History

The first mention of the town of Tavarnelle dates back to a map of the year 780, with the name Tabernulae , but a much older origin is attested by many findings.
In the square in front of the Church of S.Pietro in Bossolo, previously S.Petrus in Pixide,and built towards the middle of the eleventh century, ruins have been found that are thought to belong to a church built in the fourth century, and tombstone belonging to the tomb of Almemanna, spouse of Flavius Faustinanus, was found dating back to 424.
The Val di Pesa, as well as the neighbouring Val d'Elsa, was already densely populated in the eight and seventh centuries BC, and quite important Etruscan settlements have been discovered in the area.
The town of Tavarnelle then developed with the union of three medieval hamlets: Tavarnelle, Borghetto and Mocale, located on crossroads between Florence and the medieval Francigena road in Val d'Elsa, later known as Strada Romana, from Rome to beyond the Alps.
Although medieval traces of the town are unfotunately lost,Tavarnelle'simportance is also confirmed by the building,in the first half of the thirteenth century, of the Franciscan Convent of the Borghetto.
The village of Sambuca, too, was very important and strategic-at the intersection of the road from Florence to Sienna and the one from Val di Greve towards Val d'Elsa-and the settlements of San Donato in Poggio, one of the principal fortified settlements in the area, and of remarkable importance because it was located on the most direct route from the Strada Romana to the one between Florence and Sienna.
The Church of San Donato was already mentioned in 989, with a castle erected in 1033 on the hilltop between Val di Pesa and Val d'Elsa.
The geographically strategic position determined the building of walled settlements to control roads and possessions on the easy-to-defende hilltops; whereas villages open to tavellers and commerce arose on the level ridges nearcrossing points at rivers and main roads.
Following the reconstruction of the ancient bridge of Romigliano sulla Pesa near Sambuca in 1415, commerce at that time increased notably.

In 1898 Tavarnelle became a municipality, aggregating the parishes of Sambuca and San Donato (which had previously been governed by Barberino Val d'Elsa).
Throughout time all this facilitated the diffusion of traditional farm products and crafts, especially wine and oil of excellence quality, and more recently has favoured the gradual transition from a delightful peasant reality to a handicraft and industrial one, with the creation of high level industrial settlements.
Much attention was given, during thei development, to the harmonization of commercial-development needs and total respect for the environment, the territory and the Chianti area's wine-growing traditions,deeply rooted in the scenery and history of Tavarnelle.
Tavarnelle's location on the border between Florence and Siena, art cities known world-wide,allowed it to promote its territory, dotted with villas, garms, castles, churches and abbeys of great value, towards international tourism of good quality.
Though still faithful to its rural background, thanks to reatauration and revaluation of old farmhouses, and modernization of ancient villas and farms, Tavarnelle Val di Pesa has now accomplished a harmonius development through a clever use of local resources and its patrimony of scenery, architecture, art and culture, adapting perfectly to the evolution of customs and able to satisfay all expectations. 
by www.prolocotavarnelle.it