Semifonte
Encyclopedia
Semifonte was a fortified city in Tuscany
, Italy
, built during the late 12th century and destroyed after a siege by Florence
in 1202. Its remains are within the modern comune
of Barberino Val d'Elsa
.
It was sited mid-way between Florence and Siena
on a hill overlooking the Elsa valley and the intersection of the two main routes in the area, the Via Francigena
and the Via Chiantigiana, so enabling it to control trade in Tuscany. This dominant position proved to be its downfall.
The peace treaty required the surviving inhabitants to demolish their own city, exiled them all and forbade any further building on the site. Supposedly the salt was plowed into the ground
. After the demolition, the stone was transported to nearby Barberino Val d'Elsa
and was used in 1204 to build the walls that still stand today.
It was not until the 16th century that a commemorative chapel, dedicated to St Michael, was built on the site of Semifonte, by Santi di Tito
in 1597; or in the 18th century by the Lorena family. The dome surmounting the chapel is a one-eighth scale replica of Brunelleschi
's dome on the cathedral of Florence,
Today, very little remains of the city: one truncated tower of the southern gate (Porta San Niccolò) and a nearby chapel, plus various buried remains. These are to be found on the summit of the hill above the village of Petrognano-Semifonte, which dates back to the time of the city and stood outside the walls.
The Florentine campaign is documented in the archives of Florence. The events were also described by Pace di Certaldo, a contemporary author. There is a modern account in Italian in the book "Semifonte" by Enzo Salvini.
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 ....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, built during the late 12th century and destroyed after a siege by Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
in 1202. Its remains are within the modern 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 Barberino Val d'Elsa
Barberino Val d'Elsa
Barberino Val d'Elsa is a comune in the Province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 30 km south of Florence.The township of Barberino Val d'Elsa is located above the valley from which it takes its name...
.
It was sited mid-way between Florence and Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
on a hill overlooking the Elsa valley and the intersection of the two main routes in the area, the Via Francigena
Via Francigena
The Via Francigena is an ancient road between Rome and Canterbury, passing through England, France, Switzerland and Italy. In mediaeval times it was an important road and pilgrimage route...
and the Via Chiantigiana, so enabling it to control trade in Tuscany. This dominant position proved to be its downfall.
The peace treaty required the surviving inhabitants to demolish their own city, exiled them all and forbade any further building on the site. Supposedly the salt was plowed into the ground
Salting the earth
Salting the earth, or sowing with salt, is the ritual of spreading salt on conquered cities to symbolize a curse on its re-inhabitation. It originated as a practice in the ancient Near East and became a well-established folkloric motif in the Middle Ages.-Destroying cities:The custom of purifying...
. After the demolition, the stone was transported to nearby Barberino Val d'Elsa
Barberino Val d'Elsa
Barberino Val d'Elsa is a comune in the Province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 30 km south of Florence.The township of Barberino Val d'Elsa is located above the valley from which it takes its name...
and was used in 1204 to build the walls that still stand today.
It was not until the 16th century that a commemorative chapel, dedicated to St Michael, was built on the site of Semifonte, by Santi di Tito
Santi di Tito
Santi di Tito was an Italian painter of Late-Mannerist or proto-Baroque style, what is sometimes referred to as Contra-Maniera or Counter-Mannerism.-Biography:...
in 1597; or in the 18th century by the Lorena family. The dome surmounting the chapel is a one-eighth scale replica of Brunelleschi
Filippo Brunelleschi
Filippo Brunelleschi was one of the foremost architects and engineers of the Italian Renaissance. He is perhaps most famous for inventing linear perspective and designing the dome of the Florence Cathedral, but his accomplishments also included bronze artwork, architecture , mathematics,...
's dome on the cathedral of Florence,
Today, very little remains of the city: one truncated tower of the southern gate (Porta San Niccolò) and a nearby chapel, plus various buried remains. These are to be found on the summit of the hill above the village of Petrognano-Semifonte, which dates back to the time of the city and stood outside the walls.
The Florentine campaign is documented in the archives of Florence. The events were also described by Pace di Certaldo, a contemporary author. There is a modern account in Italian in the book "Semifonte" by Enzo Salvini.