Inhabitants in 1991 : 3,338
The Municipal territory of Pieve Santo Stefano in the high Val Tiberina,
extends for 155,77 square kilometres occupying a zone of prevalently mountainous
character on the divide of the Apennines, It was originally a feudal
centre, then a Viscountcy ; it then became a Seat of Office of a
Podesta and Vicariate capital ; with the Leopoldina reform
it became an autonomous community.
Pieve Santo Stefano, according to ancient tradition claims to have
been founded by the Umbri-sarsinati as fortified location which facilitated
the link with Città di Castello and Perugia ; according
to others it was identified with the Roman Suppetia or Sulpitia.
For certain it was only mentioned in 967 in a certificate by Ottone
I in which it was confirmed as feudal, with the name of Oppidum
Verone together with all the territory which made up the Massa Verona,
to one of his vassals the Aristocratic Goffredo di Ildebrando.
In 1220, by then well developed as a community around the real
parish church ( recorded in a privilege by Innocenzo III in 1198 as parish
church of Santo Stefano) it assumed its present day name, which
resulted from a certificate by Federico II, under the political
jurisdiction of Arezzo ;
for its strategic location it was however challenged at
length by Citta di Castello and Perugia - who in 1269 managed,
for a few months, to have it among its own dominion - so it was that during
its history more than once it had to submit to attempts to conquer
it. In 1318 it was possessed by the Tarlati, who in 1325
made it a Viscountcy Seat dominant over all the Val di Verona,
and remained under them (except for a brief period of Fiorentini dominion
in 1343) until 1385, when, with the Tarlati being expelled, the
inhabitants of Pieve Santo Stefano, with a decision formed spontaneously,
became part of the Fiorentino district ; it then became the
Seat of a first class Podesta office with civil jurisdiction over
all the Val di Verona while for criminal jurisdiction they depended on
the Vicariate of Anghiari. After a short lived rebellion against Firenze
in 1502 and after having valiantly resisted a two fold assault
by the Lanzichenecchi of the Emperor Carlo V who marched towards
Roma in 1527, in 1545 it was promoted to Vicariate capital,
with jurisdiction also over Caprese and Chiusi della Verna. In 1855
the inhabitants were, for the most part, submerged by the
waters of the Tevere caused by a landslide which came down from
the hillock of Belmonte. During the second world war, Pieve Santo Stefano,
near to which ran the Gothic Line, submitted numerous loses to the population
and grave destruction due to the bombardments.
Places to Visit :
Madonna dei Lumi, church erected in 1600, Greek cross, the
dome has frescos by Luigi Ademollo.
S . Stefano, collegiate reconstructed in the 1800s on
an ancient church conserving a terracotta glass panel by Della Robbia
from 1514. |
Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford
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