Let’s start with the Name: Cacciano comes from the Latin “Praedium Cacii,” meaning the land of the Cacii family. This says a lot about the ancient origins of the settlement. In fact, during the post-Roman period, the Castle was part of the very first phase of the fortification of inhabited sites. The Castle was originally a building or, more likely, a Lombard reconstruction. It had two churches: one dedicated to St. Lawrence inside the walls, and the other dedicated to St. George outside the defensive perimeter.
The “curtis regia” included 30 dwellings, a considerable number of inhabitants. The Castle was subject to a confirmation of possession by the Arezzo Church, that is, by its Bishop of San Donato, from Emperor Lampert of Spoleto, a pure Lombard descendant, in 898! In 1038, there is a notarial document in which the Abbot of Agnano, Rainieri, purchases land from Cunizza di Bonizza located in the Castle of Cacciano. By the end of the 13th century, the two churches had already been unified, but Cacciano remained under Arezzo’s dominion, especially with the arrival of Bishop Guido Tarlati in the early 14th century, to whom Cenno di Segni of Brolio, the strongman of the Castle at the time, signaled submission. After the definitive defeat of Arezzo by Florence in 1384, the entire territory came under Florentine control, but throughout the 15th century, with the war between Florence and Siena, the area remained unstable. In fact, there were multiple raids between the castles of the Valdambra by both sides, with castles frequently changing hands and, of course, suffering the consequences.
Cacciano was also taken and lost multiple times by both sides until, in the mid-16th century, Florence finally subdued Siena. In 1485, Florence granted the Castle to the Canigiani family in commendation, and it is known that they built a “gentleman’s house” there. From the pastoral visit of 1583, we learn that San Lorenzo was in good condition, with a sail-shaped bell tower and a bell donated by the Counts of Bucine. The church of San Giorgio was less well-maintained and eventually collapsed. In the 18th century, Cacciano became part of the new community of Bucine and Valdambra. In the 1820s, it was incorporated into the community of Pergine.
The old castle still has a surviving door located between a house and the church of San Lorenzo, which remains consecrated. The church has undergone, like others in the Valdambra region, 20th-century restorations that have altered its original features. There was a particular focus on redesigning the façade, which was unfortunately given a deplorable rusticated treatment. In the early 1900s, a hideous bell tower was also built on the right side of the church façade. Fortunately, a lightning strike destroyed it, and subsequent restorations did not see fit to restore this historically misguided structure.
