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Inhabitants in 1991: 938
 The
municipal territory of San Giovanni d’Asso extends for 66,36 square
kilometres between the plain and the hills of the Val d’Asso. Feudal
territory, Community Seat from 1777, it reached its present day aspect
in 1877 with the aggregation of the district of Montisi detached from
the municipality of Trequanda.
The San Giovanni d’Asso castle (which takes its name from its parish
church of Longobarda origins) was feudal in the middle of the XII century
to Count Paltonieri di Forteguerra who in 1151 pawned it to the Siena
municipality. Its history is a dense succession of dominations by diverse
Lordly families: from Viscount Ugolino Scolari, who in 1178 submitted
it to the Siena sovereignty, to the Ardengheschi di Civitella. In 1256
the Buonsignore acquired the castle’s jurisdiction which then passed
to the Salimbeni (from the start of the XIV century) and to the Petroni:
in fact from the second half of the 1200s the landed property of the
citizens was dominant in the whole of its territory. Only in the middle
of the 1400s did Siena place San Giovanni, who had been in the
orbit of their political dominion for centuries, under its own direct
administration. In the municipal territory the district of Montisi
had a notable history as fortified centre first feudal to the Scialenghi
Cacciaconti (XII century) then, at least from the second half of the XIII
century, as a Castrense (walled centre) Municipal, from 1295 property
of the Spedale della Scala who organised it as a Grange.
Places to visit:
The Castle, constructed in 1200 and dominates the ancient little
village. There are several works of art conserved there among which
a 1400 fireplace and laundry. |
Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford |
