FOLLONICA |
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FOLLONICA |
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| "... Perhaps the
working of the iron in Etruria begins already to the end of the age of the bronze thanks
to the transmission of mineralogiche acquaintances and technological along the routes it
trades them that they joined the Mediterranean orients them to the Tyrrhenian one. To Elba
it was carried out beyond to the extractive activity also that iron worker as it indicates
also the ancient name of Elba: Aethalia, that is the smoky one; but already in YOU century
a.C. the working of the hematite was carried out also on the prospiciente coast to the
island, as it demonstrates the workshop recovered in a extracity quarter of Populonia,
datable to the second half of the century, and the productive takeover of Washers , where the working of the iron laughed them at the beginning of
YOU century a.C.. The development of the metallurgical activity demanded, in fact, not
only the availability of the raw materials but also of the wood for the fuel and the
skilled labor... " (Biancamaria Aranguren) "... Diffusing itself of an activity iron
worker on immense scale had to involve deep transformations in the Etruscan society, with
rising of a rank of craftsmen with specific technological abilities and entrepreneurs who
managed the mining exploitations, the transport of the products and the exchanges. To
Washers the elbana hematite was reduced in ferrous sponges, but the successive phase of
transformation in shapes standardized for the commercialization is not testified. Probable
E' that it leave of the products iron and steel, to various stages of the working, was
shunts to you on the market from the coastal centers of the southern Etruria. The takeover
of Washers is abandoned in the course of V the century a.C.;
the Tyrrhenian one is by now under the control of the siracusani, than in the 453 a.C.
they conquer also the Island of Elba. The only coastal city that is saved from the
progressive forfeiture is Populonia that, after a short phase of difficulty, resumes in
full load its flourishing activity iron worker.
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| "... From the geographic exposure
it can already be understood as the location of the Gulf of
Follonica joins centers them regarding the great civilizations that around this
shoreline have gravitato: from the volterrana civilization to that fiorentina, from the
pisana to the senese, expressing but, al same time, own an important civilization that it
sinks, like the others, the own roots in the great, wonderful stock of the Etruscan
people. Follonica finds to the center of the wide insenatura
(one of the main ones of the tirrenica coast) that door its name and that has to the two
opposite extremities the still alive testimonies of two between largest and notes city
state of the Etruria: Populonia, from which the modern one will derive Piombino and will
influence Elba, the Val di Cornia and part of Go them of the Sheep, and Vetulonia, anch'
it protagonist of along lofty historical period whose testimonies have permeated every
place of this immense area. Of forehead, to close the wonderful scene, the Island of
Elba." (Alfeo Chirici. History of Follonica. 1998, Traccedizioni) |
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| "... The presence of one small foundry
of property of the principles Levels , is attested in the
zone of Follonica since 1546 . In the 1577, last one in rent
to the Granducato of Tuscany, it was widened by means of the construction of a fusorio
furnace. In 1806 it it turned out composed from three systems distinguished with the names
of Furnace, Ferriera and Distendino
. But it is to leave from 1836 that Follonica becomes the main place of working of the
iron of the from Tuscany State, when that is Leopoldo
II entrusts all the systems for the working of the iron of the Fen to Imperial and the
Direction Administration of the River Mines (
the elbane mines ) and of the Foundries of the Iron, the so-called Magona. The
granduca, curing personally the
potenziamento of the systems and adapting of the
service equipments , it made of the small iron and steel center the point of support
of the plan of integral
reclamation of the Fen. In the foundry (around which she was developed the nucleus it
begins them of the citizen of Follonica) came realizes is manufatti assigns to you to
architectonic structures that elements of domestic and city furnishings: in 1833 you the
destined one was realized "tempietto" neogotico to cover the
Cisternone of Large Public square to Grosseto. Rombai L., Follonica and its industry of the iron. Cultural history and assets, Florence 1986 |
 The iron and steel work of Follonica with alimentatrice its gora in 1584 . (Miscellanea Medicea, 559, c. 471), Florence, the Archives of State Text and photography resumed from the Institute and History Museum of Florence Science |
 The two buildings of the flour mill and the furnace and ironworks of Follonica in 1618 (Miscellanea Medicea, 546, c. 3), Florence, the Archives of State |
 Forges, Fourneau en Marchandise. Pl.II, 109-110, from the Planches pour the Encyclopédie, Lucca 1765-1776 Text and photography resumed from the Institute and History Museum of Florence Science |
 View of Follonica, F. Fontani Pittorico travel of the Tuscany, Florence 1827 Text and photography resumed from the Institute and History Museum of Florence Science |
Text and photography resumed from the Institute and History Museum of Florence Science |
| "... The church of Saint Leopoldo di Follonica , one of the first cases of " architecture of the iron " in Tuscany, is a concrete example
of the productive relationship between technique, art and industry that came delineating
itself in the granducato one in the first half of the 1800's with a sure delay regarding
the countries of oltralpe. Planned from Carl Reishammer and
consecrated in 1838 to the presence of granduca Leopoldo
II , it introduces numerous elements in cast iron (pronao, rosone of the facade, apse,
you vary inner furnishings, coronamento of the bell tower) realizes to you from the unit
of artistic foundry, opened in 1835 in the plant of Follonica. The resource to the cast
iron, that building was approached to the structure, allowed to comprise the expressive
potentialities of the material in artistic field. The new technology perhaps - and we
could say the new language - was present also to Florence: pack-saddles to think next to
the spider in E glass cast iron of the
Tribune of Galileo or, in a various atmosphere, to the two bridges suspended on the
Arno (
Saint Leopoldo and San
Ferdinand ). Text and photography resumed from the Institute and History Museum of Florence Science |
 C. Reishammer, Church of Saint Leopoldo - Follonica, 1838 |
| "... Leopoldo
II of Tuscany, of the lineage of the Asburgo Lorena, is, in true sense of paroloa the father of modern Follonica (1832);
illuminated prince had the clean perception that in order to modernize and to improve the
economy of the zone had to be covered the road of the technological renewal and to be
addressed every effort on two precise directions: improvement of agriculture and one more
emphasized industrialization; two addresses that were you pursue yourself with tenacity.
To that time, the Fen was the cenerentola of the Tuscany, but the Granduca, thanks also to
the suggestions of some on the determined councilmen to put into effect one imposing work
of reorganization of immense swampy plains and healthy industrial politics... " Follonica to that time was to the center of these two works of improvement: - the swampy zones of Scarlino and Piombino were uniforms in immense "sold presaddlebacks" and to private with it the obligation of the draining and the putting to cultivation; to Follonica the presaddleback "Number the One" (still today Bicocchi Small farm maintains this toponimo) was of approximately 600 hectares and divenne property of the Bicocchi family, in the 1905 the lands cultivated from the family caught up the 1068 hectares, great part of which then have become territory city. - the metallurgical industry Tuscany then was all concentrated in the zones of Pistoia and pistoiese mountain (Maresca, Tizzoro Field, S.Marcello Pistiose); the Granduca determined to construct just to Follonica a second "industrial pole"; it was therefore that to the feet of the Castle Vall i (884 d.C.) , in the zone that came indicated like Follonica, in the place where the ancient medicee foundries still rose, made to construct between a 1832 and 1836 great foundry that, for technological conception, was for tens of years between most modern of Europe. (Alfeo Chirici. History of Follonica. 1998, Traccedizioni) |
 Inner Ilva plant, on the background S. Leopoldo (the building on the skillful edge is puts into effect it them communal Library)
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