The ancient Medieval burg of Campiglia Marittima. Tuscany, Italy
The ancient Medieval burg of Campiglia Marittima-
testo e foto di Giovanni Camici
Campiglia Marittima, a Medieval town nestled on 2 hills 276 meters above sea level, called Rocca and Poggiame, surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and Mediterranean bush, it is believed that already had settlements in the Etruscan period, from the testimonies that are located just outside of village, with remains of forges (dating back to 7th 8th century BC), where they were melted lead and copper deposits in the area was rich.
The village is enclosed within a wall, formed by a latch of paved streets, squares, balconies, palaces, churches, arranged in concentric semicircles.
Written sources documenting that the 'town of Campiglia Marittima existed as early as XI century., The first document that dates back at Campiglia appointment of Count II of Gherardo Gherardesca. in 1004.
For it is with the 'arrival of the Counts of Gerardesca which is built the fortress, and then dominated by the town of Pisa,
thus overlooking the territory 's archbishopric pisan. Because of its location Campiglia is made for this and Assisi along with other castles in the area also became home to a masters, headed by a captain, a judge and a notaio.Campiglia remains until 1406 in the town of Pisa to the capitulation of the same in the town of Florence, in the battle of 1509.Da this time onwards, the economic importance and military campiglia suffer a great decline to the point of being abandoned, and even in 1664 the ground inside the fortress was used and rented to agricultural land.
Outside the city:
there are other sites of interest, such as The Church of S. Antonio 16th century. or the church of Our Lady of Fucinaia existing already in 1493, and to which was attached an Augustinian monastery, here is venerated the Virgin, an image found on a breeding ground of 'age, dinfine and the church of San Sebastian of the 14th century.
Archeominerario park with the castle of St. Sylvester, the original X ° - XI century. When the accounts of Gherardesca decided to start mining in the area, becoming an urban settlement with both houses of city walls to defend, a church and a few tanks for the city is divided into 2 parts, one housing with a case plan and 'other industrial and craft, this urban and economic prosperity came with the fall of Gherardesca and the coming of the new family Della Rocca in the twelfth century .. With the discovery of new mines, the inhabitants began to decline, rural areas and starting this settlement was finally abandoned in the next century.
Pieve di San Giovanni, in the Tuscan Romanesque style dating from 1113 although its origins to think the damage that already existed at that time, over the door 's side entrance looking Campiglia, let us note a high relief representing the hunting of wild boar.