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Towns of the area

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Manciano

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Inhabitants in 1991: 7.145

Manciano extends for 372,03 square kilometres in a hilly zone situated between the Valleys of Albegna and Fiora. Castle placed under the Lords Aldobrandeschi and Orsini in the Medieval, it was Vicariate Seat in modern times. It has suffered various changes to its borders which included Capalbio until 1843. In 1928 it incorporated the districts of Catabbio and San Martino, detached from the municipality of Sorano; from 1963 Catabbio was assigned to the territory of the new municipality of Semproniano.

The first mention of the Manciano castle is found in a privilege emanated in 1188 by Pope Clemente III in favour of the church of Sovana. In that era it was already subjugated to the Aldobrandeschi dominion and in 1274 with the act of division of the Aldobrandesca county, it was assigned to the branch of the Counts of Sovana. At the beginning of the 1300s it was occupied by Orvieto and, subsequently it was acquired by the dominion of Baschi, Lords of the nearby castle of Montemerano. Between 1331 and 1332 the municipality of Orvieto again managed to exert its sovereignty over Manciano, even though it recognised, with a stipulated pact in 1335, great autonomy to its inhabitants; but in the same period the Orsini Lords claimed it who would have subsequently inserted the castle in the Pitigliano county. Conquered in 1416 by Siena, who carried out fortification, it remained there after tied to the rise of the Siena republic. Also of historic interest are the districts of Marsiliana and Montemerano, already possessions of the Lords of the Baschi family, and above all that of Saturnia, Seat of an important Etruscan and Roman settlement, it belonged until the 1300s to the Aldobrandeschi who contested it with Orvieto for many years, it was subsequently dominated by the Baschi, the Orsini and from 1410 by Siena. In the Giolitti period there developed a strong rural organization in the municipality of Manciano, the so called “Lega miglioramento campagnole” (the league for rural improvement) which brought among other things land occupation of the vast holdings of the Marsiliana (1904). Theatre of intense partisan activity during the resistance, it was the first centre in Toscana to be liberated, on 12 June 1944. Manciano is the birthplace of the artist Pietro Aldi (1852-1888).

Places to visit:
Saturnia, well know worldwide for its spas.

 

Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford


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