to the fore on April 28th, 1478, two days after the Pazzi conspiracyagainst Lorenzo dei Medici (Il Magnifico) which took place in Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. Poliziano narrates that Iacopo de' Pazzi, head of the family from which the conspiracy took its name, was captured, along with nine other armed men. That same evening, he was taken back to Florence and there, just before midnight, he was hanged with seventy other conspirators from the window railings of the Palazzo della Signoria.
It should also be remembered that it was here in 1421 that the great Renaissance painter Andrea del Castagno (1421-1457) was born: the hamlet of Il Castagno d' Andrea takes its name from him and you can visit the museum dedicated to him at the visitor center of the National Park.
A place dear to painters, it was chosen by Maestro Pietro Annigoni. Following the Second World War, he painted the famous Christ painting that can be admired in the church of San Martino aided by his young students, of whom we remember Antonio Ciccone and Silvestro Pistolesi. In more recent times, the master Pistolesi completed the work with an important fresco, also in the church of San Martino. Finally, in the oratory of Santa Maria you can admire a scene of the resurrection by Antonio Ciccone.
Serignana escaped untouched through historical conflicts including World War II and remains intact to this day.