Montemerano

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Montemerano is a fraction of the municipality of Manciano in the Tuscan Maremma ( province of Grosseto ) and is a member of the association I borghi più belli d'Italia (The Most Beautiful Places in Italy).

Panorama of Montemerano
San Giorgio Church
Madonna della Gattaiola

geography

The place is about 6 km northwest of the main town Manciano and about 8 kilometers south of Saturnia in the Albegna valley and in the southern Maremma . The provincial capital Grosseto is 34 kilometers northwest. The place is at 303  meters above sea level and has about 440 inhabitants. This makes it the most populous district next to the main town.

history

The first written documentation of Montemerano dates back to 1188 and is from Pope Clement III. Since the 13th century, the place was ruled by the Aldobrandeschi family, who subordinated it to the Bashi family as a fief . The family from Orvieto changed sides several times in the 14th century between the Aldobrandeschi and the Senese as well as the Orvietans, until Siena took over the place in 1382 and expanded it into a fortress with city walls. After the defeat of the Sienese Republic in 1555 against the Republic of Florence the place was also (like Siena) the Duchy of Tuscany of the Medici to, but not until 1559, to give up as the exiled Sienese their shadow state after four years of resistance. In 1783 Montemerano became part of Manciano. The medieval core with the city wall and city gates and the castle as well as houses from the Renaissance is largely preserved.

Attractions

  • Chiesa della Madonna del Cavalluzzo , church from the 15th century outside the city walls.
  • Chiesa di San Giorgio , church from 1380, which was consecrated again in 1430 after expansion work , and inside some frescoes and panels can be admired, including the so-called "Madonna della Gattaiola" in the choir stalls, which the artist with the emergency name Maestro di Montemerano is attributed. In past, less art-loving times, this work was used as a gate to a granary; so misappropriated, a hole was cut for the cat (= gatta) in the door / picture, hence the name "della Gattaiola". There are also other works by Senese artists in the church, such as Lorenzo di Pietro, usually just called Il Vecchietta , who left behind the works of San Pietro (wooden figure, created around 1450) and Madonna della Mandorla (fresco, attributed). There is a triptych by Sano di Pietro ( Madonna con il bambino e santi , 1458).

literature

Web links

Commons : Montemerano  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ I borghi più belli d'Italia. Borghipiubelliditalia.it, accessed August 6, 2017 (Italian).
  2. ↑ Official website of the ISTAT ( Istituto Nazionale di Statistica ) on the 2001 population figures in the province of Grosseto, accessed on May 25, 2012 (Italian)

Coordinates: 42 ° 37 '  N , 11 ° 29'  E