Galeata

Member of the Italian National Network

Representative of Cittaslow

Catia Collinelli - Ufficio Cultura Zona Due Valli, Comuni di Galeata S. Sofia, Premilcuore 

Giuseppe Michelacci - Ufficio Cultura Zona Due Valli, Comuni di Galeata S. Sofia, Premilcuore 

 
Dominated by the enormous cliff overhanging the Bidente river, Galeata lies in the valley floor and has all the traits of a peaceful, welcoming hillside village. Rich in historical and archaeological sites, the village has highlighted its heritage and discovered a patrimony of inestimable value.
 The original town centre is in the small town of Mevaníola, which is a Roman municipium. The site of the ancient town of Mevaníola has been the object of several studies which have brought to light some of the town structures: the thermal building and the small theatre. 
Another great archaeological site is “Villa di Teodorico”, probably used as hunting residence by the king.

During the Dark Ages, Galeata was under the rule of the powerful abbey of S. Ellero. The hermit saint retreated here to lead an ascetic life and around the end of the 5th century and the beginning of the 6th century he founded this powerful abbey which, for a few centuries, exercised a great spiritual and political power in the Romagnolo Apennines. The ruins of many castles are the evidence of the vitality of the territory in that period. Galeata later became a free municipality and passed under Florentine rule in 1429. Florentine rule not only left its mark in the layout of the town and in the architecture of the buildings but also in the dialect, popular traditions and food.
In Pianetto there are some important historical sites: for example the church of S. Maria dei Miracoli. Next to the church there is the Renaissance Convent of the Friars Minor, which houses the "Mambrini" Civic Museum and a collection of historical and archaeological findings.