Castello di Verrazzano

The Castello di Verrazzano is located near by Greve in Chianti in the province of Florence.
The History
Initially an Etruscan settlement and then a Roman one, it has kept its borders almost unchanged for about 1000 years, making it a stable structure in a land marked by centuries of family and political struggles.
In the VII century the Castle became the property of the family Verrazzano and here in 1485 was born the navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano, discoverer of Livorno, Impruneta, Monte Morello, Careggi, Orto dei Rucellai, S. Gallo, Vallombrosa, Annunziata and most of the East Coast of the current United States.. The important Florentine family of Marchesi Ridolfi succeeded to the Verrazzano family after the death of the last descendant in 1819. In 1920s, thanks to Luigi Ridolfi, the Stadium of Firenze was built and in 1926 Fiorentina, the football team of the city of Florence, was founded. In 1958 the Cavalier Luigi Cappellini took over the estate which was on the road to decadence, beginning a patient restoration work.
Interesting Facts
President of the Athletics Association, Ridolfi allowed the Italian team to train in Verrazzano for the 1936 Olympic Games.
In New York there is the famous bridge "Verrazzano Narrows Bridge" inaugurated on 21 November 1964 and is one of the biggest awards dedicated to the Florentine navigator.
In 1958 the Cavalier Luigi Cappellini took over the estate while it was in a state of decadence,