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SANTA FIORA
Marvellous and austere, Santa Fiora is a medieval village
built with grey volcanic stone, perched on a hill which dominates
the springs of the river Fiora. Here lived the richest and the most
powerful part of the Aldobrandesco family, who owned the Maremma
and built lots of beautiful fortified castles. The intrigues in
the palace, with calculated marriages allowed the village to be
the only village to be independent from Siena in the Amiata.
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But
the village fell into the hands of the Sforza family in 1439, and
became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany at the end of the 18th century,
governed by the Lorena family. The most beautiful part of Santa Fiora
is the one around the so-called “Peschiera”, a big basin
which collects the water from the nearby springs, holding the water
from the river before it flows down towards the valley. The Peschiera
was built in the 12th century but it was the Sforza family who planted
the trees in the surrounding garden during the Renaissance.
Strolling along the charming streets of Santa Fiora you will
find the Palazzo del Conte, a powerful building with a tower which
today is the Town Hall, the church San Giuseppe from the 19th century
and the Pieve delle Sante Fiora e Lucilla. This is the most important
building of the village and houses great artworks, such as 10 terracotta
works painted by Andrea della Robbia. The pulpit which illustrates
the Last Supper, the Annunciation and the Resurrection in the typical
colours of the Robbia school, white and blue, are marvellous.
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