Torrita of Siena pays homage to the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri with a program of events that also involves the municipalities of Sinalunga and Radicofani.

The initiative takes place from 12 to 14 November and has as its title “Dante in the Lands of Ghino di Tacco”. To act as a common thread to the various appointments, it is in fact precisely Ghino di Tacco, who lived in the second half of the 13th century in the territory of Torrita, Sinalunga and Radicofani, e it was mentioned by the great poet in Canto VI of Purgatory.

The first of the events in the calendar is located in the locality once included among the possessions of the Ghino di Tacco family. Tenuta La Fratta, in the Municipality of Sinalunga, on Friday 12 November at 16.00 it hosts the conference Ghino di Tacco between myth and reality, organized by the Circolo Fra Jacopo da Torrita. With Cinzia Cardinali, director of the Siena State Archives; Mario Ascheri, Professor of History of Law at the Universities of Rome 3 and Siena as well as Scientific Advisor of the Italian Historical Institute for the Middle Ages; Fausto Cecconi, Councilor with responsibility for Culture of the Municipality of Radicofani; Maria Elena Cortese, Researcher of Medieval History at the Uninettuno International Telematic University of Rome; Maria Grazia Nico Ottaviani, Professor of Medieval History at the University of Perugia; Renato Stopani, geo-historian and president of the Clante Chiantigiani Study Center and the Romei Study Center, as well as a member of the Scientific Committee of the International Association of Walks of Europe; Stelvio Mambrini, historical place.

The path of Ghino di Tacco

A Torrita of Siena, where Ghino di Tacco tried several times to storm the Castle to cause damage to the Republic of Siena, the events of Saturday 13 November. From piazza Matteotti, at 9.00, part The Way of Ghino di Tacco, an itinerary from Torrita di Siena to Radicofani which is divided into two stages: the first of about 20 km, Saturday, from Torrita to Monticchiello (Pienza) and the second of about 15 km, Sunday, from Gallina (Castiglione d’Orcia) in Radicofani.

The participants, who will be accompanied by the environmental hiking guide Manuele De Bellis, choose to walk the entire Way, staying overnight in Monticchiello, or just one day. On both dates there will be a free shuttle service: Saturday to return to Torrita from Montefollonico or Monticchiello; Sunday to cover the route from Monticchiello to Gallina and then to return to Torrita in the afternoon.

Torrita of Siena

The exhibition

Meanwhile, in the historic center of Torrita, at 10.30 in via Ottavio Maestri the exhibition of painting, sculpture and installation will be inaugurated Tuscan artists for Dante – Signs and languages ​​in contemporary Tuscan art, which will remain open until Wednesday 8 December 2021. The exhibition, curated by Giuliano Censini, welcomes 23 works created by as many artists from all over Tuscany (Gastone Bai, Rossella Baldecchi, Vincenzo Calli, Myriam Cappelletti, Giuliano Caporali, Nadia Cascini, Cinzio Cavallarin, Giuliano Censini, Ignazio Fresu, Piero Gensini, Carlo Gentile, Gianfranco Giorni, Alessandro Grazi, Pasquale Marzelli, Vittoria Marziari, Gianfalco Masini, Fernanda Morganti, Andrea Pisano, Edoardo Pisano, Nico Posani, Andrea Roggi, Cesare Saccenti, Massimo Sonnini).

The works, inspired by verses taken from the Comedy, they are contained in a catalog that will be presented during the inauguration; in the afternoon the exhibition is at the center of the initiative proposed by the Academy of Tuscan Dark Artists for Dante presented by the Dark Academics. At 4.30 pm, in the Teatro degli Oscuri, the Academic Professors Giuliano Censini and Furio Orazio Durando intervene to comment on the works, while Alberto Morganti declaims the verses to which they are dedicated.

Sinalunga, La Fratta estate

To those who want to discover the artistic heritage preserved in Torrita Castle, the volunteers of the Cta Il Borgo association make an appointment at 11.00 at the Church of Our Lady of the Snows, for a visit to the historic center along which meetings with characters from the Torritese history Ghino di Tacco, La Nencia and Fra ‘Jacopo are planned.

Sunday 14 is the day of the second stage of The Way of Ghino di Tacco. Starting from Gallina at 9.00 am and exploring the Val d’Orcia territory, the walkers arrive in the afternoon at the Rocca di Radicofani, a particularly significant place as legend has it that it was conquered by Ghino di Tacco on Christmas night 1297. from an exhibition of Flag wavers and drummers group of Torrita di Siena.

All initiatives are free to participate, in compliance with the anti-Covid provisions. The Cammino di Ghino is a limited number event (info and reservations: [email protected] – or via the online form https://cutt.ly/il_cammino_di_ghino).