Itinerary

MURA - Museum of the Rocca Aldobrandesca of Suvereto

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The birth of the settlement

From the 7th century, the customs and dwelling places which were typical of the Roman world changed profoundly. Most plains in this territory were sparsely populated, with small communities developing on mountains or hills – their residents living in groups of huts protected by wooden palisades. Many of these settlements were built on land belonging to counts, abbots, bishops and important aristocratic families, such as the Aldobrandeschi family from Lucca who, from the 9th century, began a process of expansion in this area, and eventually controlled a vast territory extending from Suvereto up to Mount Amiata, along with the territories of Siena and Lazio.
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The first castle

A contract of sale, dated April 973, cites many fortifications controlled by the Aldobrandeschi family, including Suvereto court "cum suo castello". This is the oldest document attesting to the existence of Suvereto's first castle on the hill. Archaeological investigations have unearthed pre-10th century hut settlements that made extensive use of wood as a building material, as in most fortified settlements in Tuscany at the time. In the 10th century, these huts made of wood and clay were replaced by huts set on a solid mason foundation of rough stone with good lime mortar.
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The stone castle

Archaeological evidence points to a profound change which took place in the 7th century, similar to the changes occurring at numerous fortified settlements in the region at the time. The first entirely stone structure was built on the summit plateau, perhaps surrounded by a wall which no longer exists. A building of limited dimensions, this tower supports the theory that many things changed in only two centuries. Walls built of square stone blocks attest to new and more specialized building skills, as well as significant economic investment by the owner. Castles had, in fact, become power symbols – the costs incurred for their construction demonstrating the power of the aristocratic class, and legitimizing their control over the community who resided and worked near the castle.
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From the Castle to the Rocca

The complex known as the Rocca is the end result of a series of complex construction events that saw an important transitional moment in the 12th century – the end of an era dominated by the secular hegemony of the Aldobrandeschi and the start of a new era dominated by the Municipality of Suvereto and the expanding city of Pisa. The 12th century tower was enlarged, and may even be the turreted fortress mentioned in Pisa's statutes dating 1284. Between the late-13th and early-14th centuries, the fortified complex was further expanded, with the construction of a two-story annex built against the tower's north face. Completed in 1308, as evidenced by an inscription carved into an access arch, the new building was designed to accommodate Pisa's military garrison.
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The first Municipality of Suvereto

After the formation of Suvereto’s first municipality in the 13th century, the original Castle of Suvereto was enlarged. A new and larger boundary wall with two gates was built, with religious complexes and the Town Hall inside. The economic prosperity of artisans and merchants led to the adoption of new urban building models. The "casa-bottega" (shop-houses) had large arches on the ground floor and small doors leading to the above dwelling. The "case a pilastro" (pillar-houses) had stone corner pillars and wooden doors to close the various floors. Suvereto's housing models were influenced by Pisan architecture since, in the 13th century, Pisa controlled the stretch of coastline until Castiglione della Pescaia and Pisan craftsmen also worked in this territory. In fact, the pillar-house originated in Pisa and from there was exported to many of the expanding rural settlements, even those outside Pisa's domain.