Stigliano (Sovicille)

Ancient era

As showed by excavations of ruins of castellieri (walls protecting ancient settlements), the origins of Stigliano date to Iron Age times. Scholars have suggested that these structures could have been built by the Etruscans as a defense against the invasion of the Senones. Presence of the latter is confirmed by local toponyms, such as the name of the village Brenna, close to Stigliano, which could stem from the name of their leader Brennus. The name of the local Merse river, which flows behind Stigliano, is potentially directly related to Merseburg, a town in eastern Germany.

Although very little is known of Stigliano during the Roman times, the name of Sextilianum which appears in later records, may show the existence of the town at the time.

Middle Ages

Stigliano is the site for one of the many castles that were part of the Ardenghesca consortium.

In the 14th century, Stigliano was the hub of a network of roads crossing the region, one to Massa Marittima and another following the Rosia river to the Maremma. All routes passed through the village of Torri and Stigliano; traces of the old roads can be seen in the woods nearby Stigliano.

The presence of a monastery at Torri triggered economic growth in the area. The monks carried out an agricultural and industrial revolution, draining the marshes and introducing water mills along the Merse.

An abundance of water and natural source of energy influenced the development of Stigliano and the neighbouring villages during the 13th century. This was of particular importance for Siena, the major city in the area, which had no rivers or natural resources of its own. The first established industry was that of the Wool Masters “The Follatura”, who signed a contract with the monks at Torri to develop the natural springs into a series of aqueducts, one of which still serves the comune at Sovicille. The straight dirt track which goes to San Rocco a Pilli was also built at this time.

The river was also diverted to create room for construction of two large mills, “Sassa” and “Volta”. These mills were indispensable for the production of flour to supply Siena. This intricate mediaeval hydraulic system stretched for kilometers and was one of the most important technical achievements of the Middle Ages in Tuscany.

During this era, Stigliano was an independent commune, owning large areas of woodland and granting permits for allotments to its inhabitants, not only to farmers but also commercial entrepreneurs and merchants. There are documents recording deals of land exchanges with the Sienese as far back at the 13th century. However, after the outbreak of the Black Death in 1348 and the subsequent decline of the population, these achievements were neglected and even the revival of agriculture in the 18th century could not compare with the thriving centre in mediaeval times. The plague and the subsequent appearance of the ruthless condottieri armies which plundered of the countryside, ruined the synergy between the commune and its lands.

Travel & Tourism

Not far from the famous medieval city of Siena in Tuscany, the hilltop village of Stigliano is today a popular tourist location. With its impressive stone tower standing sentinel over the valley, Stigliano looks much as it did in the 13th century. Many of the ancient buildings have, however, been restored to provide attractive holiday apartments owned by the Holiday Property Bond (HPB).