# Campagnatico

- **Country:** Italy
- **Coordinates:** 42.884444, 11.271389
- **Location Text:** Castello del Dotale

Campagnatico is a historic municipality located in the Province of Grosseto within the Tuscany region of Italy. Situated approximately twenty kilometers northeast of Grosseto in the Ombrone River valley, the town sits at an elevation of 275 meters. While officially classified as a comune today, its origins date back to the 10th century when it was established as a fief of the San Salvatore Abbey before being sold to the powerful Aldobrandeschi family. This noble lineage held the territory by 973 and constructed the commanding castle that still dominates the local skyline. Following the death of Omberto Aldobrandeschi, ownership transferred to the Republic of Siena, though the site remained a point of contention among rival families like the Visconti and Tolomei until it was absorbed into the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in the mid-16th century.

The architectural heritage of Campagnatico reflects its turbulent medieval history, featuring defensive walls erected during the 12th and 13th centuries that enclose the ancient Aldobrandeschi castle. Among its primary religious sights is the Church of Santa Maria della Misericordia, documented since 1188, which boasts a distinctive hut-shaped façade and an interior preserving medieval transepts with frescoes attributed to the Sienese school and potentially Francesco di Giorgio Martini. Additionally, the Pieve of San Giovanni Battista, constructed in the mid-13th century, stands as a fine example of Romanesque-Gothic style with a decorated portal lunette. Today, Campagnatico serves as a quiet residential hub comprising the main seat and three smaller villages, maintaining its historical structures while functioning as a modern administrative center with a population of roughly 2,400 residents.

![Photo of Campagnatico](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Abside_Pieve_di_San_Giovanni_Battista_Campagnatico.jpg)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campagnatico (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)