Piancastagnaio
Piancastagnaio is a town with 4200 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) in the province of Siena, Tuscany region of Italy.
Geography
The site extends over 69 km ². It is located about 60 km southeast of Siena and about 110 km southeast of Florence.
The neighboring municipalities are Abbadia San Salvatore, Castell'Azzara (GR), Proceno (VT), San Casciano dei Bagni and Santa Fiora ( GR).
History
From the 11th century the place was under the rule of the Feudalherrenfamilie Aldobrandeschi. At the end of the same century the civilian rule between feudal lords and the monastery of San Salvatore Abbadia informed on. In the 13th century the Visconti, then Orvieto prevailed. 1415 Siena conquered the place, after their defeat became the rule Florence. This gave the place in 1600 at the Bourbon del Monte Santa Maria in fief. The reforms of Leopold II, the village was a separate municipality.
Palio and Contradas
The Palio di Piancastagnaio takes place every year on the 18th of August and is a Palio, which is discharged with horses. He probably takes place since the 16th century, the winners are, however, documented only since 1954. In the Palio, the four Contraden (German neighborhoods / districts ) of the historic city compete against each other. This Contaden are:
- Borgo (yellow- blue coat of arms with a black horse)
- Coro (red- black crest with a golden eagle)
- Castello (red- green coat of arms with golden castle )
- Voltaia ( black and white crest with oak in City Gate)
Attractions
- Castello degli Aldobrandeschi also aldobrandesca Rocca, a medieval castle
- Chiesa della Madonna delle Grazie church contains frescoes dating from 1468 by Nanni di Pietro
- Chiesa di San Francesco, consecrated the church in 1278
- Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta, in 1188 already mentioned Pieve
Personalities
- Pietro Maria Pieri OSM (1676-1743), Cardinal