SHARRYLAND
Pava Archaeological Area
A tale of history in the nature of the Crete Senesi
Where is
What it is and where it is
It is located between two large hamlets of Montalcino, San Giovanni d'Asso and Torrenieri, and is an archaeological area excavated in several campaigns since the 2000s, which showed a really important overlap of buildings. Unfortunately, for conservation reasons, most of the excavation must remain underground. We start with a walk through the greenery to discover the traces of a parish church dedicated to St. Peter, with several unusual features: an immersion baptismal font, dug into the earth, and above all a plan with two apses, as found not in Tuscany, but in Spain and Morocco, for example.
Why it is special
It is not an easy thing to find a single archaeological site where one can go from Roman to early medieval times, highlighting structures of great importance to the life of the surrounding area. The parish, in fact, arose at the fall of the Roman Empire over the remains of two Roman villas, a small one from the 1st century AD and a much larger one from the 3rd century AD.
Not to be missed
Areas like this are most easily enjoyed when visited together with an experienced guide. A good opportunity to do so comes in mid-November, when the Mostra Mercato del Tartufo Bianco delle Crete Senesi is usually held. In conjunction with this event, a must for lovers of the white gold of the Crete, guided tours of the archaeological area are organized. One could say the perfect opportunity to get into the spirit of this area, don't you think?
A bit of history
This area of passage between Ravenna and Rome and between Pavia and Rome saw a village spring up around the parish church, which was to be an autonomous municipality until the end of the 1700s. The strange building was probably commissioned by the Bishop of Arezzo, and would later be disputed for centuries between the bishops of Siena and Arezzo. Its heyday in the 7th century AD was followed by a time of decline. The parish was gradually reduced until, in the 11th, it became a small rectangular hall. As the village of Pava moved to the hills, the church was finally abandoned, but became a burial site: more than 1,000 pits have been dug!
Curiosities
The local people found in the graves of this cemetery were also studied: diseases, causes of death, constitution, diet. It turned out that not only did they eat a rich and very varied diet (meat, legumes, vegetables, grains), but perhaps because of this they were much taller than average, and with stronger bones and teeth. They still led a meager and strenuous life, and died very young indeed, at least by our standards.
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