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Arcidosso

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Inhabitants in 1991: 4.135

The municipal territory of Arcidosso extends for 93.39 square kilometres in a mountainous zone between the western inclines of Monte Amiata and the northern slopes of Monte Labbro. Medieval castle, it was also Vicariate Seat. Its present day borders were formed in 1776, including the territory of the districts of Stibugliano and Montelaterone.

The oldest mention of Arcidosso goes back to a document of May 860, in which is spoken of houses and estates position in its territory and dates of leasing contracts of the Abbey of San Salvatore, to whose jurisdiction the locality originally belonged. At the beginning of the XII century, as shown in an act of June 1121, the Counts Aldobrandeschi were already Lords of Arcidosso and built the fortress there. In 1274 with an act of division of the Aldobrandesca county, the castle and its territory were assigned to the Count Ildebrandino di Bonifazio a branch of the Aldobrandeschi di Santa Fiora. It remained with him until 1331 when, after numerous attempts, the Siena republic managed to take it over following the military initiative of Guidoriccio da Fogliano. The following year Siena reimbursed the Aldobrandeschi with 10,000 gold florins for the loss suffered. From that moment Arcidosso became a follower of the Siena republic. Between 1347 and 1348 it became Vicariate Seat. Montelaterone is also rich in history, of Roman origin and belonging in the Medieval era to the Abbey of San Salvatore at Orvieto and from 1260, after the battle of Montaperti, to the Siena Republic. Arcidosso is the birth place of Giandomenico Peri (1564-1639), called the peoples poet, author of a poem in octaves called The Destruction of Fiesole, and also of Davide Lazzeretti (1834-1878), famous as founder of the penitential movement and ascetic of the “Giurisdavidici” movement animated by social needs of a solidaristic basis who were condemned by the church and eliminated by the authorities. During the resistance the was intense partisan activity in Ardisosso.

Places to visit:
Aldobrandesca Fortress, imposing Medieval complex with crenellated tower.
S. Leonardo, XII century church transformed in the XVI century, has had interesting late renaissance altar in the interior.
Madonna Incoronata, Church built after the plague of 1300, had a beautiful renaissance interior.

Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford


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