Valibona Memorial

Valibona is located on the Calvana mountains, a range expanding from the Futa pass north to the Florentine plain, at the border between the province of Florence and the Prato one, marked by the presence of a type of rock called alberese limestone, the basis of the karst phenomenon: right on the pass between the two main peaks, monte Maggiore (916 mamsl) and monte Cantagrilli (819 mamsl), lies Valibona, in a panoramic position overlooking the val di Marina valley.
 
The hamlet of Valibona, whose oldest core dates back to the Middle Ages, like many other similar villages located nearby, was the scene, on the night between the 2nd and 3rd January 1944, of a bloody battle between the Lupi Neri (Black Wolves) partisan brigade under the command of Lanciotto Ballerini and the Nazifascists.

After the war, around the early 60's, with the transition to the industrial economy, the once flourishing farming village ceased to be inhabited.
In 2010 the Municipality of Calenzano renovated the barn building of Valibona turning it into a Memorial of the 1944 battle, currently made up of a large windowed hall featuring information panels, historical photographs and documents. Located on the floor below is the Guesthouse, with a night room equipped with 8 beds, a bathroom, a dining hall with a fireplace and a kitchen stove, serving the purpose of both cooking and heating the rooms through radiators.
The whole building is equipped with electricity thanks to some solar panels and a wind turbine.

The I Birboni Association is charged by the Municipality of Calenzano with the management of the guesthouse and the promotion of the location.