Inhabitants in 1991: 2.568
The
municipal territory of Casole extends for 148,63 square kilometres on
the hills of the high Val d’Elsa. The community had its origins
as a Medieval Episcopal feudal from the IX century; a free municipality
it was raised to autonomous community in 1777.
It must have been inhabited in remote times because Etruscan burial
grounds have been discovered there, but the first historic mention
of Casole was in the year 896, when Adalberto Marquis di Toscana,
conceded it in feudal to the Bishop of Volterra, whose jurisdiction
on the castle was confirmed in 1186 by Enrico VI. But already from the
first decade of the XIII century Casole was organised in free municipality
with its own consuls (later with a Podesta) and its own council, while
contemporarily Siena’s interference grew and they sent in a garrison
of troops. Occupied for a brief period by the Fiorentini in 1259, with
the treaty of Castelfiorentino which followed the battle of Montaperti
in 1260, Casole passed officially under the Siena dominion. After
a series of rebellions against the Siena government, the first when it
was passed to Arrigo VII in 1313, the last in 1352 at the fall of the
regime of the “Nove”, the council of Siena decided, in 1359,
to fortify the castle. Conquered by the Fiorentino army in 1479,
Casole became the possession of Siena with whom it remained until 1554
when besieged by the Imperial army, it surrendered and became part
of the Mediceo Duchy.
Places to visit:
The Fortress, with a 1300s Keep successively remodelled ; it
is now the Seat of the Town Council.
Museum of Sacred Art, which also includes an archaeological
section.
Collegiate, built in XII century and has been restored more
than once over the centuries. Its interior holds among other works
of art a masterpiece by Marco Ronamo (1300). |
Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford |