Occasions and meeting places

Rivalto, despite being a very little village where, during the day, it is difficult not to meet most of the inhabitants, has always had its meeting places, those ones elected by the people as places to discuss about the daily life, give initiating to some projects and collective initiatives and spending some carefree time together.

Following the Second World War, the national phenomenon of associations had a strong recall also in Rivalto where some buildings were used as recreational clubs.

The first one was the ARCI circle (Italian Cultural and Recreational Association), originally  ENAL (National Entity Assistance Workers), housed at the beautiful palace, now restored, overlooking Piazza Beato Giordano, seriously hit by the bombing of World War II. Today the palace has on the façade a plaque in memory of the founding members of the "Casa del Popolo" (House of Folks).

Here evenings were spending among comparisons, debates, drinking and jokes. Some rivaltini still remember when, in the evening, they pulled a wire from the window of the club to grab the handle of the in front house and knocked on the door of Renzo that, coming out under the night light and finding no one at the door, wondered who had knocked. A precursor joke to the sound of doorbells, widespread among youth of later generations.

Later, it was inaugurated in Rivalto also the ACLI club (Christian Association of Italian Workers), initially housed in a room in the Cortesi house, in Piazza Beato Giordano. The premises were financed by members' subscriptions, some contributions of the parish, the bishop and the provincial DC (Christian Democracy, an italian political party), by allowing to adopt the first "signs" of technological progress: the refrigerator, the coffee machine and, around the years '54 -'56, the first TV in the country. Many rivaltini entertained themselves here until late to watch programs or musical works in TV until their worried women went there to bring them home. The ACLI moved, later, near the football field (also called "The Campino"), in a new building with a bar and a recreation room with pool table and tables for playing cards.
The same building was used for various initiatives of the "Associazione Amici di Rivalto" (Association of Friends of Rivalto) and during the soccer tournaments that were held at Campino, acting as a bar for the distribution of fresh Spuma (a very common soft drink in Tuscany, made with caramel, lemon juice, orange peel, rhubarb, vanilla and spices) and peanuts.

The "Associazione Amici di Rivalto" (Association Friends of Rivalto) was founded in 1974 by a group of friends to valorize Rivalto. Over the years it has promoted countless initiatives starting from the Chestnut Festival that now accompanies the October of Rivalto since over forty years, to the Peasant Festival, to the sports events such as the football tournaments for children under 15 and the Footrace of the Lama. As part of the cultural initiatives, from 1978 to 1985 it gave rise to the Competition of Contemporary Painting of Rivalto, from 1998 to 2000 to the show Music under the stars with light music, song and dance, to the Poetry Prize and to a series of visits and sightseeing trips out of town.
Among the main promoters and members of the association, always supported by the inhabitants of the village, we remember Roberto Magni and Paolo Maggini that, while not rivaltino of origin, he was very close to Rivalto. 
In 1991 it was built a large prefabricated structure behind the Campino footbal field where, today, are hosted events of the association

Another meeting point of the past was certainly represented by small wine bar and liquor housed in the workshop of Otello Benedetti in Piazza della Compagnia, where the men "andavano a fare il fiasco" (went to do the flask of wine) and, since 1969, the bar and restaurant of Mirella and Gigi, particularly appreciated for the "tortino" (Tuscan focaccia) and tasty cuisine. The terrace of bar, offers a beautiful view of the hills of the Valdera and was very crowdy in the past when there was more movement in Rivalto: people played with cards and with the table football for spending time in chatting.

People did not disdained even to play to wooden boules, so much so that in Rivalto there were three "pallai" (bowling court) where the healthy competition was accompanied by jokes and laughters.

In addition to meeting places "for excellence" such as bars and clubs, Rivalto offers countless places and opportunities to be reunited in pleasant company.

Piazza Antonio Gramsci (Piazza della Compagnia), very characteristic and intimate, hosts the Oratory of the Compagnia and the Holy Cross and it is surrounded by historical buildings, such as the ones of Falugi, of Giovannelli and the the historical headquarters of the rectory house "La Canonica", sober building of the XVII century. Especially on summer evenings people go there to meet each other and chatting on the benches, also during parties and festivals, it becomes one of the main squares in which events are hosted.
In the past, right under the arch of the Palace of Falugi, were held some plays and satires for entertainment, arranged and performed by villagers. The children of that time still remember to have appreciated or taken part in "Il Fornaretto di Venezia", inspired by a Venice tale about a young baker charged for a murder.

Piazza Beato Giordano, a crucial point and of passage of the old borough, where there are the shops and the parish Church of Saints Fabiano and Sebastiano, which has always created opportunities to meet. Spending time in the shops, for the friendliness of the shopkeepers, it becomes a pleasant exchange opportunity, as well as at the end of the religious celebrations it is not uncommon to entertain some greetings and chats in the square. In the past, as described above, there were housed the headquarters of the social clubs ARCI and ACLI. The square then, especially in the past, has been the "voice" of the news by offering the opportunity to comment the events: outside the shops there are still the newspapers sheets ("La Nazione" and "Il Tirreno" are the main newspapers in Tuscany), on the walls of the church, the funeral publications.

The War Memorial for the Country with its neighboring stone walls, as well as being a destination for short and pleasant walks with beautiful views on the hills below, provides a comfortable seat in the shade of the trees. In the past, when the area was still dirt, unpaved and earthy, the iron chains surrounding the monument were mobbed by children who swung on them almost to break their head. When they came back home "dirty as coal" they were soaked in the laundry tubs by their mothers.

In cellars and oil mills, distributed throughout the hamlet, people met together not only for shattering, squeezing or racking in barrels, carboys and vats, but also to spend some time together with a glass of wine or a slice of freshly preserved ham or a bruschetta all'olio (a slice of crusty bread with fresh oil on top).

In the past, meeting moments for excellence were the vigils, they saw together, around the warm fireplace or under the starry summer sky, entire families and sometimes even more families. The vigil was a way to share aspects of the daily life, the crop forecasts, tell stories and socialize after a hard work day in the fields. Through the stories of older people during the vigils have been handed down countless stories and anecdotes to younger generations that today we have the pleasure to remember.