Campi Bisenzio, Italy: travel guide to the historic town on the plain near Florence

Campi Bisenzio is a town in the Metropolitan City of Florence, in Tuscany, set on the plain along the Bisenzio river only about 12 kilometres north-west of Florence, between the city and Prato. With around 47,000 inhabitants it is one of the most populous towns of the Florentine area and an easy day trip from the regional capital.

For travellers searching for Campi Bisenzio, the Rocca Strozzi, the Church of the Autostrada or towns near Florence, it combines a medieval castle and old centre with a striking piece of modern architecture.

History

The low-lying, once marshy area was part of the Florentine countryside from Roman times. Its castle, the old Castrum Mazzinghorum, now known as the Rocca Strozzi, dates back to the 9th to 12th centuries and is the symbol of the town; tradition even links it to the legendary origins of the Guelph and Ghibelline feud in 1216, and Campi is mentioned by Dante in the Divine Comedy. The feudal holding was transformed into a proper municipality under Grand Duke Cosimo I of Tuscany, formally established in 1744, and the town took its present name in 1862.

Main sights

A tour of Campi Bisenzio naturally begins at the Rocca Strozzi, beside the bridge over the Bisenzio, with the remains of the 14th-century town walls nearby. The town's most surprising monument is the Church of the Autostrada del Sole, dedicated to San Giovanni Battista, a celebrated work of modern architecture by Giovanni Michelucci near the Firenze Nord motorway exit. The nearby Villa Il Palagio adds to its heritage.

Practical information

Lying about 12 kilometres north-west of Florence and close to Prato, Campi Bisenzio is well connected by road and motorway and makes a convenient base for visiting both cities. Like Florence, it suffered greatly in the great Arno flood of 1966, a shared memory still recalled in the town.