Tavarnelle sinks its origins in very ancient times and was
situated, as it’s today on the road that connects Florence to
Siena. Its name - the word Tavarnelle derives from the latin
“taberna” that it means tavern – indicate the function of place of comfort for travellers. The territory was crossed from an important road of Roman origin that joined Florence to Siena and that, in the middle ages, was as undoubled. The main branch, that the connection concurred with the Francigena way and therefore to Rome, favored in that age the development of the entire zone. On the second branch, that shortened the road for Siena, the suburb of the Sambuca and the castle of San Donato in Poggio were developed. The castle of Passignano, once center of an lombard outpost, has been subsequently incorporated in the abbey of San Michele Arcangelo, today returned to the monks vallombrosani after a lot of vicissitudes. Among so many testimonies of the past, to be underline for their architectonic structure the parish of San Pietro in Bossolo, of late-romanesque style and that of St. Donato in Poggio, strongly characterized by the romanesque style of the Florentine countries. Besides the Abbey of Passignano, they deserve to be mentioned the convent of Saint Maria to the Morrocco of the XV century and the elegant oratory of the slow five hundred of Saint Maria of Pietracupa.