HISTORY
From one moment to the next, you almost expect to see Ghino di Tacco leap into view. He was a brigand who roamed this land in the 13th century.
The gentleman bandit, known for his robberies and his arrogance was, in fact, born in Torrita of a noble family, the Cacciaconti Monacheschi Pecorai. 
He dedicated himself to a life of brigandage, making his base in Radicofani.
Torrita di Siena has preserved its medieval aspect in the centuries-old houses, the characteristic arches, and the narrow streets that reveal unexpected views at every turn.
A halo of history and legend envelops the visitor who wanders the silent streets of this small village of the Valdichiana that is still partly enclosed by walls that date from the 13th century.
The name Torrita appears for the first time in an Amiata register of 1037. In 1210 the village became part of the holdings of the Cacciaconti family, a large Sienese clan into which was born Ghino di Tacco, the famous ‘gentleman bandit’ who dedicated himself to robbery and was eventually banned by the Municipality of Siena.
In 1251, Siena proceeded with the fortification of Torrita. The village performed the important function of garrison on the road to Montepulciano.
Over the centuries, Torrita has undergone various transformations, the first and possibly most important being the change from hamlet to walled, fortified village. In fact, under the rule of the Republic of Siena, Torrita, Ciliano and Montefollonico were bastions of defense at the borders of the Sienese State during their centuries-long struggle with the Florentines, whose furthest outpost was Montepulciano.
 In 1260 the fiefdom of Torrita participated in the battle of Montaperti against the Florentine Guelphs.
At the heart of one of its most important monuments, Siena preserves an imperishable memorial to the illustrious past and strategic role of Torrita.
The village of Torrita is immortalized in the “Battaglia della Val di Chiana” (Battle in the Val di Chiana) a fresco that adorns the “Mappamondo” room of Siena’s Town Hall. The artist was Lippo Vanni and it was commissioned by the Standard-Bearers of the Republic to celebrate their victory in 1363.
For three centuries, Torrita was involved in numerous battles and skirmishes on Siena’s side against Florence. But in 1554, after a brutal sacking by the Imperial troops, it fell definitively under the dominion of Florence and became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
A testimony to that period is the Medici coat-of-arms on the tower of the town hall. It replaced Torrita’s own coat-of-arms – a lion rampant with three stalks of wheat.
Notably, several chronicles of the time recount the surrender of the Castle of Torrita. It was an important loss because of its strategic position in the Sienese defense system as well as the fact that its fertile fields were considered the ‘bread basket of Siena’.
Torrita derived great benefit from the reclamation of the Valdichiana in the 18th century.
The project of an architect named Fossombroni under the auspices of the Archduke Pietro Leopoldo di Lorena, it resulted in a considerable gain in territory and a boost to the local, agricultural economy that lasted until the end of the 19th century.
With a plebiscite in 1860 – 1,040 of 1,060 voters in favor of annexation – Torrita followed the rest of Tuscany to become part of the Kingdom of Italy.
The University of Siena conducted an interesting study on Torrita’s origins and we invite you to visit their site at:
www.archeo.unisi.it/Web_Torrita/home_page.htm
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