Marciano

Since ancient times, Marciano is quite important, be it for its excellent agricultural area that for its strategic position. The Etruscan presence around the IV century B.C. is testified by a great number of archeological findings, one of which, the fantastic “Torso of Marciano”, exhibited at the Archeological Museum in Arezzo, reminds us of the hegemony that Chiusi exerted on the territory of Marciano during the Etruscan period. During the Roman period, the territory is subdivided by two eminent families in “fundus Marcianus” and “fundus Rasinianus”. The first name is inherited from the first family, whereas the second one comes from the introduction of the manufacturing of “coral vases”. Whereas , the Gothic and the Longobard people are the ones that started building the town fortifications. There are traces of the presence of Marciano around the year one thousand. In 1084 Marciano is owned by the Badia di San Quirico, connected by strong bonds to the episcopate of Arezzo. At the same time , the ancient parish of San Pietro in Agello was built. It was later transformed in a farm house ,but the parish ruins are still visible nowadays in the actual structure. During the XII century, Marciano, already an independent township, is put under the direct authority of Arezzo and its powerful episcopate, that supplied its new territory with a huge defensive system, building walls, towers and a new castle. The dominion of the curiae of Arezzo eclipses at the end of 1300, leaving its place to Siena and then Florence, in 1384. The Republic of Siena encloses Marciano with the “comunitas” of Foiano in 1417. In 1439 the fortress of Marciano is attacked by the company Bernardino della Carda but it’s able to resist. In 1554, there’s the famous battle of Marciano, after which Florence definitely overcomes the Sienese resistance, acquiring full dominion of the town and of all the other areas of the county of Arezzo, disputed with the town of the palio. The town will remain faithful to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany during the French occupation in 1799, but will actively participate to the revival movements that will give life to the Kingdom of Italy.