HISTORY
The precise era of the constitution of Santo Pietro Belvedere is not clear, but we can collocate them around the II century d.C.. The first testament of his existence are date back to 1165.
The hamlet was known because there was a castle, with a triplex surrounded building and a tower. His position was tall respect for the surroundings countryside, it was an excellent vantage point. In 1510 all the Pisan territory passed to the control of Florence and to Medici’s family. Except of an epidemic of plague in 1631, we haven’t informations of relevant events happen in Santo Pietro since the Napoleonic conquest (1796). In this period the hamlet passed to the community of Capannoli.
In 1861 Santo Pietro becomes part of the Kingdom of Italy. In 1870 becomes part of Italy’s unification. We have font of fallen citizens of Santo Pietro in both World War. During the World War II the territory of Valdera was scene of bombardments and battles between Germans and Americans. During these bombardments the oratory of “Compagnia del Santissimo Sacramento” was destroyed. Between the surrounding hills we can notice the shelter of citizens where they can be protected during the bombardments: many of these shelters was used successively as basement.
The toponym Belvedere was added to the name of the hamlet during the Fascist regime, 18th October 1929 because the government had decided to call “Santo Pietro” the post office of Mussolinia in Sicily(Catania), and the name of the Tuscan hamlet had to be changed in order to prevent misunderstandings.
