Saturnia
Encyclopedia
Saturnia is a spa town in Tuscany
in north-central Italy that has been inhabited since ancient times. It is a frazione
of the comune
of Manciano
, in the province of Grosseto
. Famous for the homonym spa
, its population is of 280.
. Legend has it that he grew tired of the constant wars of humans, and sent a thunderbolt to earth that created a magic spring of warm sulphurous water which would pacify mankind.
Dionysius of Halicarnassus
lists Saturnia as one of the towns first occupied by the Pelasgi
and then by the Etruscan civilization
. A Roman
colony arrived in 183 BC
, but little is known about it other than the fact that it was a prefecture
. There are still remains of the city walls, in the polygon
al style, which contain Roman gateways. Roman remains have also been discovered within the town, and remains of tomb
s outside. These tombs were originally covered by tumuli, which have now disappeared, so that George Dennis, author of Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria, mistook them for megalith
ic remains.
In 1300 Saturnia became the hideout of outlaws and was razed to the ground by the Sienese. Forgotten for several centuries, Saturnia was rediscovered in the late 1800s when the land around the spring was drained and a spa built. Thousands of visitors come to bathe in the waters to this day.
The Church of Santa Maria Maddalena is the main church in Saturnia. The earliest historical records related to the church date back to 1188, but the building is due to a restoration of 1933.
The church holds the famous Madonna and Child frescoe attributed to Benvenuto di Giovanni
at the end of the 15th century.
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
in north-central Italy that has been inhabited since ancient times. It is a frazione
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
of the comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of Manciano
Manciano
Manciano may refer to several places in Italy:*Manciano, a comune in the Province of Grosseto, Tuscany*Manciano, Umbria, a frazione of Trevi in the Province of Perugia, Umbria* Manciano, a locality of Morlupo in the Province of Rome, Lazio...
, in the province of Grosseto
Province of Grosseto
The Province of Grosseto is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Grosseto.-Geography:It has an area of 4,504 km², and a total population of 227.498...
. Famous for the homonym spa
Terme di Saturnia
The Terme di Saturnia are a group of springs located in the municipality of Manciano, a few kilometers from the village of Saturnia. The springs that feed the baths, which are found in the south-eastern valley, cover a vast territory that stretches from Mount Amiata and the hills of the Fiora...
, its population is of 280.
Geography
It lies about 23 miles northeast of Orbetello and the coast. Near the village, 800 litres per second of sulphurous water at 37°C gushes into a large natural pool, flowing over a waterfall and down to a series of natural pools carved in the rock.History
Saturnia takes its name from the Roman god Saturn(us)Saturn (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Saturn was a major god presiding over agriculture and the harvest time. His reign was depicted as a Golden Age of abundance and peace by many Roman authors. In medieval times he was known as the Roman god of agriculture, justice and strength. He held a sickle in...
. Legend has it that he grew tired of the constant wars of humans, and sent a thunderbolt to earth that created a magic spring of warm sulphurous water which would pacify mankind.
Dionysius of Halicarnassus
Dionysius of Halicarnassus
Dionysius of Halicarnassus was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Caesar Augustus. His literary style was Attistic — imitating Classical Attic Greek in its prime.-Life:...
lists Saturnia as one of the towns first occupied by the Pelasgi
Pelasgians
The name Pelasgians was used by some ancient Greek writers to refer to populations that were either the ancestors of the Greeks or who preceded the Greeks in Greece, "a hold-all term for any ancient, primitive and presumably indigenous people in the Greek world." In general, "Pelasgian" has come...
and then by the Etruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
. A Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
colony arrived in 183 BC
183 BC
Year 183 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Marcellus and Labeo...
, but little is known about it other than the fact that it was a prefecture
Prefecture
A prefecture is an administrative jurisdiction or subdivision in any of various countries and within some international church structures, and in antiquity a Roman district governed by an appointed prefect.-Antiquity:...
. There are still remains of the city walls, in the polygon
Polygon
In geometry a polygon is a flat shape consisting of straight lines that are joined to form a closed chain orcircuit.A polygon is traditionally a plane figure that is bounded by a closed path, composed of a finite sequence of straight line segments...
al style, which contain Roman gateways. Roman remains have also been discovered within the town, and remains of tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
s outside. These tombs were originally covered by tumuli, which have now disappeared, so that George Dennis, author of Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria, mistook them for megalith
Megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...
ic remains.
In 1300 Saturnia became the hideout of outlaws and was razed to the ground by the Sienese. Forgotten for several centuries, Saturnia was rediscovered in the late 1800s when the land around the spring was drained and a spa built. Thousands of visitors come to bathe in the waters to this day.
Church of Santa Maria Maddalena
The church holds the famous Madonna and Child frescoe attributed to Benvenuto di Giovanni
Benvenuto di Giovanni
Benvenuto di Giovanni, also known as Benvenuto di Giovanni di Meo del Guasta was an Italian painter and artist.Benvenuto was born in Siena and lived and worked there nearly his entire life. Over the course of 43 years he produced numerous panel paintings, frescoes, and manuscripts. He was married...
at the end of the 15th century.
Other sights
- Rocca AldobrandescaAldobrandeschi familyThe Aldobrandeschi were an Italian noble family from southern Tuscany.Of probable Lombard origin, they appear in history as the counts of Santa Fiora in the late 8th/early 9th centuries, although a Ghidelmo Aldobrandeschi is mentioned as lord of Roselle as early as 729...
- Saturnia Walls (Mura di Saturnia)
- Roman Gate (Porta Romana)
- Archaeological museum
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