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Capolona in Tuscany Italy

Situated on the right bank of the Arno, the commune of Capolona encompasses a close formation of hills that make up the southern spurs of the Pratomagno. The hills slope gently down to the right bank of the Arno, where the centuries-old villages of Lorenzano, Caliano, Vado and Castelluccio are located. The village of Santa Margherita, with its medieval buildings, is a short distance from Castelluccio. Almost directly on the river-bank is the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena a Sietina, the most important historical and artistic feature in the area, built along an old Roman road in the early 11th century.

The present plan of the church features a nave and two aisles terminated by three apses. The interior walls are covered with some excellent Gothic and Renaissance frescoes. From the village of Pieve San Giovanni the eye can roam from the crest of the Alpe di Catenaia to the hills of Chianti. At the centre of the village stands the old parish church, which houses a superb 14th-century crucifix.

Bibbiano, located on a gently sloping hill, is an interesting place because of the clear signs of its past that it still bears. Despite its transformations, Bibbiano has retained much of its medieval wall, which exhibits a sober, austere line. East of Bibbiano is Ponina, called Curtis under the Lombards.

The ruins of the ancient castle of Belfiore can be seen a short distance away. The church of Cenina, dedicated to Santa Lucia, preserves an oil painting, a work of the Tuscan school, dated between the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Capolona is a modern-looking town with some light industry and crafts.

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