{"id":7473,"date":"2013-08-29T14:19:13","date_gmt":"2013-08-29T12:19:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arttrav.com\/?p=7473"},"modified":"2014-02-09T10:10:57","modified_gmt":"2014-02-09T09:10:57","slug":"pia-de-tolomei","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arttrav.com\/tuscany\/pia-de-tolomei\/","title":{"rendered":"Salto della Contessa: Learning about Pia de’ Tolomei through popular culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

See this street sign for via de\u2019 Tolomei<\/strong>? It\u2019s on the side of an old one-room schoolhouse, across the street from our home in Sticciano<\/strong>, in the Maremma <\/strong>area of Tuscany.<\/p>\n

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While I was looking for events and things to do in Maremma<\/a> this summer, I came across a celebration called the Salto della Contessa<\/strong> that is held annually in August in Gavorrano<\/strong>. The celebration commemorates the death of the young and beautiful Pia dei Tolomei<\/strong>, which Dante<\/strong> mentions in canto V of Purgatorio<\/em>, the only mention of the Maremma in the whole book and considered a particularly beautiful verse.<\/p>\n

Needless to say, we went to the popular festivities in Gavorrano in order to find out more about the Tolomei family, the namesake of our neighbouring street, and what happened to poor Pia. I learned a bit through the historical reenactment, a bit more by talking to the waiter and neighbours at our table at a local restaurant, and a bit more online. It turns out that Pia holds strong in popular culture<\/strong> even today!<\/p>\n

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Pia de’ Tolomei at the window in Gavorrano<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Tolomei, Pannocchieschi,<\/p>\n

<\/strong> Aldobrandeschi and Ardengheschi<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Tolomei were an important family in Medieval Siena<\/strong>. The young and beautiful Pia was given in matrimony to Nello dei Pannocchieschi<\/strong> (born 1248, he was an old man) probably around 1297. He was the lord of Castel di Pietra, a now-ruined castle near Gavorrano, and controlled much of this territory, as well as acting as podest\u00e0<\/em> (elected temporary leader) of various towns in Tuscany over the years. The marriage was of course set up for political reasons, perhaps \u2013 though this is my own speculation \u2013 a part of Siena\u2019s ongoing attraction to the Maremma, which they would eventually take over.<\/p>\n

The historical record is not precise, but there are various suppositions about what happened to Pia \u2013 if Pia de\u2019 Tolomei actually existed (there seems to be some doubt that she was actually a Tolomei, and may have been so by marriage rather than by birth). Her husband killed her, this much we know, likely throwing her from a window of the castle after holding her prisoner there for some time. The supposed motivation was adultery, which he may have suspected based on a tip from a \u201cfriend.\u201d The \u201cadultery\u201d (quite possibly false) may well have been an excuse to get rid of the Sienese girl for a more desirable match, either for love or political reasons. For Nello then married Margherita Aldobrandeschi, whose family was well rooted in the area of the Maremma: the Aldobrandeschi and Ardengheschi families<\/strong> were the two most powerful families in Maremma and they tended to fight for hill towns and related territories.<\/p>\n

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Plaque commemorating Pia and the relevant verse of Dante on a wall at Castel di Pietra – souce: wikipedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Nello died in 1322, in his will, he recalls his daughter Fresca, who was married to a certain Bindo da Sticciano<\/strong>, of the Ardengheschi family. Sticciano was, in fact, under Ardengheschi control in the thirteenth century. It\u2019s a stretch, but perhaps Fresca and Bindo lived on via de\u2019 Tolomei in Sticciano, recalling the family of the woman who might have been their mother.<\/p>\n

Salto della Contessa
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In Gavorrano<\/strong>, Pia and her leap to death has been commemorated annually for at least a decade. A parade of villagers in historical costume and an exhibit of skill by flag throwers kicks off the evening of celebration, which is accompanied by food and crowds.<\/p>\n

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Historical procession in Gavorrano<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Pia being led to her death<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Around 11:30pm, the much awaited happening lasts only 5 minutes. A voice reads the verse from Dante\u2019s Purgatory:<\/p>\n

“Deh, quando tu sarai tornato al mondo,<\/em><\/p>\n

e riposato de la lunga via”,<\/em>
\n seguit\u00f2 ‘l terzo spirito al secondo,<\/em><\/p>\n

“Ricorditi di me, che son la Pia;<\/em>
\n Siena mi f\u00e9, disfecemi Maremma:<\/em>
\n salsi colui che ‘nnanellata pria<\/em><\/p>\n

disposando m’avea con la sua gemma”.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A spotlight shines on a medieval palazzo, to a window on the third floor, where we see a couple struggle\u2026 with a scream, the lovely girl drops to the ground. Splat. The crowd points cell phones and cameras to the window and cheers as Pia falls to her death. Tommaso caught it on video.<\/p>\n