Are there school exchanges with Dicomano?

Youth exchange is very important to us. We are working to bring young people closer to Italian culture.

Can I get involved specifically with Dicomano?

Sì, certo! You can be elected to the section board or simply help with projects relating to Italy.

Does everyone there speak Italian?

Our manager for this area should speak Italian, but it’s not a must for travellers. Communication always works out warmly!

What connects us with Dicomano?

Dicomano in Tuscany is one of our three permanent partner towns. We nurture the “amicizia” through regular visits and cultural exchange.

When is the best time to visit Dicomano?

In early October, at the Fiera d’Ottobre, you can enjoy the atmosphere of an Italian village festival; for quieter sightseeing, spring and early autumn are good choices too.

Who organises the trips to Italy?

For this we have a dedicated “Dicomano section board”. These dedicated people take care of everything related to the Italian partnership.

Twin town since 2010

Dicomano: our gateway to Tuscany

Tuscan dolce vita in the Sieve valley, linked with us since 2010.

Explore the travel guide

5,600 inhabitants

25 km from Florence

16 years of friendship

October Fiera d’Ottobre

The youngest member of our European cloverleaf is Dicomano in the Sieve valley, north-east of Florence. Since 2010 we have nurtured this friendship with what is probably Italy’s most famous region – Tuscany.

Groß-Umstadt chose Dicomano deliberately: with around 5,600 inhabitants and farming shaped by vines and olives, the municipality is very similar to our first twin town, Saint-Péray.

River lined with trees and hills near Dicomano

Three women in traditional dress at the speakers’ table in front of the Italian and European flags at a twinning meeting in Dicomano

How the friendship with Dicomano began

Before 2010

Links between the district of Darmstadt-Dieburg and the then province of Florence.

2010

The twinning is officially sealed; Dicomano completes our European cloverleaf.

October 2022

Mayor Stefano Passiatore posthumously awards honorary citizenship of Dicomano to the late Groß-Umstadt mayor Joachim Ruppert.

2026

16 years of twinning.

Between the Mugello and the Valdisieve

Dicomano lies on the left bank of the Sieve, where the Mugello, the Valdisieve and the San Godenzo valley meet. The town has Etruscan roots; an earthquake almost completely destroyed the historic centre in 1919, and from 1946 the architect Leonardo Savioli led the reconstruction.

25 km from Florence · Sieve valley · Etruscan roots (Frascole) · rebuilt from 1946

Aerial view of the lush green valley around Dicomano with scattered houses and fields under a lightly clouded sky.

Pieve di Santa Maria and more

Our tips for Dicomano and the surrounding area – open a card for all the details.

Dicomano town hall

In the centre

The town hall on Piazza della Repubblica was built in 1888 to plans by Pietro Comini, originally as a school. The war memorial and two fountains stand on the square in front; the archaeological museum is on the ground floor.

Pieve di Santa Maria

~5 min walk

Dicomano’s parish church has been recorded since 1136. It was rebuilt after the severe earthquake of 1919 and given its present three-aisled plan.

Oratorio di Sant’Onofrio

~4 min walk

Neoclassical oratory of 1796 designed by Giuseppe Del Rosso, at the start of the old road to Forlì. The sandstone portico rests on four columns with Corinthian capitals. It is dedicated to Sant’Onofrio, the patron saint of Dicomano.

Frascole archaeological site

~2.8 km away

Excavation site above Dicomano: beneath the foundations of the 13th-century church of San Martino lies an Etruscan building that may have belonged to the Velasna family. The most important find is a funerary stele from the 6th century BC. Open from Easter Monday to mid-October on Sundays and public holidays, 10 am–12 pm and 3–6 pm (July/August 4–7 pm).

Dicomano station

~7 min walk

Station on the Pontassieve–Borgo San Lorenzo line (opened 1913). Regional trains run hourly via Pontassieve to Florence Santa Maria Novella. In 2024 the station was modernised with raised platforms, an underpass and lifts.

Sunset over the hills of Dicomano in Tuscany

Chianti Rufina and chestnuts from the Mugello

Dicomano is part of the Chianti Rufina DOCG production area, the smallest Chianti sub-zone, where Sangiovese – at least 70 per cent – gives the wines their character. The protected Marrone del Mugello IGP chestnut completes the culinary offering – the sweet chestnut was historically known here as the “bread tree”.

DOCG Chianti Rufina

Getting there & best time to visit

Florence nearest airport

25 km Florence – Dicomano

early Oct Fiera d’Ottobre

autumn chestnut and grape harvest

Groß-Umstadt ······· Florence ······· Dicomano

Explore Dicomano before you arrive

Sights, food & drink, shopping, accommodation and everything practical – use the filters to find day trips in the surrounding area too.

Amicizia with a focus on young people

Our Dicomano section looks after this twinning – from citizens’ trips to school exchanges, which matter a great deal to us. Our section head should speak Italian, but that is not a must for anyone travelling with us.

Fiera d’Ottobre: early October

Guests wearing official sashes at the Fiera d'Ottobre in Dicomano

Experience twinning in our twin towns

News from the twinning

Frequently asked questions

Be part of this friendship

If Tuscany off the beaten track appeals to you, Chianti Rufina makes you curious or you would simply like to experience the Fiera d’Ottobre: get in touch with our Dicomano section or become a member right away.

Become a member