| 
Inhabitants in 1991: 7.071
 The
municipal territory of Torrita di Siena extends for 58,36 square kilometres
on the hilly rise of the western slopes of the Val di Chiana and on the
underlying plain. Court, then feudal centre, and Podesta office it
became Community Seat in 1777.
The first historic news goes back to the XI century: in 1051 the
Court of Torrita was among the possessions of the Abbey di Sant’Antimo;
at the beginning of the XIII century it was a castle dependent to the
Scialenga Counts, but in fact organised in municipality under the jurisdiction
of Siena. Contested by Montepulciano for possession of the important
castle, Siena managed to affirm its dominion on Torrita sending a Siena
Podesta in the second half of the 1200s, after having settled the
dispute which had arisen in the meantime between the Del Pecora association
and the powerful Guardavalle family represented by two brothers Tacco
and Ghino. Twice, in 1276 and 1279 Torrita was threatened by rebellions
by Tacco against Siena (followed then by his son Ghino who had become
famous for his banditry) and only in 1285 did Siena, led by Guido of the
Guidi Counts, manage to capture him and bring him to justice. In 1322
Torrita was occupied by Deo Tolomei; but the following year Siena reaffirmed
totally its dominion putting into action numerous works of reconstruction
on the castle, which today can be seen surrounded by walls.
Places to visit:
Ss. Flora e Lucilla, erected between the XIII and XIV centuries;
the single nave interior preserves some works of art. |
Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford |
