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Inhabitants in 1991: 7.195
 The
municipality of Castiglione della Pescaia extends for 208,96 square kilometres
in the coastal hills to the north of the Grosseto plain. Podesta Office
in the Medieval, Vicariate Seat in modern times , it was constituted
in its present day borders in 1832, detaching itself from the municipality
of Grosseto and aggregating to its territory the districts of Tirli and
Vetulonia, already belonging to the community of Gavorrano.
With the town name of Lacus Prilius the marshy zone at the shoulder
of Castiglione della Pescaia was indicated since ancient times, sometimes
identified with the Etruscan Hasta and Roman Portus Traianus. The “pescais”
from which it derives its name was already active in Roman times and
was conceded in 814 by Emperor Ludovico il Pio to the Abbey
of Sant’Antimo Castiglione remained for a long time under the
jurisdiction of the Abbey, but in a privilege of 1163 emanated
by the Imperial Arch Chancellor Rainaldo di Dassel, it is understood that
the castle, caused by the decadent state of the Abbey, was occupied
in the meantime by the guild of the Lambardi di Buriano. From the
end of the XII century the political dominion of Pisa was
progressively confirmed over Castiglione, who governed it by assigning
the Podesta Office to members of eminent families like the della Gherardesca,
the Gualandi, and the Lanfranchi.
 The dominion
by Pisa ceased in 1404, two years before the end of the autonomous
republic of Pisa, with the commitment of the Castiglione inhabitants
to Firenze. Conquered by Alfonso d’Aragona in 1447, the castle
was occupied by the militia of the King of Napoli until 1460. In
the same year through the mediation of Pope Pio II it was sold for
50,000 florins to Antonio Piccolomini d’Aragona (nephew of the Pope)
who in his turn in 1464 conceded it to his brother Andrea. Conquered
by the Franco-Turkish militia and subsequently by the Spanish during
the war with Siena, it was sold in 1559 to Eleonora di Toledo, wife
of Cosimo I dei Medici and on her death was incorporated in the Grand
Duchy. In the period of the Lorenese dominion over Toscana, the Grand
Dukes Pietro Leopoldo and Leopoldo II undertook numerous land reclaim
works and redevelopment with the construction of aqueducts and sluice
gates. In the surrounds of Castiglione, Vetulonia is of notable
historic interest with the castle of Buriano. During the resistance a
partisan formation called the “gruppo Tirli” operated in the
area.
Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione
Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Picture by Sandro Santioli
Translated by Ann Mountford
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Gallery: Grosseto area
