The wuidinghi stronghold of the lower Valdisieve: documentation of Vicorati Castle

The morphometric documentation of the castles in the lower Valdisieve, which is part of the heritage digitalization program promoted for years by the Italian Ministry of Culture (Ministero della Cultura – MiC), constitutes a significant portion of the broader interdisciplinary and multi-scalar project called Ghibertiana, aimed at enhancing the cultural heritage of this area. During the 11th and 12th centuries, the Valdisieve fell under the dominion of the powerful comital family of the Guidi Counts; their hegemony over these lands continued until the 14th century, when Florence gradually repossessed the frontier territories. From that moment, the architectural heritage of the Guidi, particularly the castle structures, was in some cases reused for different functions within agricultural estates, while in others it was abandoned. The Castle of Vicorati (Municipality of Londa, in the Province of Florence) is an example of particular interest, determined by a precarious state of conservation that risks obliterating it forever. This contribution presents the current state of research conducted within the CHM_Lab (Department of Architecture of the University of Florence) on the Castrum Vicorata, between 2021 and 2024, starting from a digital survey campaign of the castle’s remains, attempting a first interpretation of the structures present in the settlement.