Capraia e Limite
The built-up area of Capraia maintains the structural characteristics of a fortified medieval village with its strategic position on a steep knoll.
The built-up area of Capraia maintains the structural characteristics of a fortified medieval village with its strategic position on a steep knoll, its narrow lanes suitable to drive back the enemy and its castle dominating the whole village.
Capraia has doubtless ancient origins and around 1250 it was theatre of fights between Guelphs and Ghibellines. Limite had its name probably thanks to its boundary position .
The Diocese of Pistoia ended just at Limite and in 1100 the "Pieve di San Lorenzo" was among the thirty-five ancient parish churches of this Diocese. Limite rised as river call for the favourable characteristics at that time of that stretch of the Arno which goes through the village.
At first the primary activities were connected to agriculture, sheep-farming and timber, but afterwards other crafts developed founding little groups of craftsmen, straw workers, construction workers, fishermen and especially of punters, who transported salt, herrings, timber, hides, etc.
As the years went by, Limite became more important than Capraia and so on 23th September 1874 the Town Council of Capraia and Limite was tranferred from the castle of Capraia to Limite.
The medieval castle of Castra has an important strategic position on the Francigena road. The historical informations about the castle are very few.
At present only the tower remains of the ancient centre.
The Church of San Pietro, rebuilt on the seventeenth-century ruins, maintains inside a polychromatic wooden statue of San Pietro, datable between the 15th and 16th centuries.