Colle di Compito (also ''Colle di Cómpito'') is a

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 territ ...

of Capannori in the province of Lucca region of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Geography

Colle di Compito lies approximately 7 km south of the town of Capannori, 10 km south-east of the provincial capital Lucca and 55 km west of the regional capital

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

. The hamlet lies on a foothill north of the Monte Pisanino not far from the southeastern lake

Lago di Bientina Lago di Bientina'','' also known as Lago di Sesto, was a lake in Tuscany, Italy. Located to the north of the town of Bientina, between Lucca and Pisa, the lake was historically subject to numerous efforts at drainage due to its tendency to flood ...

(''Lago di Sesto'', municipality of

Bientina Bientina () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany. History The toponym Bientina is attested the first time in 793 as Blentina and probably comes from the Etruscan name Plitine. Geography Terr ...

) and the plain of ''Piana Lucchese''.Contado Lucchese: I borghi di Capannori. Colle di Compito.Emanuele Repetti: ''Colle di Compito.'' In: ''Dizionario Geografico Fisico Storico della Toscana (1833–1846).'' Colle di Compito is situated northwest of Castelvecchio di Compito, and southeast of Pieve di Compito, its neighbouring settlements and administrative frazioni.

History

The place first arose from several smaller settlements (''Borghi'') before the ''Castrum Novum'' Castle was built in the Locality of Lecci above today's town center, which is called ''Borghetto''. Another fortified complex was built from the Borghetto, parts of which are still in place, along with a city gate. At that time the town belonged as a fief to the Lambercioni family from Vorno (today also a hamlet of Capannori), close to the Republic of

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 ...

. In a conflict between Lucca and Pisa, the town was occupied and destroyed by Lucca in 1148. After the reconstruction by the Lambercioni, the hamlet remained in the sphere of influence of Lucca until, in 1313, it was ransacked by

Uguccione della Faggiola Uguccione della Faggiuola (c. 1250 – 1 November 1319) was an Italian condottiero, and Ghibelline magistrate of Pisa, Lucca and Forlì (from 1297). Biography Uguccione was born at Casteldelci and came to prominence in the late 13th century as ca ...

, who was in the pay of Pisa. Colle di Compito was last damaged in 1544 by Pisan and Florentine troops. After that, the place remained in the sphere of influence of Lucca. In 1942, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, a

prisoner-of-war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

camp was established in the village. Its official number was P.G. (''prigionieri di guerra'') 60, and it was usually referred to as PG 60 Lucca. Although it never had permanent structures and accommodation consisted of tents in an area prone to flooding, it housed more than 3,000 British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

prisoners of war during the period of its existence. It was handed over to the Germans on 10 September 1943, not long after the signing of the Italian armistice. During the

Italian Social Republic The Italian Social Republic ( it, Repubblica Sociale Italiana, ; RSI), known as the National Republican State of Italy ( it, Stato Nazionale Repubblicano d'Italia, SNRI) prior to December 1943 but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò ...

, as a puppet state of the Germans,

political prisoner A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention. There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, although n ...

s, foreigners,

common law In law, common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinions."The common law is not a brooding omnipresen ...

prisoners and Jews were interned there, and it functioned as a concentration camp. In June 1944 the prisoners were moved to Bagni di Lucca.

Sights

* ''Santa Maria Assunta'', the parish church below the village, which was first mentioned in the 11th century. It was documented in 1245. * ''Santa Maria della Consolazione'' (also ''Santuario della Madonna della Consolazione''), a church in the town center. The church was built between 1657 and 1666 and was enlarged in 1790. The neoclassical façade dates from the 19th century and the campanile was built in 1908. * ''San Martino a Palaiola'', 1260Circolo culturale Piccola Penna: San Martino di Palaiola (anticamente:Palaia)
retrieved on 6 July 2018 (Italian language) a church lying between Colle di Compito and Pieve di Compito. ColleDiCompitoCapannoriMariaAssunta1.jpg, Church of Santa Maria Assunta ColleDiCompitoCapannoriMariaConsolazione1.jpg, Church of Santa Maria della Consolazione PalaiolaCapannoriSanMartino1.jpg, Church of San Martino a Palaiola

Literature

* Emanuele Repetti: ''Colle di Compito.'' In: ''Dizionario Geografico Fisico Storico della Toscana (1833–1846).'
Online Edition
from

University of Siena The University of Siena ( it, Università degli Studi di Siena, abbreviation: UNISI) in Siena, Tuscany, is one of the oldest and first publicly funded universities in Italy. Originally called ''Studium Senese'', the institution was founded in 1240 ...

(PDF, Italian Language)

References

External links

{{Commonscat, Colle di Compito
Contado Lucchese zu Colle di Compito
Frazioni of Tuscany Lucca Frazioni of the Province of Lucca