Sismano
Encyclopedia
Sismano, a little medieval borgo
, is a frazione
of the Italian commune of Avigliano Umbro
, in the province of Terni
. Sismano lies 13 km from Todi
and 5 km from Avigliano; according to the Italian state census of 2001, Sismano has 17 inhabitants in the densely built historic center and 308 in all.
The large fortified rocca
with two semi-circular towers, first built in the eleventh century as part of the border defenses of Todi, had 21 hearths in 1322, according to a survey at Todi It was a possession of Benedetto Caetani, who spent many months here between 1281 and 1294, when he was elected pope, as Boniface VIII
.
In 1324, a bloody battle was fought in the vicinity, between forces of Todi
and Perugia
and their friends and allies from Narni
, Spoleto
and Florence
. The castle's fortifications were strengthened in 1340, when it was contended for by two local noble families, the Atti and the Chiaravalle, in a vendetta
giving rise to numerous tragic episodes, following the beheading of Catalano Atti in 1393. In 1461 Matteo di Ulisse Chiaravalle took it from Giacomo and Andrea degli Atti. In 1500 the Borgia Pope Alexander VI
resolved the long-standing dispute in favour of the Atti, signors of Todi. On 14 October 1575, Eleanora Atti was murdered here by her husband, Orso II Orsini.
The Castello di Sismano, rebuilt in 1607
Borgo
Borgo is an Italian word , cognate with English borough, German Burg, French bourg, that now usually means the new town outside the walls of an old town...
, is a frazione
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
of the Italian commune of Avigliano Umbro
Avigliano Umbro
Avigliano Umbro is a comune in the Province of Terni in the Italian region Umbria, located about 50 km south of Perugia and about 20 km northwest of Terni.-External links:* *...
, in the province of Terni
Province of Terni
The Province of Terni is the smaller of the two provinces in the Umbria region of Italy, comprising one-third of both the area and population of the region. Its capital is the city of Terni...
. Sismano lies 13 km from Todi
Todi
Todi is a town and comune of the province of Perugia in central Italy. It is perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river Tiber, commanding distant views in every direction.In the 1990s, Richard S...
and 5 km from Avigliano; according to the Italian state census of 2001, Sismano has 17 inhabitants in the densely built historic center and 308 in all.
The large fortified rocca
Rocca (architecture)
Rocca is an Italian term meaning a high, fortifiable stronghold, usually located in smaller towns, beneath or on which the village or town clustered, within which its inhabitants might take refuge at times of trouble; under its owners' patronage the settlement might hope to find prosperity in...
with two semi-circular towers, first built in the eleventh century as part of the border defenses of Todi, had 21 hearths in 1322, according to a survey at Todi It was a possession of Benedetto Caetani, who spent many months here between 1281 and 1294, when he was elected pope, as Boniface VIII
Pope Boniface VIII
Pope Boniface VIII , born Benedetto Gaetani, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1294 to 1303. Today, Boniface VIII is probably best remembered for his feuds with Dante, who placed him in the Eighth circle of Hell in his Divina Commedia, among the Simonists.- Biography :Gaetani was born in 1235 in...
.
In 1324, a bloody battle was fought in the vicinity, between forces of Todi
Todi
Todi is a town and comune of the province of Perugia in central Italy. It is perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river Tiber, commanding distant views in every direction.In the 1990s, Richard S...
and Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
and their friends and allies from Narni
Narni
Narni is an ancient hilltown and comune of Umbria, in central Italy, with 20,100 inhabitants, according to the 2003 census. At an altitude of 240 m , it overhangs a narrow gorge of the Nera River in the province of Terni. It is very close to the Geographic center of Italy...
, Spoleto
Spoleto
Spoleto is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is S. of Trevi, N. of Terni, SE of Perugia; SE of Florence; and N of Rome.-History:...
and Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. The castle's fortifications were strengthened in 1340, when it was contended for by two local noble families, the Atti and the Chiaravalle, in a vendetta
Vendetta
Vendetta may refer to:*Feud, a long-running argument or fight between parties-Film and television:* Vendetta, a 1919 German film featuring Harry Liedtke* Vendetta , an American drama produced by Howard Hughes...
giving rise to numerous tragic episodes, following the beheading of Catalano Atti in 1393. In 1461 Matteo di Ulisse Chiaravalle took it from Giacomo and Andrea degli Atti. In 1500 the Borgia Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
resolved the long-standing dispute in favour of the Atti, signors of Todi. On 14 October 1575, Eleanora Atti was murdered here by her husband, Orso II Orsini.
The Castello di Sismano, rebuilt in 1607