History of the Monastery of Monte Pozzali, Massa Marittima, Grosseto, Tuscany.

The Story

The Convent of Monte Pozzali was located in antiquity within one of the estates of the deputy head of the “Monte Bozaio” Castle (Monte Pozzali). The manor constituted a headquarters for the Pannocchieschi, an important local family whose assets were largely tied to the local mining industry: Paganello (called “Nello”) Pannocchieschi was the owner of the surrounding mines. History records him as being the husband of Pia de’ Tolomei, and was even cited in Dante’s Divine Comedy among those who suffered a violent death:

“Ricorditi di me, che son la Pia; Siena mi fè, disfecerni Maremma: salsi colui che ‘nnanellata pria disposando m’avea con la sua gemma”

Divine Comedy Purgatory: cantica V - verse 130-133

According to legend, Pia, after no longer being desired by her husband, was locked up in the Castel di Pietra, found on a hill not far from Monte Pozzali. She died in the fortress, and her lifeless body was found in the year 1289 at the foot of the tower. Her death has always been shrouded in mystery: the official version of the story is that she had committed suicide due to her overwhelming unhappiness, however in more antique times it had been thought that her husband possibly had something to do with her unfortunate fate. Still today, in the month of August, in a town in the Maremma region of Tuscany called Gavorrano the “salto della contessa” (the “jump of the countess”) is celebrated to remember the tragic destiny of Pia de’ Tolomei, testifying to an unhappy history that brings and brought together many passionate love stories throughout history. A branch of the Pannocchieschi family took its name from Monte Pozzali, the acting head of Ranieri Pannocchia. His children, before 1204, had obtained their assets from the noble “Lambertuccio del fu Gualando” near Massa Marittima, alienated by him into the territory of the city. Only very few documents regarding Monte Pozzali remain, and can be dated to the 13th century at the very earliest. The origins of the settlement can probably reach back to a much farther date, and the existence of a small village on the hills to the south of the castle has been found, including archaeological artefacts dating to as late as the 7th century AD.
It is probable that after the 7th century the settlement went further uphill relocating to where the castle is found. The Pannocchieschi family was responsible for the construction of the fortress rather than its reconstruction. From the Monte Pozzali Castle, the Pannocchieschi family was able to control the mineral stocks in the Noni Valley: the mineral reserves present in the area along the Zanca ditch and partially along the Noni ditch itself were undoubtedly the motivation for the construction of the castle and the name “Monte Pozzali”, so obviously in reference to richness of mineral resources in the area. In historical documentation it is attested to that in 1315 the castle was already under the control of the city of Massa thanks to rights acquired during war. The war in question was probably that instigated by the city towards the Pannocchieschi after having sacked the S.Pietro in Monteverdi Monastery and killing the Abbot. A document dating to 1315 obligated a certain Cerbone di Averardo, resident in the city of Massa, to keep the Monte Pozzali castle under the jurisdiction of Massa and make the appropriate repairs to keep the castle walls in good shape.
This is the same date in which Monte Pozzali seems to have lost its original importance, becoming a sort of fortalice subject to the city. At any rate, the castle is still cited as the boundary marker in an act dating to November 2nd 1328, in which half of the castle was conceded to the Castello di Pietra.
The actual castle ruins offer a fascinating view of the composition of the walls; within, completely incorporated into the mortar, is it possible to observe the waste of metal fusion, mostly in small fairly fluid quantities (from 3 to 5 cm in size). This strange presence on one hand confirms the presence of metal working activities after having extracted the minerals in the surrounding territory, and on the other poses the problem of the location of the smelting furnaces. These furnaces must have been active in the “seigniorial” phase of the Castle, and were in all likelihood within the area directly outside of the periphery wall, if not even within them. This would explain the metal wastes found within the building construction. Other than the periphery wall, other ruins of the settlement that can still be seen include a collapsed tower or cassero that is located on the slopes of the hill on which the village rests. It can be reached by following a narrow path within the forest.
Along the periphery walls many, still well defined, loopholes can be observed, as well as the entry door to the castle. Within the walls the collapsed tower and traces of division walls can also be admired; the thick layer of vegetation renders a more accurate description of the internal structure impossible. The possessions of Monte Pozzali were confiscated by the Republic of Massa. It was only later that the old Castle became a convent for Benedictine nuns.
According to legend, in more recent times, the castle was transformed into a prison, also suggest by the iron bars still visible outside of the windows of the current day restaurant. Furthermore, as testified to by the local residents, it is known that the antique convent was once a refuge for the partisans during the Second World War (the damage inflicted by the bombardments is still visible on the structure’s main façade) and then later served as housing for local farmers. As testified to by the priests of the Curia di Massa Marittima, historical documents regarding Monte Pozzali are completely missing from the years between 1500 and 1800: a fire that ravaged the library of Massa Marittima some years ago is responsible for the destruction of many of the antique documents regarding the antique convent.