54-532: San Miniato is a town and comune in the province of Pisa , in the region of Tuscany , Italy . San Miniato sits at an historically strategic location atop three small hills where it dominates the lower Arno valley, between the valleys of Egola and Elsa rivers. It used to carry the additional sobriquet al Tedesco ("to the German") to distinguish it from the convent of San Miniato al Monte in Florence , which
108-603: A township or municipality . It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ( regioni ) and provinces ( province ). The comune can also have the title of città ( lit. ' city ' ). Formed praeter legem according to the principles consolidated in medieval municipalities , the comune is provided for by article 114 of the Constitution of Italy . It can be divided into frazioni , which in turn may have limited power due to special elective assemblies. In
162-421: A Egola , Ponte a Elsa , Roffia , San Donato , San Miniato Basso , San Romano , Stibbio . Borghigiana, Calenzano, Campriano, Canneto, Canuto, Casastrada, Collebrunacchi, Dogaia, Genovini, Marzana, Montebicchieri, Palagio, Parrino, San Quintino, Sant'Angelo a Montorzo, Volpaio. During the last three weeks of November, San Miniato hosts a festival devoted to the gastronomically precious white truffle which
216-538: A Guelph city by 1291, allied with Florence and, in 1307, fought with other members of the Guelph league against the Ghibelline Arezzo . By 1347 San Miniato was under Florentine control, where it remained, but for a brief period from 1367-1370 when, instigated by Pisa, it rebelled against Florence, and again for single month between April and May 1799, when a short-lived jacobin republic was proclaimed during
270-504: A building usually called the municipio , or palazzo comunale ( lit. ' town hall ' ). As of January 2021, there were 7,904 comuni in Italy; they vary considerably in size and population. For example, the comune of Rome , in Lazio , has an area of 1,287.36 km (497.05 sq mi) and a population of 2,758,454 inhabitants, and is both the largest and
324-746: A cheaper type of truffles coming from China. Isotopic analysis is the most reliable detection of fraud or of mislabelling; the Jožef Stefan Institute in Slovenia is so far (2021) leading the establishment of a corresponding database On the Asti market in 2012, more than 90% of the truffles did not come from Alba and about 75% of the white truffles supposedly from Piedmont came from other Italian regions. Tuber oligospermum , that grows well in Tunisia's dry sand and not deemed of any culinary value in Italy,
378-827: A comune as rione ( Italian: [riˈoːne] ; pl. : rioni ) or contrade . The term originated from the administrative divisions of Rome, and is derived from the Latin word regio ( pl. : regiones ), meaning "region". All currently extant rioni are located in Municipio I of Rome. The term has been adopted as a synonym of quartiere in the Italian comuni . Terzieri , quartieri , sestieri , rioni , and their analogues are usually no longer administrative divisions of these towns, but historical and traditional communities, seen especially in towns' annual Palio . A terziere ( pl. : terzieri )
432-588: A convent, and then a prison, but which will now be used for conventions. There are also a number of Renaissance palazzi, built by such aristocratic families as the Roffia, Grifoni, Formichini and the Bonapartes, ancestors of Napoleon , among them Palazzo Grifoni . San Miniato has a railway station on the Pisa-Florence line . Due to topography the line lies on the flat plain to the north, around 4km from
486-572: A gift for President Dwight D. Eisenhower . The city is enclosed within a well-preserved medieval precinct. Main landmarks include: Other buildings and monuments worth seeing include the Bishop's Sanctuary, with a Baroque façade in the design of an amphitheater, designed by Cigoli and the Sanctuary of the Crucifix, recently restored, the desanctified Chiesa di San Martino, which has done duty as
540-538: A separate ruler, through the arbitration of Venice, which were known as sestieri . The island of Crete , a Venetian colony (the Kingdom of Candia ) from the Fourth Crusade , was also divided into six parts, named after the sestieri of Venice herself, while the capital Candia retained the status of a comune of Venice. The island of Burano north of Venice is also subdivided into sestieri . A variation of
594-426: A sizeable population enclosed behind a moat and protected by a castle built by Otto I . In 1116, the new imperial vicar for Tuscany, Rabodo , established himself at San Miniato, supplanting Florence as the centre of government. The site came to be known as al Tedesco , since the imperial vicars, mostly German, ruled Tuscany from there until the 13th century. The first walls, with defensive towers, were thrown up in
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#1732772354718648-620: A synonymous of neighbourhood, and an Italian town can be now subdivided into a larger number of quartieri . The Swiss town of Lugano (in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino) is also subdivided into quarters. The English word quarter to mean an urban neighbourhood (e.g. the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana) is derived from the cognate old French word quartier . A sestiere ( pl. : sestieri )
702-414: Is 24.3 °C (99th percentile), about four degrees above the physiological optimum for mycelial development in soil; temperatures in excess of this limit reduce the amount of mycelium in the topsoil (on about 10 cm); this may explain why T. magnatum develops extra-radical mycelium in soil horizons below 30 cm. Drought-induced stress reduces the amount of mycelium in general. But T. magnatum
756-470: Is a list of the largest comuni in Italy, in descending order of surface area, according to ISTAT data referring to 9 October 2011. The provincial capitals are highlighted in bold. The following is a list of the smallest comuni in Italy, in ascending order of surface area, according to ISTAT data referring to 9 October 2011. The following is a list of the first comuni by altitude, in descending order. The indicated altitude coincides with
810-512: Is a species of truffle in the order Pezizales and family Tuberaceae . It is found in southern Europe, the Balkans and Thailand . Fruiting in autumn, they can reach 12 centimetres ( 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches) diameter and 500 grams (18 ounces), though are usually much smaller. The flesh is pale cream or brown with white marbling. It is found mainly in the Langhe and Montferrat areas of
864-454: Is a subdivision of certain Italian towns and cities. The word is from sesto ( lit. ' sixth ' ), so it is thus used only for towns divided into six districts. The best-known example is the sestieri of Venice , but Ascoli Piceno , Genoa , Milan and Rapallo , for example, were also divided into sestieri . The medieval Lordship of Negroponte , on the island of Euboea , was also at times divided into six districts, each with
918-609: Is a subdivision of several towns in Italy . The word derives from terzo ( lit. ' third ' ) and is thus used only for towns divided into three neighborhoods. Terzieri are most commonly found in Umbria , for example in Trevi , Spello , Narni and Città della Pieve ; towns divided into terzieri in other regions include Lucca in Tuscany , and Ancona and Macerata in
972-558: Is about 40 kilometres (25 mi) to the northeast. In medieval times, San Miniato was on the via Francigena , which was the main connecting route between northern Europe and Rome . It also sits at the intersection of the Florence - Pisa and the Lucca - Siena roads. Over the centuries San Miniato was therefore exposed to a constant flow of friendly and hostile armies, traders in all manner of goods and services, and other travelers from near and far. Archaeological evidence indicates that
1026-724: Is granted to comuni that have been awarded it by decree of the King of Italy (until 1946) or of the provisional head of state (from 1946 to 1948) or, subsequently, of the President of the Republic (after 1948), on the proposal of the Ministry of the Interior , to which the comune concerned sends an application for a concession, by virtue of their historical, artistic, civic or demographic importance. The comuni endowed with
1080-531: Is harvested in the area around the city. The white truffle is more highly valued than the black truffles found in Umbria and the Marche , and commands very high prices, reflected in the cost of restaurant dishes that incorporate truffles. In 1954 a record-breaking truffle found close to the nearby village of Balconevisi weighed in at 2,520 grams (5.56 lb) and was sent to the United States of America as
1134-432: Is less tolerant than T. melanosporum and T. uncinatum (Burgundy truffle) of short-term precipitation deficits in summer because its peridium is not as well developed, thus subjecting the ascocarp to more water transpiration than in these two other species. But it also means that T. magnatum is more tolerant of summer excess precipitation - up to 180% of normal precipitations, which a bonus for sites located north of
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#17327723547181188-490: Is likely to bring in more precipitations and subsequent floodings. The alluvial/ riparian habitats of T. magnatum would then be subjected to excessive waterlogging and overall inundations, which would interfere with the development of mycorrhizae and the formation of fruitbodies, as demonstrated by the Burgundy truffle elsewhere. Plans for cultivation were taking shape around Bosnia, with foreign companies, considering
1242-603: Is sold as T. magnatum . In some cases, scent is enhanced with such petroleum-based essence as bis(methylthio)methane which is harmful to human health. In 2017, Italy's financial police, the Guardia di Finanza, uncovered a €66 million tax fraud among truffle producers. Zinc content is an important differentiating trait: it was found to be twice as high in T. magnatum than in all the other truffle species so far tested. T. magnatum also assimilates/accumulates Cu , K , Na , P , and Zn more efficiently than these other species; on
1296-466: Is three times higher (about 14%) than that of WT sites in the Balkans (4.5%). Nitrogen content is relatively low (0.19–0.26%). This gives a C/N ratio of around 7 at Italian sites - which corresponds to relatively slow decomposition rates - and a higher C/N ratio in the Hungarian and Balkan lowlands - exposed to very regular flooding, inducing faster decomposition rates and elevated microbial activity in
1350-411: The frazioni , but the comune still retains the name of the capoluogo . In some cases, a comune might not have the same name of capoluogo . In these cases, it is a comune sparso ( lit. ' dispersed comune ' ) and the frazione which hosts the town hall ( municipio ) is a sede municipale (compare county seat ). Some towns refer to neighborhoods within
1404-485: The Marches . The medieval Lordship of Negroponte , on the island of Euboea , was also divided into three distinct rulerships, which were known as terzieri . A quartiere ( Italian: [kwarˈtjɛːre] ; pl. : quartieri ) is a territorial subdivision, properly used, for towns divided into four neighborhoods ( quarto ; lit. ' fourth ' ) by the two main roads. It has been later used as
1458-673: The Piedmont region in northern Italy and, most famously, in the countryside around the cities of Alba and Asti . Acqualagna , in the northern part of the Marche near Urbino is another center for the production and commercialization of white truffles, and its annual festival is one of the most important in Italy. They can also be found in Molise , Abruzzo and in the hills around San Miniato , in Tuscany . White truffles have also been found in Croatia ( Istria , Motovun forest along
1512-644: The province of Isernia has 81,415 inhabitants in 52 comuni , or 1,640 inhabitants per comune – roughly 24 times more communal units per inhabitant. The coats of arms of the comuni are assigned by decree of the Prime Minister of Italy by the Office of State Ceremonial and Honors, Honors and Heraldry Service (division of the Presidency of the Council born from the transformation of
1566-550: The 12th century during the time that Italy was dominated by Frederick Barbarossa . Under his grandson, Frederick II , the town was further fortified with expanded walls and other defensive works, including the Rocca and its tower. During the latter years of the 13th century and the entire 14th century, San Miniato was drawn into the ongoing conflict between the Ghibelline and Guelph forces. Initially Ghibelline, it had become
1620-695: The Balkans and Pannonia regions, its soils contain 20% clay or more (in opposition to Tuber melanosporum which needs well-drained soils with higher sand/silt content); but in the Apennines and maybe also in Istria, the silt content dominates (45%) at the expense of clay (< 20%). Much depends on the vertical repartition of mineral and organic matter, determined during initial soil formation due to flooding. The sediments are typically high in carbonates (15%) in Italy and Istria, but only around 10% at Hungarian and Balkan sites. Samely, organic matter content in Italy
1674-537: The Mediterranean, in particular Geneva (Switzerland). The ongoing climate change, with expected precipitation increase and projected warming, is likely to bring further north the present northernmost limit of its range and expand it into central and western Europe. On the other hand, temperatures increase in humid continental climates (such as central Europe and the interior of the Balkan Peninsula)
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1728-756: The Mirna river ), in the Ticino and Geneva cantons of Switzerland, in south-east France, in Sicily, Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia (along the Dragonja and Rizana river ), Greece, and in Thailand. In recent years, the search for truffles became very popular in Bosnia and Herzegovina . Especially abundant occurrence is recorded in the regions of Vlašić , Lisina and Kozara , and lately, after discovery of its presence, in
1782-813: The Napoleonic conquest. It was still part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany when the Duchy was absorbed into the newly formed Kingdom of Italy in 1860. On July 22, 1944, an American artillery shell exploded there causing the death of 55 people. The church was filled with civilians rounded up by the Germans. A commemorative plaque is located on the facade of the church in honor of the victims (Italian: Strage del Duomo di San Miniato ). Balconevisi , Bucciano , Catena , Cigoli , Corazzano , Cusignano , Isola , La Scala , La Serra , Molino d'Egola , Moriolo , Ponte
1836-500: The Royal Consulta Araldica , eliminated pursuant to the provisions final of the Constitution of Italy ). Administrative subdivisions within comuni vary according to their population size. Comuni with at least 250,000 residents are divided into circoscrizioni (roughly equivalent to French arrondissements or London boroughs ) to which the comune delegates administrative functions like
1890-548: The autonomous region of the Aosta Valley , a comune is officially called a commune in French. The comune provides essential public services: registry of births and deaths, registry of deeds , and maintenance of local roads and public works. Many comuni have a Polizia Comunale ( lit. ' Communal Police ' ), which is responsible for public order duties. The comune also deal with
1944-526: The capital of the province of Reggio Emilia , in the Emilia-Romagna region, and Reggio di Calabria , the capital of the homonymous metropolitan city , in the Calabria region. Many other towns or villages are likewise partial homonyms (e.g. Anzola dell'Emilia and Anzola d'Ossola , or Bagnara Calabra and Bagnara di Romagna ). The title of città ( lit. ' city ' ) in Italy
1998-416: The coalition of the elected mayor (who needs a relative majority or an absolute majority in the first or second round of voting, depending on the population) gains three fifths of the consiglio 's seats. The giunta comunale is chaired by the mayor, who appoints others members, called assessori , one of whom serves as deputy mayor ( vicesindaco ). The offices of the comune are housed in
2052-591: The country's adequate climate, investing in local agriculture. Italian white truffles are very highly esteemed and are the most valuable on the market. The white truffle market in Alba is busiest in the months of October and November when the Fiera del Tartufo (truffle fair) takes place. In 2001, Tuber magnatum truffles sold for between $ 2,200–$ 4,800 per kilogram ($ 1,000–$ 2,200 per pound); as of December 2009, they were being sold at $ 14,203.50/kg. In November 1999, what
2106-459: The definition and compliance with the piano regolatore generale ( lit. ' general regulator plan ' ), a document that regulates the building activity within the communal area. All communal structures or schools, sports and cultural structures such as communal libraries, theaters, etc. are managed by the comuni . Comuni must have their own communal statute and have a climatic and seismic classification of their territory for
2160-404: The height above sea level of the town hall. List of the first comuni by population in descending order, according to ISTAT data updated to 28 February 2022. The regional capitals are in bold. The data is updated as of 1 January 2021. The data is updated as of 1 January 2021. White truffle Tuber magnatum , the white truffle ( Italian : tartufo bianco d'Alba ),
2214-421: The most populated. Atrani in the province of Salerno ( Campania ) was the smallest comune by area, with only 0.1206 km (0.0466 sq mi), and Morterone ( Lombardy ) is the smallest by population. Many present-day comuni trace their roots along timescales spanning centuries and at times millennia. The northernmost comune is Predoi , the southernmost one Lampedusa e Linosa ,
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2268-551: The other hand, T. brumale was more successful in assimilating/accumulating S . But carbon isotope signatures of the various truffle species cannot discriminate their geographical origins, because mycorrhizal fungi are enriched in C compared to their host trees (fungi receive up to 20% of the total carbon fixed by their host trees), and forest ecosystems are characterized by settings that are too complex to allow for such discrimination. For example, highly heterogenous Italian forest ecosystems with high fungal biodiversity showed both
2322-466: The purposes of hazard mitigation and civil protection . Comuni also deal with the waste management . It is headed by a mayor ( sindaco or sindaca ) assisted by a legislative body, the consiglio comunale ( lit. ' communal council ' ), and an executive body, the giunta comunale ( lit. ' communal committee ' ). The mayor and members of the consiglio comunale are elected together by resident citizens:
2376-443: The running of schools, social services and waste collection; the delegated functions vary from comune to comune . These bodies are headed by an elected president and a local council. Smaller comuni usually comprise: Sometimes a frazione might be more populated than the capoluogo ; and rarely, owing to unusual circumstances (like depopulation), the town hall and its administrative functions can be moved to one of
2430-592: The site of the city and surrounding area has been settled since at least the paleolithic era. It would have been well known to the Etruscans , and certainly to the Romans , for whom it was a military post called "Quarto". The first mention in historical documents is of a small village organized around a chapel dedicated to San Miniato built by the Lombards in 783. By the end of the 10th century San Miniato boasted
2484-429: The title of città usually carry the golden crown above their coat of arms, except with different provisions in the decree approving the coat of arms or in the presence). "The crown of the city ([...]) is formed by a golden circle opened by eight city gates (five visible) with two cordoned walls on the margins, supporting eight towers (five visible) joined by curtain walls, all in gold and black walled." The following
2538-465: The town centre. A local bus links the station to the hilltop town. By road it is approximately 41 kilometres (25 miles) west of Florence and 55 kilometres (34 mi) east of Livorno on the SP 40 provincial road. Comune A comune ( Italian: [koˈmuːne] ; pl. : comuni , Italian: [koˈmuːni] ) is an administrative division of Italy , roughly equivalent to
2592-997: The uppermost soil layer. Associated microbial and fungal communities are poorly known at this stage (2018) and further studies in that direction are recommended. Fruitbodies ( ascocarps ) need at least 0.4 °C (1st percentile) during their formation, which occurs in winter; therefore their distribution range is roughly limited to the north by the mean winter isotherm of 0 °C. But this limit may be modified by localised microclimatic pockets, such as may occur in rugged terrains. Seasonality (the amplitude between summer and winter) seems to also play an important role. It thrives best at sites with ~ 13 °C per year, with average annual temperature ranges of ~ 12 °C in Mar–May, 22 °C in Jun–Aug, 14 °C in Sep–Nov, and 5 °C for Dec–Feb. The warmest mean air temperature for WT growth in Jun–Aug
2646-1135: The western part of the Herzegovina region, around the village of Služanj and the town of Čitluk . They grow symbiotically with oak , hazel , poplar and beech . The most common host plants cited in the literature are oaks, including associations with Mediterranean species ( Q. pubescens , Q. cerris and Q. ilex ) and temperate species ( Q. robur and Q. petraea ). The second most common host plant cited are poplars, mainly Populus alba (about 13%) but also P. nigra , P. tremula , P. canadensis and P. deltoides . Among willows, four species are listed: Salix caprea , S. alba , S. purpurea and S. apennina . Less commonly, they are associated with five other species of host plants, each from different genera: Abies alba (conifer), Alnus cordata , Fagus sylvatica , Pyrus pyraster and Ulmus minor . Its soils have an average pH level of ~ 7.7, but it ranges from neutral to alkaline (in comparison, Tuber melanosporum (Périgord truffle) are restricted to alkaline environments). In
2700-530: The westernmost Bardonecchia and the easternmost Otranto . The comune with the longest name is San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore , while the comuni with the shortest name are Lu , Ro , Ne , Re and Vo' . The population density of the comuni varies widely by province and region . The province of Barletta-Andria-Trani , for example, has 381,091 inhabitants in 10 comuni , or over 39,000 inhabitants per comune ; whereas
2754-427: The word is occasionally found: the comune of Leonessa , for example, is divided into sesti or sixths. There are not many perfect homonymous comuni . There are only six cases in 12 comuni : This is mostly due to the fact the name of the province or region was appended to the name of the comune in order to avoid the confusion. Two provincial capitals share the name Reggio : Reggio nell'Emilia ,
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#17327723547182808-593: Was auctioned by Sabatino Truffles at Sotheby's in New York. While some had expected it to sell for $ 1 million, it was sold for $ 61,000 to a Taiwanese buyer. In 2021, a white truffle from Piedmont weighing 830 g was sold for €103,000 at auction. Due to its high price tag and that T. magnatum is not the only white-coloured truffle around, frauds are frequent (such as T. borchii or T. asa ). Cheaper Tuber borchii are sold for T. magnatum . A 2012 test showed that 15% of high-priced truffles sold as French were
2862-554: Was then the largest truffle in the world was found near Buje , Croatia . The truffle weighed 1.31 kg (2 lb 14 oz) and was entered into the Guinness Book of Records . The record price paid for a single white truffle was set in December 2007, when Macau casino owner Stanley Ho paid $ 330,000 (£165,000) for a specimen weighing 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz). One of the largest truffles found in decades, it
2916-527: Was unearthed near Pisa , Italy , and sold at an auction held simultaneously in Macau, Hong Kong , and Florence . This record was then matched on November 27, 2010, when Ho again paid $ 330,000 for a pair of white truffles, including one weighing nearly a kilogram. In December 2014, a white truffle weighing 1.89 kg (4 lb 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 oz) was unearthed in the Umbrian region of Italy. It
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