To make a journey through time and space linked to this precious element and discover places, memories and activities suspended between past and present.

BETWEEN SUBBIANO AND CAPOLONA... A WATER STORY

A series of interesting architectural ruins, still legible, ​​related to the use of water can be found between the towns of Subbiano and Capolona, In addition to the Subbiano mill, there are the former mill and fulling mill (for woolen cloth) of  the Tower of Saint Flora and Lucilla, the Ponte a Caliano mill and the hydroelectric plants of La Nussa and La Lama. The mill and the fulling mill, which along with the Lombard Tower of Saint Flora form a single complex, are of medieval origin and were built by the Monks of Saint Flora in around 1000. The ruins of the fulling mill are directly under the Tower (restored in 2006 ) and those of the mill are immediately to the left in a low external structure. The Caliano mill was built by the Monks of Torrita in the 12th century, together with the lock and the canal. It too has a defense tower. There is still water in the canal but the mill has been inactive for several years.

LA NUSSA HYDROELECTRIC PLANT. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The first exploitation of the hydraulic energy of the Arno river on this site dates back to the early nineteenth century, when water was captured by the placement of a crossbar on the riverbed to power a mill; the Ciapetti family, owners of the entire set of buildings, transformed it into a power plant in 1913. The structural appearance of the plant then was completely different. As can be seen in photos from that period, in fact, the building was characterized by its neo-Gothic style, like the adjacent villa. During the Second World War the plant was mined and completely destroyed by the Germans; in 1946 it was rebuilt by ‘SELT-VALDARNO’ and the energy it produced was of vital importance for the reconstruction of the local economy. In 1963, with the nationalization of electricity, the power plant passed definitively into the hands of Enel (the National Electricity Board), who still own the property.

The structure was damaged during the flood of November 1966 when the whole building was flooded. Soon after, the level of the dam upstream from the power plant was lowered for safety reasons, resulting in a lower production capacity. A water plant was in fact sold to the nearby “La Lama” power station where it is still in operation.

In 1969, the system became automated. The premises that served as the caretaker's lodgings were therefore abandoned and thanks to an agreement between the Municipality of Capolona and Enel, the Center for Educational activities with a Water Theme, part of the Casentino Ecomuseum Network has been using the premises since the early 2000’s.

A network of paths, including the cycle-pedestrian path of the Arno, allow for ‘slow travel’ to explore the area and some of the local attractions.