Foiano's name, according to a legend, derives from the god Janus who, when he went up the Tiber River and settled in the shadow of a hill, called itFlos Janus. Also, a parchment dating back to 842 CE was found in whichLothar I mentions the RomanCampus Fugianus.
In 1383, control of Foiano passed from Arezzo toFlorence and the inhabitants built fortified walls around the town. In 1387 the city became a freecommune and the first communal statute was drafted. After the siege of the Aragonese, Foiano fell back into Florentine control and the new "heart shaped" town walls were built in 1480.
Foiano was the best defense point in the Valdichiana because it used to be surrounded on three sides by marshland. In order to access the town, the inhabitants and visitors would have to arrive by boat where it was marshy, otherwise by land into the town. The marshland existed where the Chiana river now flows. The Castle of Foiano was built on the southern side of the city and changed hands many times according to who ruled the land.Leonardo da Vinci arrived in Foiano in 1502 and began to draw up plans for the draining of the Valdichiana and also the famous map of Valdichiana. In 1525, Foiano was the first commune to give up its marshlands to theMedici for draining. It took three centuries to drain the Val di Chiana, continuing during theLorena rule. Only when, with the fall ofSiena in 1554, all the territory passed under the dominion of the Medici, a coordinated and complete plan of reclamation could be prepared. Figures like Leonardo da Vinci,Antonio da Sangallo the Younger,Baldassarre Peruzzi andVignola were involved in the work.
In 1789,Napoleon’s troops came through Tuscany, but the French Revolution had no influence on Foiano, which enjoyed their pre-existing protection under Florence. In 1862, Foiano took on the name Foiano della Chiana and it was one of the first municipalities to elect a town council by popular majority.
Inside the walled city, there are art and architectural works byAndrea della Robbia and other notable artists of theRenaissance.
Inside the church ofSan Michele Arcangelo, on the second south altar, aMadonna of the Rosary byLorenzo Lippi and on the third north altar, and enameled terracotta of theAscension by della Robbia and son Giovanni around 1495–1500.
The Corso Vittorio Emanuele leads to the Piazza della Collegiata where, inside theCollegiata itself, is theMadonna della Cintoladone in 1502 by Andrea della Robbia, andCoronation of the Virgin by theLuca Signorelli school.
The church ofSanta Maria della Fraternità houses four paintings byGiovanni Camillo Sagrestani and the statue ofMadonna and Child by Andrea della Robbia (around 1460), based on a model by his uncleLuca.
Architectural works of Foiano include the 14th centuryPalazzo Pretorio along one side of Piazza Cavour, and thePalazzo delle Loggeon the other, built between the 16th and 17th centuries. The Palazzo delle Logge was the residence ofFerdinando II de Medici and the Municipal Historic Archive and the Library are now housed inside, with some of the halls used for exhibitions. The Civic Tower has been recently restored, preserving its original proportions and façade. The Garibaldi Theatre which used to be called Monte Pio in 1570 and the Palazzo Neri-Serneri are also found within the old town. Also, the grain loggias bearing the Medici arms are a good example of Foiano’s long history. Close to the town is located the small octagonaltemple of Santo Stefano della Vittoria, built byGiorgio Vasari for Duke Cosimo I and dedicated to Cosimo's victory in thebattle of Scannagallo.
Antonio Circignani (1560–1620) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance. His works includeTrinity in Chiesa della Santissima Trinità, Foiano della Chiana
Mario Lucrezio Reali (born Foiano 1939) is an Italian poet and writer and a prominent expert in natural gas and oil.
Alessandro Fei (born 1978) is an Italian men's volleyball player, a member of Italy men's national volleyball team. Lives in the town
Luca Vanni (born 1985) is an Italian professional tennis player. He competes mainly on the ATP Challenger Tour and ITF Futures, both in singles and doubles. Lives in the town
