Capanne: Village History, Art and Archaeology

Capanne is a modest rural village formerly known as Capanne di Saturni. Its origins date back to the 15th century, when the Republic of Siena arranged for it to be founded as a modest agricultural center. This origin gives the place a clear historical context. Village history, sacred art and archaeological traces offer different points of interest for travelers interested in cultural history. If you are looking for a hotel in Capanne, these themes can help you see how the place aligns with your interests.

A Rural Place with a History

The Church of the Visitation of Mary in Capanne is dated to 1570, based on the year above its entrance portal. A building arranged in an L shape next to the church in Capanne has a small triangular plaque on its facade bearing the year 1500. The building to the left of the parish church in Capanne is traditionally identified as a prison; people who were subject to the jurisdiction of Saturnia are said to have been held there. The dates and the interpretation of the building as a prison represent different kinds of historical classification: specific dates on the one hand, and a traditionally attributed former use on the other.

Sacred Art in Capanne

The Church of the Visitation of Mary in Poggio Capanne houses two works with different subjects and dates. A 19th-century painting depicts the enthroned Madonna and Child between Saint Anthony the Abbot and Saint Joseph. The church also houses a reduced-size 17th-century copy of Federico Barrocci’s 1586 altarpiece of the Visitation in the Chiesa Nuova in Rome. The relationship between the original and the copy offers a distinct art-historical point of reference: Barrocci’s altarpiece is the older work, while the smaller version belongs to the following century. The subject of the Visitation also differs from the depiction of the enthroned Madonna with the two saints. A wooden crucifix in Capanne is associated with local legends and traditions. Casa Luciani in Capanne bears the year 1500 as its date of foundation and houses a fresco depicting the Madonna and Child with saints. The year 1500 thus appears both on the facade plaque and as the foundation date of Casa Luciani, marking two different historical references.

Archaeological Traces

Several caves cut into the rock have been identified near Poggio Capanne. Their appearance and features resemble those of necropolises associated with the Rinaldone culture. A copper axe from the necropolis near Poggio Capanne is dated to the first phase of the Early Bronze Age. These remains offer two different archaeological perspectives: the caves are considered primarily through comparisons of their form and features, while the axe has a specific chronological attribution.

Discover more destinations: Saturnia, Marsiliana, Montemerano, Poggio Murella

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