A history of Castel di Fiori and Podere valle Pulcini

Chapter 1

Brian Chatterton

Stone arrow heads from the Neolithic period indicate the first signs of human activity at Castel di Fiori. Early farming and settlement may have been associated with the iron age fort at Poggio del Croce. Later Etruscan influence could have led to field drainage. Roman and Lombard remains indicate settlement may have continued through this period.

The Middle Ages and later, based on the written records of the time.

Food, farming and politics in the 20th century. Castel di Fiori changed more in the 100 years from 1900 to 2000 than it had in the previous 2000 years. It was the period of the transformation when sharefarmers were freed from centuries of poverty. On the farming front Italy entered the Age of Erosion in the 1950s but Castel di Fiori has been spared from the worst ravages.

Podere valle Pulcini is one of the farms in the Castel di Fiori area. This chapter traces some of the changes over the last half century.