Civitella Paganico
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Civitella Paganico is a ''
comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' (municipality) in the
Province of Grosseto The province of Grosseto () is a Provinces of Italy, 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 Grosseto completely ...
in the
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
region
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
. 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 ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...
age. It is home to
Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *Etruscan civilization (1st millennium BC) and related things: **Etruscan language ** Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities **Etruscan coins **Etruscan history **Etruscan myt ...
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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
remains. During the Middle Ages, the land was controlled by the Ardengheschi family, the
Republic of Siena The Republic of Siena (, ) 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 existence, it gradually expanded throughout south ...
, and the
Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (; ) was an Italian monarchy located in Central Italy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population ...
. , 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 Paganico is a village in the province of Grosseto, in southern Tuscany, central Italy. It is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Civitella Paganico. It is situated in the valley of the Ombrone river, at 66 meters above sea level. In 2011 it had a p ...
. The municipal seat is located in
Civitella Marittima Civitella Marittima is a village in southern Tuscany, in central Italy, administratively part of the municipality of Civitella Paganico, of which it houses the seat. It is located in the valley of the Ombrone river, at 329 metres above sea level. ...
. 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
Palaeolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...
age. The village of Pari retains evidence of
Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *Etruscan civilization (1st millennium BC) and related things: **Etruscan language ** Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities **Etruscan coins **Etruscan history **Etruscan myt ...
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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
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
Republic of Siena The Republic of Siena (, ) 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 existence, it gradually expanded throughout south ...
, 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
Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (; ) was an Italian monarchy located in Central Italy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population ...
.


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 (, ), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini (; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August 1458 to his death in 1464. Aeneas Silvius was an author, diplomat, ...
frequented the site, seeking a cure for his
gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of pain in a red, tender, hot, and Joint effusion, swollen joint, caused by the deposition of needle-like crystals of uric acid known as monosodium urate crysta ...
. A number of
Papal Bull A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal ...
s 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 medium-sized short-legged omnivores in the superfamily Musteloidea. Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by their squat bodies and adaptions for fossorial activity rather than by the ...
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
Province of Grosseto The province of Grosseto () is a Provinces of Italy, 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 Grosseto completely ...
. It is bordered on the north and east by the
Province of Siena The province of Siena (, ) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Siena. It has 259,826 inhabitants. Geography The province is divided into seven historical areas: * Alta Val d'Elsa * Chian ...
, 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 of ...
and
Cinigiano Cinigiano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about south of Florence and about northeast of Grosseto. Cinigiano borders the following municipalities: Arcidosso, Campagnatico, Cast ...
, and on the west by
Roccastrada Roccastrada is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about south of Florence and about north of Grosseto, between the Maremma plain and the Colline Metallifere. ''Frazioni'' The munici ...
comune. The territory is within the valley of the
Ombrone The Ombrone (Latin: ''Umbro'') is a river situated in the provinces of Grosseto and Siena, 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 twistin ...
river. The municipal seat is located in the ''
frazione A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') 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 consolidat ...
'' of
Civitella Marittima Civitella Marittima is a village in southern Tuscany, in central Italy, administratively part of the municipality of Civitella Paganico, of which it houses the seat. It is located in the valley of the Ombrone river, at 329 metres above sea level. ...
. 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 as far south ...
,
oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...
, and
cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. The word ''cypress'' ...
trees. Animal life includes
deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...
,
hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores and live Solitary animal, solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are precociality, able to fend for themselves ...
,
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's native range is restricted to Eura ...
, 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 Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...
. Elevation in the comune ranges from
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
. 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'' (: ''frazioni'') 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 consolidat ...
'' (towns and villages).
Casale di Pari Casale di Pari is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Civitella Paganico, province of Grosseto, in the area of the Ombrone Valley. At the time of the 2001 census its population amounted to 176.
is the highest point of the comune. Casenovole was once an important court of the Counts of Ardengheschi.
Civitella Marittima Civitella Marittima is a village in southern Tuscany, in central Italy, administratively part of the municipality of Civitella Paganico, of which it houses the seat. It is located in the valley of the Ombrone river, at 329 metres above sea level. ...
, a hilltop town of 350, dates to the
Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *Etruscan civilization (1st millennium BC) and related things: **Etruscan language ** Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities **Etruscan coins **Etruscan history **Etruscan myt ...
period.
Dogana Dogana (; Romagnol: ''Dughena'') is a '' curazia'' of San Marino. It belongs to the municipality of Serravalle. The town is the most populated settlement in San Marino, with a population of around 7,000. Geography The town is situated at t ...
is a small village in the countryside.
Monte Antico Monte Antico is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Civitella Paganico, province of Grosseto, in the area of the Ombrone Valley. At the time of the 2001 census its population amounted to 33.
is home to a famous castle.
Paganico Paganico is a village in the province of Grosseto, in southern Tuscany, central Italy. It is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Civitella Paganico. It is situated in the valley of the Ombrone river, at 66 meters above sea level. In 2011 it had a p ...
, 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 Federigo Tozzi (born 1 January 1883 in Siena; died 21 March 1920 in Rome) was an Italian writer. Biography He was the son of an innkeeper. Tozzi failed to complete his secondary education, and read his way into Italian literature in Siena public ...
.


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 () 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 pope. He was suc ...
and
Saint Sebastian Sebastian (; ) was an early Christianity, Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians. He was initially tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows, though this d ...
.


Transports

*
Civitella Paganico railway station Civitella Paganico railway station is an Italian railway station on the Siena–Grosseto railway line, located in Paganico, in the municipality of Civitella Paganico, Province of Grosseto, Tuscany. History The station opened in 1872 following th ...


References


External links


Official website
{{Authority control