Santa Fiora
Encyclopedia
Santa Fiora is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Grosseto
, in the Italian
region of Tuscany
, located about 110 km southeast of Florence
and about 40 km east of Grosseto
. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,821 and an area of 62.9 km².
Santa Fiora borders the following municipalities: Abbadia San Salvatore
, Arcidosso
, Castel del Piano
, Castell'Azzara
, Piancastagnaio
, Roccalbegna
, Semproniano
.
. By the eleventh century the lords of Santa Fiore were the Aldobrandeschi who, in 1082, started the construction of a castle here (Castello S. Flore) and walled the borgo. The power of the abbey passed by degrees to the Aldobrandeschi conti di San Fire, and in turn to the hegemony in Lower Tuscany of the commune of Siena
, which was in control of Santa Fiore by the mid fourteenth century, a future already foreseen by Dante
: "e vedrai Santafior com' è oscura", "and you shall see how obscure is Santa Fiore" (Purgatorio
, canto VI, 111). In 1493, with the marriage of Cecilia Aldobrandeschi and Bosio Sforza, the castello and its town passed to the Sforza.
The Sforza of Santa Fiora reached their highest point of power with count Guido Sforza di Santa Fiora, who managed to establish himself as a relative of Pope Paul III
Farnese, thereby gaining prestigious political positions for his relatives. Later the family was represented by the Cesarini Sforza, they however decayed from the 17th century onwards, until the territory of Santa Fiora was annaexed to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany
by Leopold II
.
The comune was of importance for its mineral wealth in Monte Amiata
of cinnabar
, from which mercury
is derived.
Padre Ernesto Balducci,
Mario Pratesi
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) in the Province of Grosseto
Province of Grosseto
The Province of Grosseto is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Grosseto.-Geography:It has an area of 4,504 km², and a total population of 227.498...
, in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region of Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, located about 110 km southeast of Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
and about 40 km east of Grosseto
Grosseto
Grosseto is a city and comune in the central Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of the Province of Grosseto. The city lies 14 km from the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the Maremma, at the centre of an alluvial plain, on the Ombrone river....
. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,821 and an area of 62.9 km².
Abbadia San Salvatore
Abbadia San Salvatore is a comune in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 110 km southeast of Florence and about 60 km southeast of Siena, in the area of Monte Amiata....
, Arcidosso
Arcidosso
Arcidosso is a comune in the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 100 km south of Florence and about 35 km northeast of Grosseto and near the town of Montalcino.- History :...
, Castel del Piano
Castel del Piano
Castel del Piano is a town and comune of Grosseto province in the Italian region of Tuscany.-History:The area of Castel del Piano is known to have been inhabited in prehistoric times, but the town itself is mentioned for the first time in a document from 890 AD. From 1175 to 1321 it was a...
, Castell'Azzara
Castell'Azzara
Castell'Azzara is a comune in the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 120 km southeast of Florence and about 50 km east of Grosseto....
, Piancastagnaio
Piancastagnaio
Piancastagnaio is a comune in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 110 km southeast of Florence and about 60 km southeast of Siena.It is located on the Monte Amiata slopes....
, Roccalbegna
Roccalbegna
Roccalbegna is a comune in the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 110 km south of Florence and about 35 km east of Grosseto.left|thumb|The Castle of Triana.-History:...
, Semproniano
Semproniano
Semproniano is a comune in the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 120 km south of Florence and about 35 km east of Grosseto...
.
History
Santa Fiora is mentioned for the first time in 890 AD, in a document listing properties of the Abbey of San SalvatoreAbbey of the Saviour
The Abbey of the Saviour is an abbey in the town of Abbadia San Salvatore, Tuscany, Italy, which is named after the Abbey.The traditional account of its origin indicates that the Lombard king Ratchis founded the abbey in AD 743, entrusting it to the Benedictines...
. By the eleventh century the lords of Santa Fiore were the Aldobrandeschi who, in 1082, started the construction of a castle here (Castello S. Flore) and walled the borgo. The power of the abbey passed by degrees to the Aldobrandeschi conti di San Fire, and in turn to the hegemony in Lower Tuscany of the commune of Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
, which was in control of Santa Fiore by the mid fourteenth century, a future already foreseen by Dante
DANTE
Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
: "e vedrai Santafior com' è oscura", "and you shall see how obscure is Santa Fiore" (Purgatorio
Purgatorio
Purgatorio is the second part of Dante's Divine Comedy, following the Inferno, and preceding the Paradiso. The poem was written in the early 14th century. It is an allegory telling of the climb of Dante up the Mount of Purgatory, guided by the Roman poet Virgil...
, canto VI, 111). In 1493, with the marriage of Cecilia Aldobrandeschi and Bosio Sforza, the castello and its town passed to the Sforza.
The Sforza of Santa Fiora reached their highest point of power with count Guido Sforza di Santa Fiora, who managed to establish himself as a relative of Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III , born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack of Rome in 1527 and rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation...
Farnese, thereby gaining prestigious political positions for his relatives. Later the family was represented by the Cesarini Sforza, they however decayed from the 17th century onwards, until the territory of Santa Fiora was annaexed to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany
Grand Duchy of Tuscany
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...
by Leopold II
Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
Leopold II , born Peter Leopold Joseph Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard, was Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary and Bohemia from 1790 to 1792, Archduke of Austria and Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790. He was a son of Emperor Francis I and his wife, Empress Maria Theresa...
.
The comune was of importance for its mineral wealth in Monte Amiata
Monte Amiata
Mount Amiata is the largest of the lava domes in the Amiata lava dome complex located about 20 km NW of Lake Bolsena in the southern Tuscany region of Italy.-Geology:...
of cinnabar
Cinnabar
Cinnabar or cinnabarite , is the common ore of mercury.-Word origin:The name comes from κινναβαρι , a Greek word most likely applied by Theophrastus to several distinct substances...
, from which mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
is derived.
Main sights
- The imposing Palazzo Sforza Cesarini, built in 1575 over the Aldobrandeschi Castle (of which two medieval towers can be still seen).
- Church of St. Joseph
- Church of Misericordy
- Church of St. Augustine
- Church of St. Claire
- Church of Sts. Flore and Lucille
- Convent of Santissima trinità alla Selva, outside the town
- Museum of mercuryMercury (element)Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
mines of Monte AmiataMonte AmiataMount Amiata is the largest of the lava domes in the Amiata lava dome complex located about 20 km NW of Lake Bolsena in the southern Tuscany region of Italy.-Geology:...
Notable residents
- Candido AmantiniCandido AmantiniCandido Amantini was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and a full-time exorcist. He also taught Sacred Scripture and moral theology. He produced a book entitled Il Mistero di Maria, about the Virgin Mary....
, Catholic priest and exorcist
Padre Ernesto Balducci,
Mario Pratesi