San Lorenzo Nuovo

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Comune di San Lorenzo Nuovo
Municipal coat of arms
Country	Italy
Region	Lazio
Province	Viterbo (VT)
Mayor	Maria Gabriela Grassini
Elevation	503 m
Area	27.99 km²
Population
- Total (as of 2001)	2,067
- Density	73.8/km²
Time zone	CET, UTC+1
Coordinates	42°40′N 11°54′E
Gentilic	Sanlorenzani
Dialing code	0763
Postal code	01020
Patron	Saint Lawrence (main patron saint), Saint Apollinare (co-patron saint)
- Day	August 10 (Saint Lawrence), July 23 (Saint Apollinare)
Website: http://www.comunesanlorenzonuovo.it

San Lorenzo Nuovo is a small town and comune in the province of Viterbo, in region Latium (Italy).

It is an important agricultural centre, and has a tradition of tourism. The typical produces include potatoes, olive oil, garlic, onions, cereals and grapes.

Contents 1 Geography 2 History 2.1 The old village 2.2 The new village 3 Main sights 3.1 Piazza Europa 3.2 Collegiate church of San Lorenzo Martire 3.3 Church of Capuchin Fathers 3.4 Church of Torano 3.5 Church of San Giovanni in Val di Lago 3.6 The Brigands' path 4 Famous citizens 5 External links 6 References

[edit] Geography

The town is located on the northern side of Bolsena's crateric rim. It dominates over the lake basin on one side and Acquapendente's valley on the other side, at the cross of road Cassia (state road 2) and road Maremmana (state road 74). Neighbouring cities are Acquapendente, Bolsena, Castel Giorgio [1], Gradoli [2] and Grotte di Castro [3].

The rock known as "Sasso della graticola" is placed to mark the border with Bolsena and Castelgiorgo. The rock bears initials S L on the side facing San Lorenzo Nuovo.

San Lorenzo Nuovo is famous for the harmonious symmetry and linearity of its streets, due to Francesco Navone.

[edit] History

[edit] The old village

San Lorenzo alle Grotte was in place, before 1774, in a lowland area, closer to Lake Bolsena than the current village. This ancient hamlet, so named because surrounded by thousands of caves ("grotte" in Italian), was inhabited by the Etruscans since 770 BCE. During the Roman Empire, San Lorenzo was elected municipium and prefecture. In the 5th century the area was ravaged by the Vandals. As the people had asked for protection of the day saint, Saint Apollinare, a dense fog came down and the Vandals went over leaving the village undamaged. In 771-772, refugees came here from Tiro, a small centre placed on the hill of Civita, the original Etruscan instatement of Grotte di Castro, destroyed by the Longobards of king Desiderius.

San Lorenzo alle Grotte had been always of strategic importance owing its position along the Via Cassia, in a central position for the interests of Orvieto, Viterbo and Sovana, and was longly contended by local noblemen and the Church. In the year 1113 the area was donated to the Church from Matilda of Canossa, countess of Tuscany. The same area was sacked by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI in 1186. It is known the opposition of Pope Celestine III, mediated by the bishop of Sovana, to the direct interference of the Orvieto's diocese over this area (document dated 28 June 1183). Towards 1265, together with neighbouring lands (Grotte di Castro, Latera, Gradoli, Bisentina island), the same area became part of the province of Val di Lago, ruled by Republic of Orvieto for a short time. In 1266, San Lorenzo took part of the Ghibellines expedition against Martana Island and other Guelphs centres but, the next year, it renewed its obedience to the Church. In 1294, San Lorenzo and other centres of Val di Lago, professed submission to Orvieto. It was the beginning of a series of contrasts with Pope Boniface VIII. Orvieto, placed under excommunication and interdict, stopped any action contrary to the Church. This was not the intention of San Lorenzo, claiming actions against Orvieto. On March 20, 1298, Boniface VIII ordered to stop any of the hostilities and let Orvieto's army to occupy the castle of San Lorenzo. Although returned under Orvieto's jurisdiction, the centres of Val di Lago started paying their tributes three years later only. In 1315, San Lorenzo was involved in the fights between Orvieto and the papal legate Bernard of Cluny, being defeated at Montefiascone by Guittuccio of Bisenzio. In 1318, San Lorenzo supported with 25 infantry Orvieto against Ugolinuccio de' Neri of Montemarano. In 1354, present Gil Alvarez De Albornoz, all villages of Val di Lago confirmed their submission to Orvieto. In 1359, the Republic of Orvieto was abolished and Cardinal Albornoz brought San Lorenzo again under the jurisdiction of the Holy See.

In 1527, the landsknechts, on their way to Rome, burnt down San Lorenzo, Bolsena and Montefiascone. An agreement was achieved between San Lorenzo and Grotte di Castro [4] (the latter under the jurisdiction of Duchy of Castro [5]) in 1568, about rights and duties of land owners residing in their respective territories.

In the early 1630s, San Lorenzo was visited by the Flemish painter Bartholomeus Breenbergh [6], who produced a fine painting of the old town. Known as Pastoral landscape with citadel, an engraving by the Swiss engraver Balthasar Anton Dunker and R. Daudet (Paris, 1773), as painted by Breenbergh in revers, was acknowledged by the art historian Marcel Roethlisberger.

The old town was still in place in the early 1800s, as testified by the draw of a visitor dated 1818.

[edit] The new village

The new town was built in the year 1774. The area of San Lorenzo alle Grotte was rather unhealthy, as acknowledged by the marble frame kept in the central square of the new town. People were affected by malaria and other epidemics, and trade affairs had ceased. Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Braschi, future Pope Pius VI, at the time when he was apostolic treasurer, after the many failures in trying to decontaminate the area, induced Pope Clement XIV to take the decision to move all homes from the hollow, unhealthy areas by the lake to a higher and more liveable place, in order to be safe from the frequent floods which hit the plains. A vast area was identified as site of the new village, on a wide upland in the vicinity of the old village (in a location named Gabelletta) and next brought on mandate of the Reverend Apostolic Chamber. Initially (with a chirograph dated June 3, 1772), Pope Clement XIV commissioned the work of reconstruction to architect Alessandro Dori and then to architect Francesco Navone.

Once become Pope, Pius VI made efforts to have the works completed and entrusted to the Cardinal Guglielmo Pallotta, vice apostolic treasurer, the carrying out of the works. The original route of road Cassia was modified so leaving the old village completely isolated. Water was brougth and San Lorenzo Nuovo was founded. The parish, the central square, the Palace of Governor (next Palazzo Comunale [7]), and a few buildings housing about 300 people were in place in the year 1777. As a sign of gratitude, two years later the citizens created and put on view a marble frame in memory of the saviour and founder of the new town.

In 1798 (the 22nd and the 23rd of February), on his way to Florence as prisoner of the French army, Pius VI had the opportunity to stop by San Lorenzo Nuovo for an address to the population. A memorial stone put on the house of family Pacetti (August 10, 1929), reminds the visit of the prisoner pope.

Bands of Giuseppe Garibaldi followers crossed the Papal State border on September 1867 and came into fights with the papal Zouaves. On the territory of San Lorenzo Nuovo, Monte Landro was theatre of the defeat of Garibaldi's men.

During World War II San Lorenzo Nuovo suffered aerial bombings from the allied troops on May-June 1944, with numerouse victims and substantial damages.

In April-May 2006, to celebrate 500 years in the line of duty a group of veteran Swiss Guards marched from Switzerland and set their feet in San Lorenzo Nuovo on their way to Rome.

[edit] Main sights

[edit] Piazza Europa

Road Cassia, over the tract between Acquapendente and Bolsena, at km 124, crosses through an octagonal square, just in front of the parish church of San Lorenzo Martire.

This is the centre of San Lorenzo Nuovo, Piazza Europa, a wide square regarded as an interesting example of 18th century urban planning.

The artist Francesco Navone adopted an innovative technique meant to create the plan of the new town in the style of Copenhagen Amalienborg square.

A sign of the originality of Navove's project was also the uniformity of the buildings. Little differences can be noticed between the nobles' and the common people's houses, the only exception being San Lorenzo Martire, which stands out of the other buildings for its considerable height.

[edit] Collegiate church of San Lorenzo Martire

The 34-m height parish church of San Lorenzo Martire dominates Piazza Europa. Surrounded by numerous ex-voto, a crucifix is kept in its fine chapel. It is a 12th century Byzantine statue made of polychrome wood. On October 12, 1778 it was escorted in a solemn procession from the old village to the new church.

The crucifix has been venerated ever since, and every 15 years (probably since 1787) it is celebrated during a festivity called "Il Festone", which consists of a series of celebrations lasting two months and ending on 14 September with the Very Holy Cross feast. It is this the only time when the Holy Cross is brought out of the church and exhibited in the streets, finely decked for the occasion. The procession is joined by the people, the representatives of the local authorities, the local band, the SS. Crocifisso Brotherhood, the flag-wavers with a parade of the historical cortege. The profound veneration of this crucifix is testified by documents dating back to the 15th century. The procession with the Holy Cross took place exceptionally in the year 2000 to celebrate the Great Jubilee.

Two precious, Tuscan-Roman and Flemish mannerism-styled canvases of Florentine painter Jacopo Zucchi (once attributed to Giorgio Vasari), representing the Ascension (oil on canvas, 220 x 265) and the Resurrection of Jesus (oil on canvas, 210 x 260) are housed in the church. Originally made on mandate of Cardinal Aragona for his private chapel in Vatican, they were donated to the town by Pope Pius VI in 1777. Another paint, realized in 1779 by the Roman painter Filippo Bracci and located behind the altar, represents the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence. The top part of the paint is occupied by the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus. A third character, kneeled down, is probably the town's co-patron Saint Apollinare. His remainings, together with the ones of Saint Lawrence and Saint Stephen, were recuperated from the ancient altar and put inside the sepulcher donated by his Lordhsip Acaste Bresciani to the new altar in 1938. The "Triumph of Saint Lawrence" is represented in the apse of the church, in a tempera paint composition of Testa (1940).

A marble torso, attributed to Antonio Canova and placed besides the main altar, represents Pope Pius VI.

As well as the square, the church was designed by architect Francesco Navone.

The church façade reproduces a simple geometry, as well as the internal part, characterized by longitudinal geometry including one nave and lateral chapels.

On top of the church main door the coat of arms of Pope Pius VI, made in the laboratories of Antonio Canova, is on view.

Navone also created the building system adjacent to the church, and convent of the Capuchin Fathers situated to the west side of the Via Cassia. It was designed in such a way that the location of the parish church and that of the convent should result at the very ends of a huge axis having the shape of a Latin cross.

[edit] Church of Capuchin Fathers

The church of Capuchin Fathers (also known as the convent church), is a single nave building with three lateral chapels on each side.

Corso Umberto I, ideally equivalent to the Royal street of Copenhagen, is a straight street connecting Piazza Europa to the church of Capuchin Fathers. The church was ultimated and blessed on 11 October 1784, and dedicated to a Capuchin friar, Saint Seraphim of Montegranaro. The interiors were finely decorated by the Sicilian Capuchin friar, painter and litterateur, Fidelis of San Biagio (1717-1801). He painted: Immaculate Conception with Saint Seraphim of Montegranaro, Saint Francis of Assis while receiving the stigmata, martyrdom of Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, ecstasy of Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, Sacred Family with Saint Felix of Cantalice, martyrdom of Saint Joseph of Leonessa. The paint representing the blessed Bernard of Corleone went lost during World War II. At present, the church is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. Built in the early 1700s, it was part of a convent dwelled by the Capuchin Fathers until 1810. In that year, all religious orders were suppressed by Napoleon I.

In 1997, the church housed a photo exhibition depicting the history of the Shroud of Turin.

[edit] Church of Torano

The neighbouring areas feature the noticeable church of Torano, probably built after an Etruscan temple. The Virgin Mary "Turan" was honored here. The church houses a fresco of the Virgin Mary on the throne, with the blessing Christ Child, dating back to the 15th century. The saints Agata and Apolonnia are also painted in the same fresco.

[edit] Church of San Giovanni in Val di Lago

Near to the lake, in the fertile area between San Lorenzo Nuovo and Bolsena, the remains of the ancient church of San Giovanni in Val di Lago stand out.

The area, also known as "Civita di Grotte di Castro", was used until 1799 to host the yearly celebrations of Saint John the Baptist on June 24, and specifically a big and famous fair attracting people from Tuscany and Umbria. The church, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, was started in the year 1563 after an earthquake had destroyed the previous church. Designed by the architect Pietro Tartarino, an apprentice of Albert of Sangallo, it is characterized by a very particular octagonal. Stuccos from Florentine painter Ferrando Fancello are no longer present in the church. The ancient church was site of synods (it is known the one held in 1118, attended by Guglielmo, bishop of Orvieto). The historians Tonino Pelosi and Fabio Fortunati hypothesized the site to build up this church was originally identified in the same area where it was formerly placed the federal shrine of the Etruscans: the shrine of Voltumna (Fanum voltumnae).

[edit] The Brigands' path

During the 19th century the area across Latium, Umbria and Tuscany marked the southern border of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and, since 1861 the Kingdom of Italy and the States of the Church. The area included woodlands such as Selva del Lamone [8] (see Canino) and Monti di Castro, with isolated caves and small rivers out of the main roads. Several brigands used to live here. One of the latest brigands of northern Lazio, in action at the end of the 19th century when the area became part of the Kingdom of Italy, was Fortunato Ansuini. He was as cruel as anybody else. The most influential brigand of the zone was Domenico Tiburzi (called Domenichino, and also known as the King of Lamone, or the Robin Hood of Maremma). He always refused to come into alliance with Ansuini because he considered him no more than a common outlaw. Born at Norcia in 1844 from a family of farmers]], Ansuini was forced by parents to work as a stonemason. He killed a man in a tavern and was sentenced to 11 years in prison in Rome. It was on May, 1866, when he became the protagonist, together with three jail-mates, of an adventuresome escape through a drain. The fugitives left Rome and chose Maremma as a secure place for their furtiveness. Here, their new life had a start, made of robberies and racketeerings to get weapons, bullets, and money. The gendarmes were on their traces and forced them to continuously move from one place to another, without capturing them for a long time. The soldiers could identify them with the help of a spy, and caught them while banqueting inside a cave. The outlaws surrendered soon.

In April 1890, Ansuini was locked up in the fort Filippo II to the Monte Argentario [9] (Porto Ercole [10]). Again, he arranged for an escape together with other captives. Breaking off the chains that were keeping them blocked, they went out through the window with the help of bed sheets. The next night the brigands stormed a shepherd house near Capalbio [11], tied up the shepherds and raided food, money, weapons, and bullets. The bloodthirsty brigand Damiano Menichetti was part of the group. He came soon into close alliance with Ansuini, whilst the others left them.

Several anecdotes are known about Ansuini. He liked to mock the gendarmes, leaving signed flyers in the same restaurants where he used to eat. Once he went elegantly dressed to Bassano in Teverina [12] and entered the barracks of carabinieri in the name of a trade man on travel from Milan. On his request, he had an escort of two gendarmes, for personal protection during his journey. At the end he asked the two men to deliver a flyer to their commander. It came about that the commander expressed all his anger when he read the paper with the signature of Ansuini. The phenomenon of brigandage was close to being extinguished. Ansuini disappeared after a fight with carabinieri. Menichetti was captured after killing the brigadier Sebastiano Preta, and died in prison.

The Brigands' Path is an historical hiking trail that follows in the footsteps of some of Italy's infamous notorious figures. It is a 120 km trail that links the Tyrrhenian Sea (area of Vulci) to the Apennine mountains of central Italy (Monte Rufeno [13]) (Acquapendente). A trail is marked in the area across Onano [14], Grotte di Castro [15], Gradoli [16] and San Lorenzo Nuovo where the adventures of Ansuini and other brigands set their stage.

[edit] Famous citizens

• Lorenzo Cozza, friar Minor, cardinal and theologian
• Acaste Bresciani, Roman Catholic priest and author

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Wikipedia Italian website (Italian)
• Comuni Italiani website (Italian)
• Tourism page
• Lake Bolsena
• Mountain Community "Alta Tuscia Laziale" (Italian)
• Tuscia news(1) (Italian)
• Tuscia news(2) (Italian)
• International Association Via Francigena
• Gianni Bellocchi

[edit] References

1. AMMINISTRAZIONE COMUNALE, ASSOCIAZIONE PRO LOCO, Festone 1997, XXa Sagra degli Gnocchi, 1997.
2. BEVAGNA Maurizio, Interventi di valorizzazione dell’area archeologica naturalistica tra il lago di Bolsena e la zona pedemontana in comune di San Lorenzo Nuovo, Universita' degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" - Prima Facolta' di Architettura "Ludovico Quadroni", anno accademico 2001-2002.
3. BORDINI Silvia, Il piano urbanistico diun centro rurale dello Stato Pontificio. La ricostruzione settecentesca di San Lorenzo Nuovo e l’attività di A. Dori e F. Navone, in Storia dell’arte, luglio settembre n.11 p. 179-210, 1971.
4. COMUNITÀ MONTANA ALTA TUSCIA LAZIALE, Il sentiero dei briganti, guida 2006.
5. MUNARI Mario, San Lorenzo Nuovo – Storia della fondazione 1737-1774, Grotte di Castro, 1975.
6. PELOSI Tonino - FORTUNATI Fabio, Ipotesi sul "Fanum Voltumnae"… l’ultimo, grande mistero degli Etruschi, Bolsena, 1998.
7. RICHTER Ulf - MONTE Luana, Il Fanum Voltumnae: misterioso "cuore" dell'antica Etruria. Antikitera.net.
8. ROETHLISBERGER Marcel, Bartholomaeus Breenbergh (1600-1659). The Paintings, Berlin, 1981.
9. SCUOLA MEDIA STATALE SAN LORENZO NUOVO, San Lorenzo ricorda... 1945-1995, 50 anni dalla fine della guerra, 1995.