Castello della Magione

Last updated March 18, 2019

The Castello della Magione (also Magione di San Giovanni al Ponte or Spedale di San Giovanni in Gerusalemme alla Magione) is a medieval castle in Poggibonsi (province of Siena, central Italy). It is an example of a medieval "Mansio" (residence) that belonged to the Knights Templar. The castle includes the ancient church and the “spedale” (hotel) for the pilgrims in transit to Rome on the Via Francigena. The complex is near the ancient crossing of the Via Francigena over the Staggia River, near the Bonizio bridge, now destroyed.

Poggibonsi is a town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. It is located on the Elsa River and is the main centre of the Valdelsa Valley.

The Province of Siena is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Siena.

The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, also known as the Order of Solomon's Temple, the Knights Templar or simply the Templars, were a Catholic military order recognised in 1139 by the papal bull Omne datum optimum. The order was founded in 1119 and was active until 1312 when it was perpetually suppressed by Pope Clement V by the bull Vox in excelso.

History

The castle dates from the 11th century. On 5 September 1140, it was donated by Gottifredo di Arnolfo and Arnolfino di Cristofano, heirs of the founders, to the Monks of the Saint Michael Abbey in Poggio Marturi. The monks entrusted it to the Knights of the Temple, becoming one of the numerous "Mansiones" or "Domus Templi" on the Via Francigena.

The Via Francigena is the common name of an ancient road and pilgrim route running from France to Rome and Apulia, where there were the ports of embarkation for the Holy Land, though it is usually considered to have its starting point on the other side of the English Channel, in the cathedral city of Canterbury. As such, the route passes through England, France, Switzerland and Italy. The route was known in Italy as the "Via Francigena" or the "Via Romea Francigena". In medieval times it was an important road and pilgrimage route for those wishing to visit the Holy See and the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul.

In 1312, as the Order of the Templars was abolished by Pope Clement V, the Magione was given to the Knights Hospitaller.

Pope Clement V, born Raymond Bertrand de Got, was Pope from 5 June 1305 to his death in 1314. He is remembered for suppressing the order of the Knights Templar and allowing the execution of many of its members, and as the Pope who moved the Papacy from Rome to Avignon, ushering in the period known as the Avignon Papacy.

The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, also known as the Order of Saint John, Order of Hospitallers, Knights Hospitaller, Knights Hospitalier or Hospitallers, was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headquartered in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, on the island of Rhodes, in Malta and St Petersburg.

The castle, downgraded to a farm, was bought by several people, among whom were the Princes Corsini. In 1979 it was acquired by Count Marcello Alberto Cristofani della Magione, who donated it to the Militia Templi, which was just being founded, as the Magistral See. After the donation, restoration of the entire complex began.

The Militia Templi, also called the Order of the Poor Knights of Christ, is a lay order of the Roman Catholic Church.

The castle maintains signs of its Romanesque origins, in spite of some changes made during the ensuing centuries.

Overview

Seen from above, the complex assumes a nearly trapezoidal shape, in that it follows, on the west side, the course of the River Staggia. In the courtyard, visitors will see the premises of the convent for the Knights, the small guest-rooms and the flight of steps for access to the upper floor.

The Magistral Church of San Giovanni in Jerusalem is designed in a pure Romanesque style, as it can be seen from the altar. The restoration has shown the Burgundian-Cistercian influence of the vault construction.

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References

A.A.V.V., Chiese Medievali della Valdelsa - I Territori della Via Francicena, Vol 2: Tra Siena e San Gimignano, Empoli : Edizioni dell'Acero, 1999.
Luciano De Filla, Giorgio Merlini, Italo Moretti, La Chiesa di San Giovanni in Jerusalem alla Magione di Poggibonsi, Siena : Ente provinciale per il turismo, stampa 1986.
Giuseppe Mantelli, La Magione casa templare sulla via Francigena : strade, pellegrini, monachesimo, cavalleria nel Medio Evo, Poggibonsi : La Magione dei Templari.
I Templari, Mito e Storia - Atti del Convegno Internazionale di Studi alla Magione Templare di Poggibonsi - Siena, Raccolti da Giovanni Minucci e Franca sardi, Sinalunga - Siena: A.G. Viti Riccucci 1987.

External links

Castello della Magione and Militia Templi Website

Coordinates: 43°27′25.02″N11°09′30.73″E / 43.4569500°N 11.1585361°E / 43.4569500; 11.1585361

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