Gavorrano is a mountain-side ''
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 western
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
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 ...
, located about 100 km (62 mi) southwest of
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 ...
and about 25 km (16 mi) northwest of
Grosseto
Grosseto () is a city and ''comune'' in the central Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of the Province of Grosseto. The city lies from the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the Maremma, at the centre of an alluvial plain on the Ombrone river.
It is the ...
. Gavorrano borders the municipalities of
Castiglione della Pescaia
Castiglione della Pescaia (), regionally simply abbreviated as Castiglione, is an ancient seaside town in the province of Grosseto, in Tuscany, central Italy. The modern city grew around a medieval 12th century fortress ( it, castello) and a large ...
,
Grosseto
Grosseto () is a city and ''comune'' in the central Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of the Province of Grosseto. The city lies from the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the Maremma, at the centre of an alluvial plain on the Ombrone river.
It is the ...
,
Massa Marittima
Massa Marittima (Latin: ''Massa Veternensis'') is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Grosseto, southern Tuscany, Italy, 49 km NNW of Grosseto.
There are mineral springs, mines of iron, mercury, lignite and copper, with foundries, iron ...
,
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 municipa ...
and
Scarlino
Scarlino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southwest of Florence and about northwest of Grosseto.
Scarlino borders the following municipalities: Castiglione della Pescaia, Fol ...
.
![Ravi, Centro Storico](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Ravi%2C_Centro_Storico.jpg)
The village is located on the northern slope of Poggio Ballone, east of
Scarlino
Scarlino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southwest of Florence and about northwest of Grosseto.
Scarlino borders the following municipalities: Castiglione della Pescaia, Fol ...
, in an area extremely rich in terms of mining, especially for large deposits of the iron ore
pyrite
The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Iron, FeSulfur, S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral.
Pyrite's metallic Luster (mineralogy), lust ...
which were intensively exploited until the early 1980s.
The town is known because of
Pia de' Tolomei
Pia de' Tolomei was an Italian noblewoman from Siena identified as "la Pia," a minor character in Dante's ''Divine Comedy'' who was murdered by her husband. Her brief presence in the poem has inspired many works in art, music, literature, and cin ...
(whose fate is related in the "
Purgatory
Purgatory (, borrowed into English via Anglo-Norman and Old French) is, according to the belief of some Christian denominations (mostly Catholic), an intermediate state after physical death for expiatory purification. The process of purgatory ...
" cantoes of the ''
Divine Comedy
The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...
'' by
Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
), and for being the birthplace of the writer
Giuseppe Bandi, Italian patriot and journalist.
History
The Etruscan territory of Gavorrano fell under the direct control of
Vetulonia
Vetulonia, formerly called Vetulonium ( Etruscan: ''Vatluna''), was an ancient town of Etruria, Italy, the site of which is probably occupied by the modern village of Vetulonia, which up to 1887 bore the name of Colonnata and Colonna di Buriano: t ...
which, through the paths along the river valleys of Sovata and Bruna, was rich in deposits of minerals to flow around the Lake Accesa. Excavations conducted by the
University of Florence
The University of Florence (Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Firenze'', UniFI) is an Italian public research university located in Florence, Italy. It comprises 12 schools and has around 50,000 students enrolled.
History
The first universi ...
on the Santa Teresa estate between 2004 and 2007 discovered five gravestones used between the mid-7th century BC and the second half of the 6th century BC, surrounded by many farms. The results of these operations show a high percentage of households owning graves. In addition to agricultural resources, the population took advantage of the benefits of their strategic position which allowed control over the flow of minerals to the manufacturing center of Vetulonia.
The town of Gavorrano, built after the year 1000 as a possession of the bishops of
Roselle, was later transferred to the Alberti family. In the 13th century it came under the control of the Pannocchieschi family, and then
Volterra
Volterra (; Latin: ''Volaterrae'') is a walled mountaintop town in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its history dates from before the 8th century BC and it has substantial structures from the Etruscan, Roman, and Medieval periods.
History
Volt ...
,
Massa Marittima
Massa Marittima (Latin: ''Massa Veternensis'') is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Grosseto, southern Tuscany, Italy, 49 km NNW of Grosseto.
There are mineral springs, mines of iron, mercury, lignite and copper, with foundries, iron ...
. With the fall of Massa Marittima, the town passed under the dominion of
Siena
Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...
. In the second half of the 16th century, the area was incorporated into 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 ...
after the final fall of 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 ...
. In more-recent history, the
pyrite
The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Iron, FeSulfur, S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral.
Pyrite's metallic Luster (mineralogy), lust ...
mine played an important role, changing the history of the village. In 1898 a loaf of pyrite came to light, thanks to the work of a citizen, Francesco Alberti. From this starting point, Europe's most important pyrite mine developed. This led to Gavorrano's primary importance for the whole area (as successor to the city of Massa Marittima, which had always been dominant in the area) after the war until the early 1970s (when it began to develop
Follonica
Follonica () is a town and ''comune'' (township) of province of Grosseto in the Italian region of Tuscany, on the Gulf of Follonica (''Golfo di Follonica''), about northwest of the city of Grosseto.
History
It was founded in 1834 by Grand Duke L ...
). After the war, the village of Scarlino became independent, breaking away from the territory of Gavorrano.
Nello dei Pannocchieschi and Pia de' Tolomei
A chapter in the history of the village of Gavorrano concerns the life of
Pia de' Tolomei
Pia de' Tolomei was an Italian noblewoman from Siena identified as "la Pia," a minor character in Dante's ''Divine Comedy'' who was murdered by her husband. Her brief presence in the poem has inspired many works in art, music, literature, and cin ...
, a lady from Siena who met her death in the ''Castel di Pietra'', a castle in the east of the town. She was married to Nello Pannocchieschi, who is known to have been lord of that castle, ''
podestà
Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...
'' of
Volterra
Volterra (; Latin: ''Volaterrae'') is a walled mountaintop town in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its history dates from before the 8th century BC and it has substantial structures from the Etruscan, Roman, and Medieval periods.
History
Volt ...
and
Lucca
Lucca ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its province has a population of 383,957.
Lucca is known as one o ...
, captain of the
Guelph
Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...
s, in 1284 and lived until at least 1322. He shut up his wife in his castle, and had her murdered in 1297 by having her thrown out of a window, after having locked her up for a while in his castle, perhaps because of her supposed infidelity, perhaps because he desired to get rid of her to marry someone else. The story was made famous by Dante in the fifth canto of his ''Purgatorio''. The story is commemorated on the feast of ''Salto della Contessa'' ("The jump of the Countess"), which is held in Gavorrano every second Sunday of the month of August.
Government
Frazioni
These are the ''
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 ...
'' (villages) of the ''
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 ...
'' of Gavorrano:
*
Bagno di Gavorrano
Bagno di Gavorrano is a small town in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Gavorrano, province of Grosseto. At the time of the 2001 census its population amounted to .
Geography
Bagno is about 35 km from Gro ...
, a village situated in the plain below the old town.
*
Caldana
Caldana is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Gavorrano, province of Grosseto. At the time of the 2001 census its population amounted to 980.
Geography
Caldana is about 28 km from Grosseto and ...
, a medieval hill-town.
*
Castellaccia
Castellaccia is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Gavorrano, province of Grosseto. At the time of the 2001 census its population amounted to 79.
Castellaccia is about 22 km from Grosseto and 15 ...
, a little mining village.
*
Filare
Filare is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Gavorrano, province of Grosseto. At the time of the 2001 census its population amounted to 439.[Giuncarico
Giuncarico is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Gavorrano, province of Grosseto. At the time of the 2001 census its population amounted to 399.
History
The village dates back to the Early Middle A ...]
, a medieval hill-town.
*
Grilli, a modern village situated in the plain.
*
Potassa, a modern village developed near the train station.
*
Ravi Ravi may refer to:
People
* Ravi (name), including a list of people and characters with the name
* Ravi (composer) (1926–2012), Indian music director
* Ravi (Ivar Johansen) (born 1976), Norwegian musical artist
* Ravi (music director) (1926–201 ...
, a medieval hill-town.
List of mayors
Main sights
![Pieve di San Giuliano a Gavorrano](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Pieve_di_San_Giuliano_a_Gavorrano.JPG)
*''Pieve di San Giuliano'', main church of Gavorrano.
*''Oratorio del Santissimo Sacramento''.
*''Palazzo Comunale'', town hall of Gavorrano.
*''Teatro delle Rocce'' ("Mine Theatre").
*Old walls of Gavorrano.
*''Palazzo Bonaiuti'', along the Via Aurelia.
*Church of ''San Giuseppe'', in
Bagno di Gavorrano
Bagno di Gavorrano is a small town in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Gavorrano, province of Grosseto. At the time of the 2001 census its population amounted to .
Geography
Bagno is about 35 km from Gro ...
.
*Church of ''San Biagio'', in
Caldana
Caldana is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Gavorrano, province of Grosseto. At the time of the 2001 census its population amounted to 980.
Geography
Caldana is about 28 km from Grosseto and ...
.
*''Oratorio di Sant'Antonio da Padova'', in Caldana.
*''Palazzo Tosi'', in Caldana.
*Old walls of Caldana.
*Church of ''Sant'Egidio'', in
Giuncarico
Giuncarico is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Gavorrano, province of Grosseto. At the time of the 2001 census its population amounted to 399.
History
The village dates back to the Early Middle A ...
.
*''Oratorio del Santissimo Crocifisso'', in Giuncarico.
*Government Palace, in Giuncarico.
*''Palazzo Tedeschini Camaiori'', in Giuncarico.
*Old walls of Giuncarico.
*Church of ''Santa Rita da Cascia'', in
Grilli.
*''Lupo'' Farm, near Grilli.
*Church of ''San Leonardo'', in
Ravi Ravi may refer to:
People
* Ravi (name), including a list of people and characters with the name
* Ravi (composer) (1926–2012), Indian music director
* Ravi (Ivar Johansen) (born 1976), Norwegian musical artist
* Ravi (music director) (1926–201 ...
.
*Old walls of Ravi.
*Remains of ''Castel di Pietra'' ("Stone Castle"), built by the
Aldobrandeschi
The Aldobrandeschi were an Italian noble family from southern Tuscany.
Overview
Of probable Lombard origin, they appear in history as counts in the 9th century. The first known count was Hildebrand II (857). Their possession extended to what i ...
.
*''Rocca di Frassinello'', wine cellar designed by
Renzo Piano
Renzo Piano (; born 14 September 1937) is an Italian architect. His notable buildings include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (with Richard Rogers, 1977), The Shard in London (2012), the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City ( ...
.
*Technological and Archaeological Park of ''Colline Metallifere Grossetane''.
Sport
USD Follonica Gavorrano was founded in 1930, and it currently plays in
Serie D
The Serie D () is the top level of semi-professional football in the country. The fourth tier of the Italian league system, the competition sits beneath the third professional league, Serie C. It is administered by the Lega Nazionale Dilettant ...
. The football club hosts its games at the
Stadio Romeo Malservisi.
See also
*
Maremma
The Maremma (, ; from Latin , "maritime and) is a coastal area of western central Italy, bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea. It includes much of south-western Tuscany and part of northern Lazio. It was formerly mostly marshland, often malarial, bu ...
References
Sources
*
*
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Castles in Italy