Riparbella

Riparbella
Country	Italy
region	Tuscany
province	Pisa (PI)
Coordinates	43 ° 22 ′ N , 10 ° 36 ′ E Coordinates: 43 ° 22 ′ 0 ″ N , 10 ° 36 ′ 0 ″ E
height	216 m slm
surface	58 km²
Residents	1,601 (Dec. 31, 2019)
Population density	28 inhabitants / km²
Post Code	56046
prefix	0586
ISTAT number	050030
Patron saint	San Giovanni Evangelista (December 27th)
Website	Riparbella
	; Panorama of Riparbella

Riparbella is an Italian commune in the province of Pisa in the Tuscany region with 1601 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2019).

Location and dates

Location of Riparbella in the province of Pisa

The village is located on a hill ( Poggio di Nocola ) on the southern slope of the Colline Pisane , on a ridge made of tuff , about 14 km from the city of Cecina and the sea. The provincial capital Pisa is about 40 km northwest, the regional capital Florence is about 50 km east. The place is in the climatic classification of Italian communities in Zone D, 1,845 GR / G and in the Archdiocese of Pisa . The main rivers in the municipality are the Cecina (7 of 78 km in the municipality), the Lopia (9 of 9 km in the municipality) and the Sterza (4 of 19 km in the municipality).

Riparbella is surrounded by macchia , forest, vineyards and olive groves, and is known for its good Tuscan cuisine (game, mushrooms and wine - the place belongs to the Montescudaio growing region ).

The neighboring municipalities are Castellina Marittima , Cecina ( LI ), Chianni , Lajatico , Montecatini Val di Cecina and Montescudaio .

history

Excavations in the Belora district confirmed that Riparbella was already settled by the Etruscans . The name is probably derived from lat . Ripa Albella (white slope), which alludes to the light tuff stone. The medieval town center was built around the year 1000, and the place is mentioned in writing for the first time in 1125. Initially the castle belonged to the Pisan family della Gherardesca and until 1406 Riparbella belonged to the domain of the Archbishop of Pisa , then to Florence . In the conflict between them and Alfonso V of Aragon in 1477, the place was completely destroyed and taken, and from a year later it was recaptured by Florence. In 1635 the place was raised to margraviate by the Medici and given to Andrea Carlotti di Verona, and an economic decline began. In 1737 it came to the fief of the Florentine Senator Carlo Ginori , who combined it with his property in Cecina.

At the beginning of the 1950s, the place still had about 3,000 inhabitants, but then shrank due to the emigration of the population. Today Riparbella lives mainly from agriculture (viticulture, olives) and tourism; There are numerous holiday houses, guest houses and agritourism businesses in the municipality .

Culture and sights

The center of the village is dominated by buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries.

Churches

San Giovanni Evangelista, main church of the place

Oratorio della Madonna delle Grazie

town hall

Chiesa San Giovanni Evangelista - The church in the center of the village, consecrated to the Apostle John, was built between 1841 and 1845 and suffered damage from an earthquake a year later. The church was consecrated in 1877. The campanile comes from an older church ( San Michele e San Giovanni , approx. 15th century), which stood in the same place and was approx. 2/3 third of its current size. Has been restored several times (1934 facade, 1949–1956 war damage, 1973 interior) and contains four side altars from the Oratorio della Santissima Annunziata and the wooden figures Vergine annunziata and Angelo annunziante , both from the 16th century.
Oratorio della Madonna delle Grazie - chapel in the town center, which was built in 1542. Contains the 19th century fresco Madonna delle Grazie . Had a portico until 1959 , which was demolished for traffic reasons. According to the inscription, the bell dates from 1507.
Oratorio della Santissima Annunziata - Former chapel in the center between the town hall and Madonna della Grazie. The church's works of art are now in the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista.
Oratorio di San Rocco - chapel outside the town center. Made in 1630.
Cimitero Nuovo - New Cemetery , is one of the Italian national monuments and is located just outside the town center on the road to Castellina Marittima. Created in 1894 by the architect Luigi Bellincioni.
Cappella Baldasserini - Chapel near San Martino. Was restored in 1857. The previous chapel was probably dedicated to the Madonna del Carmine and has been documented since 1706.

Others

Azienda Faunistica "Il Giardino" - Center for environmental protection established by the municipality (600 hectares of maquis and woodland); didactic offers.

Regular events

Sagra del cinghiale (third Sunday in November) - Festival of the wild boar with gastronomic specialties
Agrifiera (first Sunday and Monday in August) - agricultural exhibition, horse market

traffic

Riparbella has a stop on the Cecina – Volterra railway, which opened in 1863 .

literature

Emanuele Repetti: RIPARBELLA, o RIPALBELLA in Val di Cecina. In: Dizionario Geografico Fisico Storico della Toscana (1833–1846). Online edition of the University of Siena (PDF, Italian)
Franco Lessi (a cura di): I Luoghi della Fede. Volterra e la Val di Cecina. Arnoldo Mondadori Editore , Milan 1999, ISBN 88-04-46773-8