Inhabitants in 1991: 3.815
Situated
between the Valleys dell’Era, del Cascina and limited to the south
by the river Sterza, the municipal territory extends for 43,43 square
kilometres in an area prevalently of low hills.
It became autonomous community with the Leopoldine reforms. Castle
with a fort and a village, it seems to have had its origin from the
nearby Castelvecchio, where still today exists an oratorio annexed
in 1244 to Terricciola. The Bishop Ranieri di Volterra exercised his jurisdiction
there (this account is not certain) but renounced it in 1284 in favour
of the municipal of Firenze to whom the inhabitants swore their
allegiance. Shortly after however Terricciola and other castles of the
Val d’Era passed under the dominion of Pisa who retained
them until its capitulation in 1406. Towards the middle of the XV century
it received all the privileges of the abandoned parish church of the castle
of Pava (or Pieve a Pitti) destroyed, seemingly by the Fiorentini in 1430.
From then on the parish of Terricciola was called Pievano (parish) di
Pava, Terriciola and Castelvecchio, with a unification which is found
mentioned on the occasion of the visit of the Bishop of Volterra to Val
d’Era in 1576.
Taken from the Fiorentini in 1496 during the rebellion of Pisa, the castle
was reconquered shortly after, and followed the successive affairs of
the dominion of Firenze. Terricciola is the birthplace of Tommaso Gherardi
Del Testa (1818-1881) the playwright.
Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford |