The Mediceo Bridge
A bridge near Cappiano has been known since the early Middle Ages when the Via Francigena crossed the Gusciana canal, an emissary of the Padule di Fucecchio. It was a fortified bridge with attached a fish and a mill, used in the early '400 by the Republic of Florence as a lock to regulate the outflow of water from the Padule.
In 1550 Cosimo I had the bridge and its annexes rebuilt by prestigious workers, including David Fortini and Nicolò Pericoli, known as il Tribolo. The result was a monument of great complexity: in addition to a fortified bridge with two towers there were also two openings, said 'calle', used to regulate the level of the waters for fishing and the passage of the boats. The bridge also became a machine for the exploitation of the waters as a driving force for various manufactures and finally administrative center of a farm that went during the 1500s.
Due to the extensive damage suffered during the war, the bridge remained for a long time hidden by scaffolding used to ensure its stability. On the occasion of the Jubilee of 2000, thanks to the funding obtained by the City, in just 16 months of work the Bridge has returned to its former glory. The structure is now used as a hostel.
