The Mugello valley was settled by a
Ligurian tribe known as the Magelli, hence the name. Then the region was occupied by the
Etruscans who left many archaeological traces and who built the first road network of the Mugello. The subsequent
Ancient Roman conquest and colonization of the Mugello region dates back to the 4th century BCE. It is not only testified by several finds such as tombs, coins, and walls, but also, through toponymy, e.g. names of places ending with the praedial suffix
-ano (Latin
-anus) or
-ana: Cerliano, Figliano, Marcoiano, Galliano, Lucignano, etc. In the
Middle Ages the Mugello was home to numerous
castles. The Mugello region was later acquired by the
Republic of Florence. Several patrician families of the area built
villas here, such as those of the
Medici including
Villa Medicea di Cafaggiolo and
Villa Medicea del Trebbio. In 1999 a
dam was constructed across the
Sieve river, forming the reservoir of
Lake Bilancino in the Mugello valley. == In popular culture ==