The mysteries of metal detecting in Montebeni, Florence (WWII and an old shoe shop)

The historically fascinating and stunning Villa Gamberaia Settignano, Florence, Italy

We're lucky enough to be living in Fiesole, next to Settignano, and renting a lovely place with a small uliveto (olive grove) and ample garden space to keep me out of trouble all week, with my huge passion for gardening, metal detecting and chilling under the Tuscan sun.

"Looking into the past is a spiritual journey, because we are also a mystery to ourselves".

Villa Gamberaia featured in the above image, is a gorgeous property in the area, but with a dark past – not through any fault of its own. Located on the fringes of Florence and overlooking the Centro Storico and Arno valley, it was used as a Nazi HQ in WWII, and was later badly damaged by retreating German forces. (The garden architect Charles Adams Platt, 1861 - 1933, coincidentally shares my surname, and nothing else but gardening ambition!)

An abundance of Jasmine with its sweet fragrance, near the park where Daisy dog has access to a water tap

The occupation obviously left some evidence in the landscape, outside of the museum exhibits, literature and media coverage, some of which I have located slightly further up the hill, in Montebeni. My daily dog walk passes the Villa Gamberaia and I am always stunned and enamoured by its incredible position on the hillside, the mature and exquisite gardens, cute lemonary and sheer elegance of design. It's closed to the public unless you pay over the odds for the private opening days, or reserve it on Booking.com.

Sneaked a peek through the security gate at the avenue leading up to it. CCTV will have me, for sure.

The Lemonary [Limonaia] and its immaculate minimalist facade and copper gutters.

The Lemonary skyline pots are apparently quite famous, and the nearby bridge is called "Devil's bridge". There's a decorative grotto with an elaborate fountain sitting opposite this, meticulously lined with sea shells.

In the meantime, here is something I found in the garden at the back of our house last week. (Biro included for size reference only). It was found approximately 1.5 inches down in the soil and gave a strong signal on the detector, as you can imagine. There is no wording stamp on the bullet's base, perhaps to protect the occupying forces?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's an unfired WWII bullet. To think I was going at the area of interest with a massive spade... 🫢

Here's more of what I've found that smacks of battle in the area... Except now I have over 50 musket balls. Some of the artefacts predate WWII and we are talking about the 1600 -1800s, or even possibly earlier than that, as Muskets were used in the "Italian Wars". I even found a gold watch frame! All these interesting finds tell a story of the curious past activities in the area, but sadly belong to the current property owners, and not to me. Some of the evidence includes hunting shots most likely used for deer, wild boar, game or rabbits in the area. Recreation, not war.

Many musket balls in the collection now and two Lira coins from 1958 and 1972, which are pretty worthless, but fun to dig up.

The Italian Wars https://royalhistsoc.org/calendar/the-rascal-with-his-fire-stick-the-artist-the-arquebus-and-the-italian-wars/ "The Italian Wars of the sixteenth century established Spanish power from Sicily to Milan, but also spurred the development of new firearms. Manufactured in international production centres in Italy and southern Germany, these new matchlock, wheel-lock, and flintlock arquebuses and pistols changed the face of battle and promoted changes in battlefield tactics. However, they also spread rapidly among the civilian population. This new access to firearms affected social relations, crime, and popular cultures.

This talk begins by using the example of the goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini of Florence to demonstrate the influence of these early gun cultures. It explains the attractiveness of firearms in sixteenth-century Italy, and highlights their impact in cities, villages, and fields. Drawing on the lived experiences of those who encountered firearms, the talk presents a new lens through which to view these weapons. In doing so, it gives fresh insights into the dynamism of an early modern world that is often presented as being socially static and exposes the bloody reality of the celebrated Italian Renaissance."

A Musket or a "Fire stick" as it was called.

Jump five or so centuries on and here is a member of my family in the 1940s.

My late Granddad (dad's dad), who fought for Great Britain and thankfully survived the horrors of it. He has Italian blood in him, as you may be able to tell, but was born in Bethnal Green, a Londoner – in fact a true Cockney.

It was great to detect a 1929 GIBBS Tooth Soap dish yesterday. The advert was easy to search for on Google, the Italian one that is, as this handy dental product was shipped around Europe. Some Gibbs dishes had space for the owner to put their name on it, so I did wonder if it was military issue?

A local book written about WWII and its dramatic effect on locals and industry in the area.

They say; "metal detecting is the only hobby that pays". Well, let's see.

Here is a photo I took this morning on our dog walk, before a spot of gardening and indulging in my newfound detecting hobby.

The far left tree is an orange tree and grapevine adorning the building. Further up there's capers (pickle-ready), rosemary, bay leaf and fennel, all fresh for the picking.

Here is an old metal button (type to be determined) – maybe if I shine it up, it's silver, though it's more likely to be copper or bronze. I also found a 1950/60s tomato paste tube. It's not all glamorous.

The stark reality is dirty and tiring but rewarding when the alarm on the detector goes mental for precious metal. Of course it's necessary to cover up the big and deep holes dug, with the top soil and grass, to maintain the lawn aesthetic and so as not to get in trouble with the owners! My new friend in a villa locally is allowing me to detect in her garden, which is great news. One month more in mine first and I'll wait until she's on holiday so I can hang out for ages and locate more gold... Mwa ha haarrr.

Don't be fooled, this shiny treasure was merely a 1960 gold foil interior of a tomato paste tube! Pomodori concentrati.

Below is an American pin for a Brigadier, ie a general in the US Army. Some say it may be off a toy car, but it's exact use is unknown. No it's not the Somalian flag as it features a clear circle around the star. As far as I'm aware, the US military emancipated Italy from Nazi occupation and it would make sense to find military paraphernalia from American soldiers here too.

General's badge adornment from a WWII US Brigadier

Feel totally blessed to be living in this area and able to metal detect to my heart's content where permission has been granted.

I think this is the remnants of a shoe horn from the late 1920s shoe shop "Calzoleria Fiorenza", in town. (Possibly nickel covered in silver.) The street name is clear and reads: "Via Borgo San Lorenzo" which is in the Historical Centre of Florence. It's definitely worth a visit to try and locate the shop. And who knows, it may still be there, as good things tend to last here. The Italians nail quality and style like no other.

Florence shoe shop, gift of a shoe horn found deep in the soil at the back of the garden.

This being another hobby of mine, making Marmalade with Scottish Whisky, sempre 'Fatto con amore', of course.

It's sad to think that this small and stunning village called Settignano was subjected to the turbulence of World War II. During the Nazi occupation of Italy, this quiet Tuscan retreat found itself caught in the path of occupying German forces and advancing Allies, with the surrounding countryside bearing silent witness to these deadly clashes. Today, metal detecting in the area occasionally turns up remnants of that era, and thankfully no landmines detected!

My little lot includes: Spent cartridges, rusted military hardware, post-war coins, and personal effects, offering tangible links to a history buried beneath olive groves, private gardens and terraced fields. For me, each find tells a fragment of a larger story, connecting us modern explorers with the lived experience of a wartime past that still lingers in Settignano’s soil and stones.

I cannot wait to unearth more and share it with you. What more is there to discover that helps us never forget what happened in WW2? Hence, a shiny golden Roman coin would be super welcome. 🙂