San Quirico
San Quirico, the most populous hamlet of the municipality of Sorano
Hello everyone! Today I will talk to you about San Quirico, a beautiful hamlet located in the municipality of Sorano, in the province of Grosseto, in Tuscany. With its 476 inhabitants, San Quirico is the most populous hamlet in the municipal territory.
Physical geography
San Quirico is situated in the hilly hinterland of the Maremma grossetana, in an area known for its characteristics as an area of Tufo. The village is located on the eastern border of the municipality, bordering with Lazio, and is about 5 km from Sorano and just over 80 km from Grosseto.
History
The origins of San Quirico are linked to the important rock area of Vitozza, whose decline was completed in the 15th century. The land was purchased by the Orsini counts, who transformed it into a vast estate. The actual village was formed later in the 18th century, to the south of the ruins of Vitozza, when the growing population felt the need to build a Church of San Quirico in 1785. Originally dedicated to St. John the Baptist, it was later dedicated to San Quirico in the nineteenth century, in honor of the saint to whom one of the ancient churches of Vitozza was dedicated. In ancient times the village was known as "San Quirichino," to distinguish it from nearby San Quirico d'Orcia.
Monuments and places of interest
If you love art and history, San Quirico is the right place for you! Here you can find several churches and archaeological sites.
Religious architecture
The Church of San Quirico, built in the eighteenth century as a rural chapel, was later expanded in the early twentieth century and was dedicated to the saints Quirico and Giulitta. The parish has about 950 inhabitants. The Chapel of Montignano, erected in 1845, is another beautiful example of religious architecture in the hamlet.
Archaeological sites
Vitozza, an ancient city built in the medieval period, is an archaeological site of great cultural interest. Here you can find the Rocche di Vitozza, two medieval castles of which only ruins remain today, and the Chiesaccia, ruins of a religious building from the medieval period.
Society
Since 1991, the inhabitants of the town of San Quirico have been counted by ISTAT, not those of the hamlet. According to available data, the population is constantly decreasing.
Sports
The football team Calcio Unione Sportiva San Quirico is based in the hamlet and currently plays in the first category championship.
And so we conclude our virtual visit to San Quirico. I hope I have intrigued you enough so that you can come and visit in person. See you next time!
