On the southern slopes of Mount Amiata, Santa Fiora overlooks the source of the Fiora River. This village is a little special in its history, having been an important possession of the Aldobrandeschi, outside the control of the Abbey San Salvatore d’Abbadia. It was then controlled by the Sienese, owned by the Sforza from 1439, and then by Florence from 1633. Its pescheria is a truly enchanting place fed by the source of the Fiora.
From a mining centre in the 9th-20th centuries, Santa Fiora has become a tourist destination on Mount Amiata. The village has a medieval heart and is distinguished both by the Bandiera Arancione and by its inscription among the most beautiful villages of Italy.
Tour of the Village
The village has three historical districts: Castello, Borgo and Montecatino. In the Castello district, the Palazzo del Conte houses the municipality and was owned by the Sforza Cesarini family. It also houses the Mont Amiata Mining Museum, dedicated to the history and techniques of mercury extraction that marked the territory in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
Along the large, rectangular central square Piazza Garibaldi is the Rocca Sforza (or Palazzo Sforza Cesarini) with elements from the 13th and 16th centuries. A lane leads to the 18th century Suffragio Church and then to the Pieve delle Sante Flora e Lucilla. The latter was rebuilt in the thirteenth century, enlarged at the end of the eighteenth. It preserves beautiful terracotta statues attributed to Andrea della Robbia.
Below, we pass by the Borgo district, then for example by the Porta del Borgo in the Montecatino district. The church of Sant’Agostino, founded in the early 14th century, is located there.
Peschiera of Santa Fiora
In the Montecatino district, the Peschiera is a beautiful and magical place with its large basin built by the Sforza family in the 16th century, fed by the source of the Fiora, accompanied by an English park. Trout has been farmed here since the Middle Ages.
The small church of the Madonna della Neve is quite simple, decorated with pretty frescoes attributed to Francesco Nasini, and whose floor is made of glass slabs through which you can see the water flowing from the source through ancient structures.
Santa Fiora surroundings
The Convento della Santissima Trinità alla Selva is a few kilometres away in the woods. The sacristy houses a legendary dragon’s head. In the 15th century, Count Guido Sforza who was the lord of the county of Santa Fiora would have challenged a demonic dragon that infested the woods. He killed you, and brought back his skull, sending half to Santa Trinità dei Monti in Rome. It was discovered in the 20th century that this is actually a crocodile skull.
Outside the village of Santa Fiora, the small church of San Francesco is preceded by a loggia and preserves frescoes from the Sienese school of the fourteenth century.
The Piatto delle Streghe is an ancient fountain basin that was in a palace.
Where is Santa Fiora, map
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Links and sources
- Official tourist website: www.santafioraturismo.it
- General informations: en.wikipedia.org
- Tourist portal: www.visittuscany.com
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