Sessiano 714 - Asciano 2014: a history of 1300 years

THE DISCOVERY OF A SPLENDID MULTI-COLOURED ROMAN MOSAIC (LOCATED IN VIA DEL CANTO) DATING BACK THE 3RD CENTURY AD, PROVES THE ROMAN ORIGINS OF THE VILLAGE OF ASCIANO. THE ROMAN VILLA WHERE THE MOSAIC IS LOCATED DOMINATED THE VALLEY OF THE BESTINA AND OMBRONE RIVERS. THE VILLAGE OF ASCIANO BEGAN TO GROW AROUND THE VILLA AROUND 1300 YEARS AGO AS A DOCUMENT DATED 714 AD CONFIRMS.
BUT THE QUESTION IS: WHAT HAPPENED EXACTLY 1300 YEARS AGO IN THIS WONDERFUL TERRITORY AND IN THE VILLAGE OF ASCIANO?

- The dispute between the bishops of Siena and Arezzo -

Squeezed tightly between the Etruscan cities of Arezzo and Volterra, during the Roman age Siena was the main town of a still tiny territory. Between the end of the 6th century and the beginning of the 7th century, Siena fell into Longobardian hands and soon became an important crossroads and military stronghold for the control of Southern Tuscany. The original documents prove that the whole area around Siena was under the direct control of the Longobardian sovereign, ruling the town and territories through his governor ("gastaldo"). During this period the territory controlled by Siena was widely extended, especially taking territories once belonging to Arezzo. Nevertheless THE BOUNDARIES OF THE BISHOPRIES DID NOT ALWAYS MATCH CIVIL BORDERS. Therefore during this age a very odd situation occurred as, inside the boundaries of Siena there are several religious centers under the control of the bishop of Arezzo. This situation generated recurrent conflicts. That's why the Siena bishop Mauro started claiming the control of religious buildings outside the diocese. One of these was the little church of St. Iohannis in Rancia (nowadays Pievina in the nearby of Vescona, in territory of Asciano). The case was solved around the year 650 AD with a compromise whereas the disputed churches were recognized as being of Arezzo ownership starting in the middle of the 6th century (aD). In a chronicle signed by the Arezzo primicerius Gerardo dated the 2nd half of the 11th century it is mentioned that, around the year 711 during the visit of the Arezzo bishop Luperziano to the church of S. Maria in Pacina (now in the province of Siena) a furious argument broke out between the bishop's retinue and the men of Siena's ruler Tagiperto and the Siena royal magistrate Godiperto. The quarrel soon led to the killing of Godiperto but also to the following flight of the Arezzo bishop and the occupation of several churches and religious sites located at the diocese's boundaries by the Siena bishop Adeodato. During the three years following this event, the religious sites shifting under the control of Siena increased significantly to the number of 19, covering a huge zone including the areas of Chianti, Berardenga, Scialenga Valdichiana and Val d'Orcia. These are all the then disputed parish churches:

The year 714 was decisive for the settling of the dispute as during this year the bishop of Arezzo met the high representative of the Longobardian king while passing through the town. The bishop informed the representative about the question of Pacina and the following claims of the bishop of Siena on the 19 disputed locations. During the month of August of the same year, Ambrogio, the representative of king Liutprando drew up a final judgement in favour of the bishop of Arezzo regarding the 19 parish churches. AMONG THESE LOCATIONS MENTIONED IN THE JUDGEMENT THERE IS THE “SANCTA MATER ECCLESIA” IN SESSIANO, MARKING THE FIRST TIME ASCIANO WAS MENTIONED IN THE HISTORY OF WRITTEN SOURCES. In this document the religious structure named Sancta Mater Ecclesia is described as the “basis of other churches“ built up in the surrounding area. THIS IS NOWADAYS THE CHURCH OF SANT'IPPOLITO. During the following year 715, the special envoy of the king, Gunteram started gathering evidence from witnesses with the aim of solving the dispute between the two bishops. The document includes the statements of a huge number of witnesses as the longobardian governor of Siena, Willerat and his son Zottone, the founder of the monastery of S. ANGELO IN LUCO, IN THE NEARBY OF CHIUSURE (nowadays belonging to the municipality of Asciano). This judgement mentions also other witnesses called to settle the dispute and, among them, ONNIUS, the parish of BAPTISTERUM SANCTI IPOLITI e Picto senex, scario regis de curte qui dicitur Sessiano. Such mention is historically very important as it is an indirect confirmation of the settling of a royal court in Asciano.
The longobardian Sessiano was part of the royal holdings run by a so called scario who was, in this specific case, a citizen of Siena (senex). Although it is not easy to assess the number of the inhabitants and the density of population throughout the territory in this period, it is certain that Asciano was an agricultural settlement. A village more or less with a centre made of the houses of farmers cultivating the land. Probably one or more farmhouses were connected to the presence of a royal representative. The Curtis of Asciano would have looked like a property inside a precise boundary marked by a fence or palisade reflecting the real significance of the latin word Curtis meaning enclosure or fenced off zone.