The Castello della Magione (also Magione di San Giovanni al Ponte or Spedale di San Giovanni in Gerusalemme alla Magione) is a medieval castle in
Poggibonsi
Poggibonsi is a town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. It is located on the river Elsa and is the main centre of the Valdelsa Valley.
History
The area around Poggibonsi was already settled in the Neolithic age, although the firs ...
(
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 area o ...
, central Italy). It is an example of a medieval "Mansio" (residence) that belonged to the
Knights Templar
, colors = White mantle with a red cross
, colors_label = Attire
, march =
, mascot = Two knights riding a single horse
, equipment ...
. The castle includes the ancient church and the “spedale” (hotel) for the pilgrims in transit to Rome on the
Via Francigena The Via Francigena () is an ancient road and pilgrimage route running from the cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and Switzerland, to Rome and then to Apulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for the Holy Land. It w ...
. The complex is near the ancient crossing of the
Via Francigena The Via Francigena () is an ancient road and pilgrimage route running from the cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and Switzerland, to Rome and then to Apulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for the Holy Land. It w ...
over the Staggia River, near the Bonizio bridge, now destroyed.
History
The castle dates from the 11th century. On 5 September 1140, it was donated by Gottifredo di Arnolfo and Arnolfino di Cristofano, heirs of the founders, to the Monks of the Saint Michael Abbey in Poggio Marturi. The monks entrusted it to the Knights of the Temple, becoming one of the numerous "Mansiones" or "Domus Templi" on the
Via Francigena The Via Francigena () is an ancient road and pilgrimage route running from the cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and Switzerland, to Rome and then to Apulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for the Holy Land. It w ...
.
In 1312, as the Order of the Templars was abolished by
Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V ( la, Clemens Quintus; c. 1264 – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his de ...
, the Magione was given to the
Knights Hospitaller
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...
.
The castle, downgraded to a farm, was bought by several people, among whom were the Princes Corsini. In 1979 it was acquired by Count
Marcello Alberto Cristofani della Magione, who donated it to the
Militia Templi, which was just being founded, as the Magistral See. After the donation, restoration of the entire complex began.
The castle maintains signs of its Romanesque origins, in spite of some changes made during the ensuing centuries.
Overview
Seen from above, the complex assumes a nearly trapezoidal shape, in that it follows, on the west side, the course of the River Staggia. In the courtyard, visitors will see the premises of the convent for the Knights, the small guest-rooms and the flight of steps for access to the upper floor.
The Magistral Church of San Giovanni in Jerusalem is designed in a pure Romanesque style, as it can be seen from the altar. The restoration has shown the Burgundian-Cistercian influence of the vault construction.
See also
*
Militia Templi
*
Tridentine Mass
The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass or Traditional Rite, is the liturgy of Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church that appears in typical editions of the Roman Missal published from 1570 to 1962. Celebrated almo ...
*
Traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholicism is the set of beliefs, practices, customs, traditions, Christian liturgy, liturgical forms, Catholic devotions, devotions, and presentations of Catholic Church, Catholic teaching that existed in the Catholic Church befo ...
References
*A.A.V.V., ''Chiese Medievali della Valdelsa - I Territori della Via Francicena'', Vol 2: ''Tra Siena e San Gimignano'', Empoli : Edizioni dell'Acero, 1999.
*Luciano De Filla, Giorgio Merlini, Italo Moretti, ''La Chiesa di San Giovanni in Jerusalem alla Magione di Poggibonsi'', Siena : Ente provinciale per il turismo, stampa 1986.
*Giuseppe Mantelli, ''La Magione casa templare sulla via Francigena : strade, pellegrini, monachesimo, cavalleria nel Medio Evo'', Poggibonsi : La Magione dei Templari.
*''I Templari, Mito e Storia - Atti del Convegno Internazionale di Studi alla Magione Templare di Poggibonsi - Siena'', Raccolti da Giovanni Minucci e Franca sardi, Sinalunga - Siena: A.G. Viti Riccucci 1987.
External links
Castello della Magione and Militia Templi Website
{{coord, 43, 27, 25.02, N, 11, 09, 30.73, E, source:itwiki_region:IT_type:landmark, display=title
Castles and fortifications of the Knights Templar
Magione
Magione () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 15 km west of Perugia.
Magione borders the following municipalities: Castiglione del Lago, Corciano, Panicale, Passignano sul T ...
Castles and fortifications of the Knights Hospitaller
Buildings and structures in Poggibonsi