Civitella Paganico is a ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' (municipality) in the

Province of Grosseto The province of Grosseto ( it, links=no, provincia di Grosseto) is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Grosseto. As of 2013 the province had a total population of 225,098 people. Geography The Province of Gro ...

in the Italian region

Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

. It features agricultural land, the main economy of the region, interspersed with dense forest. It is home to a variety of plant and animal species. Civitella Paganico is home to the Petriolo hot springs, which have been enjoyed by travelers for thousands of years. Civilization in Civitella Paganico likely dates back to the

Palaeolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός '' palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...

age. It is home to Etruscan and

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

remains. During the Middle Ages, the land was controlled by the Ardengheschi family, the

Republic of Siena The Republic of Siena ( it, Repubblica di Siena, la, Respublica Senensis) was a historic state consisting of the city of Siena and its surrounding territory in Tuscany, central Italy. It existed for over 400 years, from 1125 to 1555. During its e ...

, and the

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany ( it, Granducato di Toscana; la, Magnus Ducatus Etruriae) was an Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In th ...

. , it is home to 3291 people, of which 15% are foreigners. Civitella Paganico contains a number of small villages, the largest of which is Paganico. The municipal seat is located in Civitella Marittima. Civitella Paganico is also home to an Etruscan tomb that was found undisturbed in 2007. The remains of 30 people were found in the small enclosure.

History

Evidence of civilization in Civitella Paganico dates back to the

age. The village of Pari retains evidence of Etruscan and

habitation. During the 12th century, Civitella Paganico was owned by the Ardengheschi family. Beginning in 1254, the family began to reduce their holdings as the land came under the control of the

, selling the last of it to Sienese families in 1371. Following the fall of the Republic in 1555, much of the land was annexed by the

Petriolo hot springs

The Petriolo hot springs were known in ancient times and were possibly frequented by the Etruscans and Romans. Written mention of it dates back to 1130. As the site gained famed for alleged curative properties during the Middle Ages, numerous famous people came to visit.

Pope Pius II Pope Pius II ( la, Pius PP. II, it, Pio II), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini ( la, Aeneas Silvius Bartholomeus, links=no; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 Augu ...

frequented the site, seeking a cure for his

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of a red, tender, hot and swollen joint, caused by deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals. Pain typically comes on rapidly, reaching maximal intens ...

. A number of Papal Bulls were issued from the Civitella Paganico as a result. The Republic of Siena built cabins on the site and instituted a tax on bathers. Originally, there were four baths on the site, one of which remains today. A resort hotel is currently under construction.

Archaeology

In 2007, an archaeology student named Andrea Marcocci unearthed an undisturbed Etruscan tomb in Civitella Paganico, near the castle of Casenovole. The site, nicknamed the "Tomb of the Badger" because of a

badger Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by ...

den at the tomb's entrance, dates to between third and second century BC, a time when the Etruscan civilization was in the process of being conquered by the Romans. Marcocci first found the opening in 1991, but kept it a secret for 16 years, thinking it would be robbed. When logging nearby threatened to uncover the site, Marcocci, who grew up in the area, decided it was time to investigate the site. He teamed up with other students and amateur archeologists to excavate the site. The excavation team found a narrow corridor that led to a long, wide burial chamber filled with dirt. When the dirt was excavated, Marcocci and his colleagues found 80 artifacts, including vases (urns), mirrors of ceramic and bronze, coins, and rings. Of the urns, 25 were terracotta, 3 stone, and 2 bronze. The ashes of 30 people were discovered, an unusually high number for a single Etruscan tomb. Marcocci hypothesized the urns belonged to a single family, with the smaller urns belonging to their servants.

Geography

Civitella Paganico is located in the

. It is bordered on the north and east by the

Province of Siena The province of Siena ( it, provincia di Siena, link=no, ) is a province in Tuscany, Italy. Its capital is the city of Siena. Geography The province is divided into seven historical areas: * Alta Val d'Elsa * Chianti senese * The urban are ...

, on the south by the comunes of

Campagnatico Campagnatico is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about south of Florence and about northeast of Grosseto in the valley of the Ombrone River. History The town was founded as a fief o ...

and Cinigiano, and on the west by Roccastrada comune. The territory is within the valley of the

Ombrone The Ombrone (Latin: ''Umbro'') is a long river in Tuscany, central Italy. The Ombrone's source is at San Gusmè, near Castelnuovo Berardenga, on the south-eastern side of the Monti del Chianti. After a twisting route, it receives the waters of ...

river. The municipal seat is located in the ''

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a '' comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate terri ...

'' of Civitella Marittima. Civitella Paganico covers . The hilly landscape is marked by areas of dense forest interspersed with cultivated farm land. The forests host a wide variety of plant life including

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arc ...

, oak, and

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the l ...

trees. Animal life includes

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The g ...

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasia ...

, and

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species i ...

. Elevation in the comune ranges from

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance ( height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as '' orthometric heights''. Th ...

. On the northern edge of Civitella Paganico lie the Petriolo hot springs.

Subdivision

, Civitella Paganico is home to 3291 people. It contains a number of ''

frazioni A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

'' (towns and villages). Casale di Pari is the highest point of the comune. Casenovole was once an important court of the Counts of Ardengheschi. Civitella Marittima, a hilltop town of 350, dates to the Etruscan period.

Dogana Dogana is a town and a civil parish (''curazia''), whose name means "Customs House"; it is located in the north-eastern corner of San Marino in the Serravalle municipality ("castello"). The town is the most populated settlement in the republic. ...

is a small village in the countryside. Monte Antico is home to a famous castle. Paganico, the most populous town of the comune, was built by the Republic of Siena. It is home to the church of '' San Michele Arcangelo'', which houses several frescoes painted by Biagio di Goro Ghezzi, and the only intermediate school of the comune. Pari is located near the Petriolo hot springs and was the favorite home of 19th-century writer Federigo Tozzi.

Economy

The economy of Civitella Paganico is largely dependent on agriculture.

Government

List of mayors

Culture

The population is 12.7% children under 15, 26.6% people aged 65 or older, and 60.7% people aged 15–64. 50.1% of the population is married. 15.3% of residents are foreigners, with natives of Romania making up the largest portion, followed by Morocco, and Macedonia. The patron saints of Civitella Paganico are

Saint Fabian Pope Fabian ( la, Fabianus) was the bishop of Rome from 10 January 236 until his death on 20 January 250, succeeding Anterus. A dove is said to have descended on his head to mark him as the Holy Spirit's unexpected choice to become the next pop ...

and

Saint Sebastian Saint Sebastian (in Latin: ''Sebastianus''; Narbo, Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Empire c. AD 255 – Rome, Italia, Roman Empire c. AD 288) was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocle ...

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control