Capolona

Discover Capolona

Capolona is a municipality of roughly 5218 inhabitants in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany, spread across some 47.36 square kilometres on the right bank of the Arno and along the southern slopes of the Pratomagno massif, about 12 kilometres from Arezzo and at the threshold of the Casentino valley. At an elevation of around 263 metres, the comune sits where the Casentino and the Arno valley open into a broad arc, anticipating the convergence with the Val di Chiana further downstream; short torrents descend from the Pratomagno across its territory, and both the regional road SR 71 and the Arezzo–Pratovecchio–Stia railway line pass through it.

Capolona village in Tuscany carries a layered past rooted in the medieval abbey of San Gennaro a Campoleone, founded in 972, whose influence once reached from the Casentino to Umbria; scattered across the area are ancient pievi, a castle at Bibbiano, localities with neolithic archaeological finds, and a living calendar of local events — from a truffle fair in March to the historical re-enactment of Campus Leonis each July in Castelluccio — that give visitors concrete reasons to linger beyond a single afternoon.

Capolona village in Tuscany: history and ancient origins

The history of Capolona village in Tuscany revolves around the abbey of San Gennaro a Campus Leonis, founded in 972 and later entrusted to Benedictine monks from Montecassino, whose vast landholdings — stretching from the Casentino to Umbria — shaped the entire territory from the tenth to the twelfth century. Among the abbey’s notable guests was Pope Alexander II, who stayed there in September 1064; a medal bearing his likeness was later discovered near the locality of Ierna, thought to be a gift from the Pope to a prominent local figure.

From the late fourteenth century the abbey entered a slow decline and was eventually abandoned, after which the territory was administratively merged with neighbouring communities, notably Subbiano across the Arno, until the Napoleonic period. In 1808 a district of Capolona, Bibbiano and Belfiore was established, with Castelluccio — the settlement closest to the old abbey — designated as its seat. The name Capolona had itself migrated over time: it had previously attached to a nearby locality, seat of the Pieve of San Giovanni, formerly known as Sulpiciano.

The current capoluogo grew up more recently at the foot of Caliano, around the Calzaturificio Fratelli Soldini, a shoemaking factory established in the late 1950s. Elsewhere across the commune, traces of a much older past survive: important archaeological finds of Neolithic origin have emerged around Cafaggio, Cafaggiolo, Cicaleto and Vico, while several hamlets — among them Castelluccio, Lorenzano, Caliano and Belfiore — retain remains of fortified structures believed to form part of an early medieval defensive system. The Pieve a Sietina, documented from the early eleventh century under the name Santa Maria Maddalena di Setrina, stands in the so-called terra barbaritana, an area between Arezzo and the Casentino where Germanic influences remained particularly strong around the year 1000.

Churches, Pievi and Medieval Villages across Capolona’s Territory

Capolona’s territory holds several ancient religious buildings — including multiple Romanesque pievi, a castle, and a series of medieval villages — scattered across the hills between the Arno valley and the lower slopes of the Pratomagno.

Pieve a Sietina (Santa Maria Maddalena)

This is the most significant monument in the commune. Documented from the early eleventh century under the name Santa Maria Maddalena di Setrina, the pieve has survived largely in its original form, apart from a campanile added at the beginning of the twentieth century. Inside, a cycle of fourteenth- and sixteenth-century frescoes was restored in a recent campaign that returned them to their earlier condition. The building stands in what medieval sources called the terra barbaritana, a zone between Arezzo and the Casentino where Germanic settlement left a marked imprint around the year one thousand.

Abbazia di San Gennaro a Campoleone

Founded in 972 and later entrusted to Benedictine monks from Montecassino, the abbey gave the entire commune its historical identity. Between the tenth and twelfth centuries it controlled an extensive network of castles and rural estates stretching from the Casentino to Umbria. Pope Alexander II stayed here in September 1064. The abbey declined from the late fourteenth century onward and was eventually abandoned.

Chiesa di Santa Maria a Bibbiano

This church preserves a wooden Crucifix attributed to Taddeo Curradi, dated to roughly the eighth decade of the sixteenth century.

Chiesa al Santo di Ponina

The church retains evidence of Byzantine origin.

Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo, Castelluccio

Located in the village of Castelluccio, the former seat of the commune.

Pieve dei Santi Giovanni Battista e Marino, Pieve San Giovanni

An ancient pieve in the locality formerly known as Sulpiciano, which served as one of the successive seats of the communal name.

Pieve di San Martino Sopr’Arno and Pieve di Cenina

Two further Romanesque pievi within the commune’s boundaries.

Castello di Bibbiano and Medieval Settlements

Bibbiano retains substantial stretches of its medieval perimeter walls. Castelluccio still has a gate known as the Portaccia. Several other localities — among them Lorenzano, Caliano, Casella and Belfiore — show traces of defensive structures that probably formed part of an early medieval fortification system.

Flavours of Capolona and the Arezzo Territory

Capolona sits within an Aretine food landscape where certified products include Chianti DOCG wines, Finocchiona IGP, Cantuccini Toscani IGP, and Cinta Senese DOP pork, alongside other provincially recognised specialities. These products are not exclusive to the commune itself but represent the broader agricultural and artisan tradition of this corner of Tuscany between the Casentino and the Valdarno.

Among the wines produced in the zone, the Val d’Arno di Sopra DOC is particularly relevant to the territory around Capolona, with Chianti DOCG and Colli dell’Etruria Centrale DOC also falling within the area’s production zone. For those who enjoy Tuscan vin santo, Vin Santo del Chianti DOC rounds out a table that could also feature Agnello del Centro Italia IGP and the prized Marrone di Caprese Michelangelo DOP chestnut from nearby hills.

Each year in late March, Capolona’s main square hosts the Mostra filiera del tartufo marzuolo, a dedicated showcase of the spring truffle supply chain — a genuine local occasion rather than a large commercial fair, and a good excuse to visit the village at an otherwise quiet time of year.

Getting to Capolona and Planning Your Visit

Capolona is straightforward to reach: it lies just 12 km from Arezzo along the SR 71, and the Arezzo–Pratovecchio–Stia railway line passes directly through the commune, making it one of the few villages in the area accessible without a car. Spring and early summer offer the most varied calendar of events, from the March truffle show to the CORINCANTO national choral festival each May and a Pro Loco celebration in June.

July brings the historical re-enactment Campus Leonis in the fraction of Castelluccio, when the medieval heritage of the old abbey comes briefly back to life. Visitors combining Capolona with a wider itinerary will find it a natural gateway to the Casentino valley to the north and, via Bagno a Ripoli further along the Arno, to the Florentine hills to the west. The SR 71 through the village is the main road axis; parking is available in the village centre near the river.

📷 Photo Gallery — Capolona

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