Civitella in Val di Chiana, Tuscany, Italy by Cassandra Vivian

August 10, 2009
This fantastic hilltop town in central Tuscany is perched atop a mountain that views the entire Val di Chiana plain and portions of the Valdarno. No wonder men from all historic epochs have established settlements here. The earliest known occupants were the Etruscans, then the ancient Romans. The town, with an outstanding town square (piazza) is dominated by a castle. During the medieval period the current castle was built. Although the community was involved in many wars, it wasn’t until World War II that its most famous or infamous event occurred. On June 29, 1944, the retreating German army, under constant attach by Italian patriots, killed over 200 men in this village five at a time while the women watched.
With assistance by my cousins Sergio, his son Matia, and his nephew Francesco, all of Quarata, Italy

Coordinates: N 43 25 026 E 11 43 403 506 meters
Canon PowerShot G9
78 pix: 6 rows of 13 columns 707 megapixels (43806 x 16152)
Image size: 4000x3000 (12.0 megapixels)