Greve was an important part of the network that linked trade between the villages of the valley of the Arno and Florence. The Florentines took a fancy to Greve and saw just how important its link with the surrounding area was. Instead of destroying it like many of the other towns they set up stately homes, farm houses and villas here and established the 'mercatale di Greve' or Greve market to take advantage of its central position. This is still evident today as the weekly Saturday morning Greve market is one of the most popular and visited by thousands of tourists every year. Well worth a few hours haggling and selecting a few local bites to eat.