Levane: History, Panoramic Views and Natural Landscape

Levane combines a multifaceted local history with a landscape whose geological past stretches back over the last million years. This creates a destination where historical traces, expansive views over parts of the Valdarno Aretino and a protected natural area exist side by side. Those looking for accommodation in Levane can therefore get to know the town from different perspectives: through Levane Alta as its historic centre, through the remains associated with the former Castello di Leona or through the landscape near the town.

A Landscape with a Geological Memory

Near Levane, the 3.4-million-cubic-metre reservoir of the ENEL dam shapes the Valle dell’Inferno e Bandella Nature Reserve. This specific connection with the landscape gives the surrounding area a distinct character, without reducing Levane to a single natural attraction. The hills near the town are also of great interest to palaeontologists and palaeoclimatologists. While palaeontologists study the development of life in the past, palaeoclimatologists investigate earlier climatic conditions. The geological strata near Levane document climate changes over the course of the past million years. The hill of Levane Alta is also important for your exploration: from there, you can enjoy expansive panoramic views over parts of the Valdarno Aretino. Levane is therefore defined not only by individual historic buildings, but also by the town’s setting within the landscape and the geological traces preserved in its surroundings.

Levane Alta and the History of the Town

Levane Alta forms the historic centre of Levane and is also the birthplace of the Italian poet and jurist Jacopo da Leona. The fortified settlement was referred to as “corte di Leuna”, meaning an inhabited village. It was given the name Levane Alta when the actual lower-lying settlement of Levane began to develop between 1278 and 1279 on the right bank of the Torrente Ambra. This development explains the distinctive separation between the historic centre on the hill and the settlement that later emerged at a lower elevation. The history of transport is also part of the town’s history: the historic Strada Regia Aretina ran through Levane. The Santuario di Santa Maria della Ginestra is also located on Poggio di Monteleoni near Levane Alta. This sanctuary preserves the 13th-century fresco “La Madonna con la Cintola”. Levane therefore offers travellers interested in culture several different historical points of reference, ranging from the town’s structure and a historic transport route to a surviving work of art.

Archaeological Traces near Castelvecchio

The Castello di Leona was located in the plain of Castelvecchio. Late Etruscan pottery fragments with black decoration, pottery shards from the Roman and early medieval periods, and an Etruscan well have been found in the surrounding area. Remains of human activity have also been discovered in the Levane area. These finds make the long history of human use in the area visible, without presenting the individual periods as one uninterrupted attraction. For further orientation, you can also include San Pancrazio, Cennina, Badia A Ruoti, San Leolino, Solata, Badia Agnano, Pogi and Capannole in your search.

For the general travel overview: Bucine.