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Talamone
28 centuries of history
A sea harbor rich of past and legends
THE ORIGINS
It is known that the area around Talamone was inhabitat since ancient history. Historical
sources tell us that the carlies town was on the hill of Talamonaccio, on the eastern
side of the golf. Maritime Etruscan town, Talamone was for sure a place of the Rasenna’s
fleet which sailed throughout the Mediterranean Sea. One proof of the impotance
of the town in the fact it minted its own money. The ancient “Tlamu” /Talamone in
the Etruscan language) did face the same fate as other towns of the “Tuscia”: it
was conquered by Rome and placed under its authority. Many monuments and urban artefacts
prove the roman presence in the territory. In the legendary battle in 225 B.C. in
Campo Regio, the land between the Osa and the Albegna rivers, the Roman consuls
Attilio Regolo and Lucio Papo defeated the Celtic Gallic of Concolitano. Near the
sea opening of the Osa River rests of a votives temple the Romans had built. This
archeological finding, which is known as the “Frontone di Talamone” can be seen
in the museum of Orbetello in Piazza della Repubblica. During the Roman Civil Wars
Talamone was allied with Mario, an in 82 B.C. it was destroyed by Silla. The new
town was then rebuilt in the new location, where it stands today.
THE MEDIEVAL TIME
Around the year 1000 the castle (“Il Forte”) started to be built and the toun took
the shap it has today. In
1303 Talamone, already “feud” of the Monks of Saint Salvatore,
became part of the Republic of Siena which wanted to expand its shipping trade in
competition with the Maritime Republics of Pisa, Genoa, Venice and Amalfi. The great
Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) wrote about the town in his “ Divina Commedia”
in the XIII cant of the “Purgatorio”. While in the “Second Cirle”, where he finds
the souls of the “Envious”, he tries to talk Sapia of Siena out of the idea to make
Talamone a shipping harbour.
“And I implore, by what thou most desirest,
If e’er thou treadest the soil Tuscany,
Well with my kindred reinstate my fame.
Them wilt thou see among that people vain
Who hope in Talamone, and will lose there
More hope than in discovering the Diana;
But there still more the admirals will lose”
The Divine Comedy: Purgatorio Canto XIII vv. 148-154
Translated by Henry W. Longfellow
(e-text coutesy H.T’s Digital Dante Project)
Dante refers to the difficulty for the town to become a safe harbor because of its
location, its defenceless against the repeates pirates’ attacks, and the malaria
disease which campromised people’s health.
The lines are angraved on a plaque on
the town’s walls facing the port. In
1531 the architect Baldassarre Peruzzi was
put in charge of the works for the fortification of the castle and the town in order
to enhance the defense against Turkish assaults. The fortification was never brought
to an end the town enentually sufferes the devastation of the ill-famed pirate Barbarossa(Red
beard). In
1554 Talamone was conquered by the Spaniards an in 1557 it was finally
annexed to the “Reali Presidi”.
THE RISORGIMENTO (THE RENASCENCE)
In
1860 Talamone entered Italy’s history when during the “Impresa dei Mille” (exploit
of the thousens [men] General Giuseppe Garibaldi used the harbour to load his ships
with weapons and ammunition befor sailing toward Sicily. A bust in the center of
the square named after the General, reminds the people of his effort and success
in the unification of Italy.
THE WORLD WAR II
During World War II the town was almost completely destroyed by the German troops
in retread. The houses anD the church were mined and only the town walls, few houses,
and the Fort were spared. Talamone as it is now was rebuilt during the second part
of the XX century, and thanks to the tourist trade of the last years, it has seen
a fast development.
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