In the 19th century, a famous bandit called Domenico Tiburzi thrived in the Maremma area of Tuscany! Many poems and stories were inspired by glorious accounts of his adventures whereby he defied the authorities and built himself a reputation as a Robin Hood style outlaw.
The authorities branded him as an evil criminal and accused him of twenty murders and numerous counts of theft and disruption of the peace but he was loved by many of the laypeople for this defiance. He spent years defending the poor, stealing food and money to give to them, being arrested and then escaping to continue on his adventurous life!
But this carefree lifestyle was not to last forever for Tiburzi. A trap was set to catch him after a family he sought shelter from, the Franci family, informed the Carabinieri, the Italian military police, of his whereabouts.
The authorities branded him as an evil criminal and accused him of twenty murders and numerous counts of theft and disruption of the peace but he was loved by many of the laypeople for this defiance. He spent years defending the poor, stealing food and money to give to them, being arrested and then escaping to continue on his adventurous life!
But this carefree lifestyle was not to last forever for Tiburzi. A trap was set to catch him after a family he sought shelter from, the Franci family, informed the Carabinieri, the Italian military police, of his whereabouts.
A shooting match ensued when Tiburzi and his faithful sidekick Fioravanti discovered they had been tricked. Many stories were passed along about this fateful night on the 23rd October 1896 but one of the most well known is a tale that ends in tragedy. Apparently, Tiburzi was shot in the leg and instead of letting himself be captured by the authorities, he killed himself...immortalising himself as the bandit that refused to be caught, no matter what!
A subsequent story following Tiburzi’s death is that the local priest of Capalbio was enraged by the bandit’s godless actions and condemned to have his body thrown into un-consecrated ground as punishment for his sins.
But the community, touched by Tubuirzi’s morals to help the poor no matter what the consequences, put up major resistance against the clergyman. Eventually it was settled that he would be buried on half and half ground...half of his body on hallowed ground and the other half just outside it.
A subsequent story following Tiburzi’s death is that the local priest of Capalbio was enraged by the bandit’s godless actions and condemned to have his body thrown into un-consecrated ground as punishment for his sins.
But the community, touched by Tubuirzi’s morals to help the poor no matter what the consequences, put up major resistance against the clergyman. Eventually it was settled that he would be buried on half and half ground...half of his body on hallowed ground and the other half just outside it.
The priest was adamant that only his legs could rest within the graveyard perimeters and his upper body (where his tainted soul rested) would be left outside.
As no proper records were kept of the original perimeter of the graveyard, interested visitors can’t be sure whereabouts in Capalbio graveyard Tiburzi is!
No doubt, tourists will delight in learning more about Tiburzi, ‘King of the Bandits’ when they visit Capalbio, so be sure to include a day trip here during your next Italian vacation to Tuscany! Why not stay in a superb four star holiday villa in Capalbio that sleeps up to twelve people?
This is the perfect destination for a large family and friends vacation where everyone has lots of choice when it comes to choosing what day activities in the area they'd like to experience!
As no proper records were kept of the original perimeter of the graveyard, interested visitors can’t be sure whereabouts in Capalbio graveyard Tiburzi is!
No doubt, tourists will delight in learning more about Tiburzi, ‘King of the Bandits’ when they visit Capalbio, so be sure to include a day trip here during your next Italian vacation to Tuscany! Why not stay in a superb four star holiday villa in Capalbio that sleeps up to twelve people?
This is the perfect destination for a large family and friends vacation where everyone has lots of choice when it comes to choosing what day activities in the area they'd like to experience!
Photo credits
picture 2: Mac9 / CC BY-SA 2.5;
picture 3: Vinattieri Matteo / CC BY 3.0
picture 2: Mac9 / CC BY-SA 2.5;
picture 3: Vinattieri Matteo / CC BY 3.0
