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Dicomano

A town of Etruscan origin in the heart of the Mugello

At the point where the river Comano flows into the Sieve lies Dicomano. Variety is the fundamental characteristic of the surrounding landscape: from the typical mountain scenery, more properly typical of the Mugello area, to the valley floor aspects, typical of the Val di Sieve. At Dicomano the heights of the Apennines slope down to the hills, leaving, on the descent, green forests of beech, oak and chestnut trees. Against the backdrop of the reflections of the fields one glimpses here and there farmhouses or ancient villas, swathed in a few olive groves and rows of vines. It is through centuries of human labor that this area has taken on those indelible features that we can admire today. Here the artistic and architectural elements become one with those of the natural environment.

What to see in Dicomano

On a small hill stands the ancient Pieve di Santa Maria (Parish church of Santa Maria), which features a 12th-century Romanesque structure typical of the Florentine countryside and an imposing bell tower. The interior preserves many important works, such as a 16th-century glazed polychrome terracotta attributed to Santi di Buglione, the serena stone pulpit and several oil on panel paintings by the Ghirlandaio school. The Parish church's curiosity lies in the reliquary in the rectory, containing the ashes and blood of Sant’Ilario. Another religious building worth visiting is the Oratorio di Sant’Onofrio (Oratory of Sant'Onofrio), one of the most striking examples of neoclassicism.

Dicomano is also a territory of ancient events, with traces of Etruscan civilization. Definitely worth a visit is the Museo Archeologico Comprensiorale di Dicomano (Comprehensive Archaeological Museum of Dicomano), inside the Town Hall, which preserves artifacts dating back to a period of time going from Prehistory to the Renaissance and from the area of Mugello and the Sieve Valley. The museum pays special attention to younger visitors, with a special educational room.

In the surroundings

Just outside the town is located one of the main archaeological sites in all of Mugello: the archaeological excavations at Frascole, which offer a compelling journey into the past. Here the foundations of the ancient Romanesque church of San Martino dal Poggio have been unearthed, as well as that of a mighty structure that was most likely an Etruscan defensive fortification.

From Dicomano it is easy to reach Mount Giovi, a relief that peaks at an altitude of 992 meters and represents the easternmost part of the ridge that separates Mugello from Valdarno and the lower Sieve Valley. Despite its low altitude, the environment has its typical mountain characteristics, with the deep valleys that furrow it and on the northern slope rich forests.

Typical products and dishes

Among the typical products of Dicomano and, more generally, of the territories between Mugello and Val di Sieve, one cannot fail to mention the Marrone del Mugello IGP (Mugello chestnut PGI), to be eaten both fresh and dried, with a wide variety of preparations and recipes, from castagnaccio to marron glacé. The area's chestnut groves have been an irreplaceable source of food and income for local people for centuries, so much so that the chestnut tree has earned the nickname "bread tree".