Sovana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sovana is a small town in southern Tuscany, Italy, a frazione of the comune of Sorano in the province of Grosseto.
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[edit] History
Of Etruscan origins, it was a roman municipium and an episcopal see from the 5th century. Conquered by the Lombards in 592-605, it became their administrative centre in the area. Later, when Rosselle was abandoned due to Saracen ravages, it became the centre of the county under the Aldobrandeschi family. In the Middle Ages it was known as Soana.
Its importance declined when the county was acquired by the Orsini, who moved the capital to Pitigliano. In the mid-16th century Sovana was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Tuscany by Cosimo I de' Medici.
[edit] Main sights
- Rocca Aldobrandesca (Aldobrandeschi Castle), probably built over a pre-existing Etruscan/Roman fortress. The current appearance is that of the 1572 renovation, when the bastions were added. Dismantled in the 17th century, today only the portal, a tower and a stretch of walls remain.
- Palazzo Pretorio (13th-15th centuries).
- The Romanesque church of Santa Maria Maggiore (12th-13th church). It house one of the most ancient pre-Romanesque cyboria.
- The cathedral, built in the 11th-12th centuries over a most ancient 8th century edifice. also in Romanesque style, it has a nave and two aisles with columns carrying interesting decorations with biblical scenes. Of the 8th century the crypt and the richly decorated portal remain. Also curious is the relief a two-tailed siren, next to the latter, which has similarity with one of the carved Etruscan tombs recently discovered in the area.
- Loggetta del Capitano
- The Late Renaissance Palazzo Bourbon del Monte, built by Cosimo I de' Medici.
[edit] Famous people
Pope Gregory VII (Ildebrando di Soana) was born here.
[edit] Sources
- Bruni, Franco (November 2006). "La Maremma delle meraviglie". Medioevo (118): 60-62.
