Casole d'Elsa
Casole d'Elsa �kaːzoleis a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southwest of Florence and about west of Siena.
Main sights
The church of ''San Niccolò'', of Romanesque origin ...
,
Chiusdino
Chiusdino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about south of Florence and about southwest of Siena.
Chiusdino borders the following municipalities: Casole d'Elsa, Monticiano, Montieri, ...
,
Monteriggioni
Monteriggioni is a ''comune'' in the province of Siena in the Italian region of Tuscany. It borders on the communes of Casole d'Elsa, Castellina in Chianti, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Colle di Val d'Elsa, Poggibonsi, Siena, and Sovicille. The town is ...
The name Sovicille is documented as far back as 1004, but the origins of the place probably go back much further. (In 2002 a mosaic from the Roman period was uncovered in the Church of St John the Baptist, and there are several Etruscan relics in the immediate area.)
During the Middle Ages the region found itself on the borders between Siena and Volterra. The Abbey of Serena, some 30 kilometers to the west, was under the control of Volterra, and the land around Sovicille was included as property of the abbey around the year 1000.
A written record of the place survives from 23 April 1123, in which the ( by origin Senese)
Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181.
A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...
identifies it as Sufficille. The name is thought to derive from the Latin words "sub" (under) and "ficinulae/ficus" (small fig tree").
The municipal statutes date right back to the 13th century. The democratically administered Republic of Siena allowed several municipalities, including Sovicille, their own municipal statutes in 1238 (modified in 1293 and then reconfigured, to the format that survives today, in 1303),Marco Bucciarelli: ''Siena und sein Land: Dorf für Dorf vom Chianti bis zum Meer''. Sovicille: ZyPresse, 2000, p. 648. which included the right to make their own laws.
In 1260 Sovicille was occupied by Florence, but in that year the Florentine armies were defeated at the Battle of Montaperti, whereupon Sovicille reverted to Siena.
In 1333 Sovicille was overrun and burned down by
Pisa
Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...
.
The Medici family purchased the lands of Siena from
the Emperor
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...
for two million ducats in 1557: this was followed by the abolition of democratic institutions and a return to feudalism. Sovicille became a fief of the Medici and was transformed into an imposing fortress, defending an access point to their newly expanded territories.
After the death of the last of the Medici rulers, power transferred to the Dukes of Lorraine, who remained in control till the end of the 18th century when the entire region was invaded by the French armies of
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
.
The French remained in charge till 1814 when, under the terms agreed at Vienna, Sovicille was annexed to 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 ...
. In 1859 it came under the control of the short-lived United Provinces of Central Italy, which was effectively a transitional entity leading to incorporation in 1861 within the new Kingdom of Italy.
''Frazioni''
The municipality is formed by the municipal seat of Sovicille and the towns and villages ('' frazioni'') of Ancaiano, Brenna, Rosia,
San Rocco a Pilli
San Rocco a Pilli is a town in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Sovicille, province of Siena. At the time of the 2001 census its population was 2,288.Tegoia
Tegoia is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Sovicille, province of Siena. At the time of the 2001 census its population was 53.Torri and
Volte Basse
Volte Basse is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Sovicille, province of Siena. At the time of the 2001 census its population was 437. Other notable villages include Ampugnano, Arnano, Barontoli, Brucciano, Caggio di Mezzo, Caldana,
Carpineto
Carpineto is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Haute-Corse department
The following is a list of the 236 Communes of France, communes of the Haute-Corse Depar ...