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Dal sito del Comune di Civitella della Chiana
This settlement is situated on the hilltop, at 525m. above sea level, in a dominant position with enchanting views overlooking the Val di Chiana and the hills which separate it from the Val D’Ambra.
Historically, Civitella owes its importance to its strategic position in the area in comparison to roads towards Siena and Florence, as well as its fundamental role in defending the town of Arezzo, where Bishops Conti had taken up their residence with a double function; military shelter and summer residence.
The castle lived its time of fullest splendour with Bishop Guido Tarlati, who proclaimed himself Lord of Civitella and took up his own residence there. Several buildings had to be built against the castle walls as service facilities for garrisson, stables, deposits for provisions and servants.
The final town layout dates back to about the second half of the 13th century, when Bishop Guglielmino of Ubertini decided to erect some impressive fortifications on the foundations of Cassero, already a refined residence of bishops from Arezzo, which stood on former Roman and Lombard fortification.
The town had come about according to a set plan due to the morphology of the land and the pre-existing buildings, such as villages built against the Siennese gate, the castle and the church of S. Maria. As it grew, it became the bearing axis of the town planning structure, like a sort of big, extended square with Becattini Square at one end and Lazzeri Square at the other end, linked by a short street called Martiri di Civitella. Along this public area, the main architectural findings of Civitella can be seen, a large proportion of which were rebuilt following the considerable destruction suffered after the 1944 German retaliation:
The Becattini building, owned by the same until 1877, now serves as an old people’s home.
Palazzo del Podestà, which in the 15th century was provided with an open arcade with arches in brickwork, was then extended to other buildings in Via Maestra to form a continuous colonnade. On the inside, there are frescoes dating back to the 14th century, whilst on the outside, several recently restored armorial bearings, of the Podestà di Civitella, are to be admired.
The building formerly a Chancellery of the community, dated circa 1360, then given over to school use and today partially used as a post office.
The beautiful stone reservoir, on an octagonal base, has been a unique and irreplaceable water resource for many centuries for the benefit of the castle and the community.
The Ninci building in Lazzeri Square, the result of several buildings put into effect in the 18th century.
The church of S. Maria, dates back to the year 1000, reconstructed in Romanesque style with stone pillars in 1252, then removed in the restoration of 1765. At the beginning of 1900, it was enlarged and finally rebuilt after the 1944 war.
Besides the castle and the architectural monuments mentioned above, we recommend seeing the circle of walls with its several bulwarks following the convenient bypass. In addition to the various views, you can admire the original re-entrant form of the Siennese gate in which you can even see a nice Tabernacle with the Madonna and Child’s effigy in majolica policroma, clearly by Robbiana school, dated 1522.
Magister Rainerius
A teacher of Civitella in the ancient University of Arezzo in the second half of the thirteenth century.
La Torre
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La rocca e le mura
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The fortress and the boundary wall
Built on a pre-existent settlement from the Etruscan-Roman age, Civitella’s fortress was used during the Lombard Kingdom rule as a means to control the territory thanks its strategic position. Since XI century important buildings certainly existed on the site, as the bishops garrison “vescovi-conti” of Arezzo. By 1182 it had already assumed the look of a tower. In 1248 the bishop Guglielmino degli Ubertini (1210-1289) chose it as his home. Even if he belonged to the Ghibelline faction, the bishop entered in contrast with the town of Arezzo, so he retired to Civitella becoming the leader of a Gulf group. After having resisted the Sienese army, Guglielmino could not avoid an assault by the Ghibellines of Arezzo in 1265, who destroyed the fortress. Later Guglielmino returned to Arezzo and took the control of the city and enforced Civitella’s walls and had the fortress rebuilt. Inside the ceilings were substituted by cross vaults and in front a courtyard with a staircase was built in order to enter the first floor; finally he erected a wall to separate the quarterdeck from the rest. Between 1284 and 1285 it was the scene of a siege by the Ghibelline army of Arezzo.
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The factionalism of that age lead the bishop to change his allies: in the 80’s he supported the Ghibellines, and thanks the help of Bonoconte da Montefeltro, his army in 1288 defeated the Sienese one in Pieve al Toppo. (Battle of Pieve al Toppo) The following year he could not stop the Florentine army, who defeated Arezzo during the famous “battle of Campaldino”, where Guglielmino himself died. At the age of Guido Tarlati (beginning of XIV century), the fortress had two entrances: the main one inside the town and the other on the north side, linked to the dungeon through a gallery. Inside the fortress were the residence of the garrison and the servants, the stables and a piazza of coats of arms. A pavilion roof covered the tower. The façade was covered by two orders of balconies surrounding the entire building. On the right, are the remains of another tower. The fortress was damaged and partly destroyed at the end of the Second World War, after German military reprisals in 1944. Besides the castle, it is possible to admire an enlarged wall, enriched by several bastions visible from the ring road. Another wall was erected inside the castle wall to separate the fortress from the rest.
