Experience Tuscany

Tuscany is a fascinating land where you can still find many hidden pearls, places where time has stood still. Small towns of ancient history in which traces of their past are still visible. Medieval villages, sometimes far from the more traveled routes, constitute treasures of inestimable value. Here you can still breathe a medieval atmosphere near monasteries, Romanesque churches, but above all castles.
Who doesn’t wish to spend a special holiday in a Tuscany castle hotel? Old farm houses, fortified villages and medieval castles open their doors for a dream vacation. Nothing is like spending your holidays in exceptional venues, relaxing under majestic towers and sojourning in ancient halls.
Like at the Castle of Gargonza, set in a landscape of rare beauty and tranquility. It is the ideal to spend an elegant and comfortable vacation. A Thirteenth century fortified village between Arezzo and Monte San Savino, away from the chaos of the city, a place to rediscover oneself with plenty of activities to enjoy your castle hotel. Ideal for those who want to rediscover a luxurious place of peace and tranquility, including nature walks and gastronomic traditions of Tuscany. Panoramic swimming pools, ancient oil mills transformed into apartments, and luxurious rooms for an excellent hospitality. From here you will be able to explore the rest of Tuscany, that of Etruscans, Renaissance masters, and wine roads.

In the Casentino region, a short distance from Subbiano, stands the Valenzano Castle. This Tuscany castle hotel lies in luxuriant nature and is enriched with fairy-tale romantic details. The spacious rooms beautifully accommodate guests. Quality cuisine and princely hospitality are the watchwords of this structure that wants to make the stay of its guests an unforgettable emotion.

Among the Terre di Siena and the Maremma is the Monte Antico Castle. On a hill of Civitella Paganico, with the gorgeous Mount Amiata as background you can find this old feud with a true Tuscan cuisine loyal to the most ancient Tuscan tradition. The welcoming and refined taste accommodates guests in antique salons, the luxury rooms and the resort. Located a short distance from Siena, San Gimignano, the mountain Amiata and the Natural Park of Maremma, this place offers the unmatched advantage of including art visits and natural excursions to your vacation in a Tuscany castle hotel.

The original nucleus of the Boccale Castle is represented by a watchtower built by the Medici in the Sixteenth century, probably on the ruins of a previous structure built by the Republic of Pisa in medieval times. Only the keeper and some soldiers stayed at the castle, and its size was small, so that there was no room for artillery.
During the second half of the Nineteenth century the castle was transformed adapting the remains of one of the many lookout towers that dominated the coast and constituted the complex system defense of the Medici family. Each tower was in direct visual link with the neighboring ones. Their duty was to recognize and and report any danger that arose from the sea. This particular tower certainly was in contact with the Calafuria and Antignano towers.
In the late Nineteenth century the tower became property of th Marchesa Eleonora Ugolini and was incorporated into a Medieval-style style residence that included battlements. Later the house passed to the Witaker-Ingham family who in the early Twentieth century removed the battlements, replacing them with normal-pitch sloping roofs.
The castle has been recently restored after a long period of neglect. It was split into several residential apartments, while a small tower used as a warehouse was rebuilt in the park. They say that Giovanni Boccaccio got his inspiration here for the tenth story of the second day of the Decameron, which tells of the beautiful Chinzica kidnapped by Paganin from Sea at a certain tower of Montenero.
The Boccale Castle is located at the beginning of the Romito cliff, a short distance from the Tower of Calafuria and Castello Sonnino.
The complex is composed of a rectangular body surrounded by three small round towers. The ancient Medici tower rises on the side closest to the sea. It’s windows and roofing configuration have been atered from the original. This tower has a square base of about 5.7 meters on each side and used to be 13 meters high above the original plan with an inclined wall of 4.85 meters.
The main body of the castle is marked by two rows of large stone-framed windows. Under the gutter line runs a row of shelves, over which used to be the battlements, before the Witaker restored the tower.

This castle is a piece of important architecture and was commissioned by the German emperor Frederick II of Swabia. The castle is the only example of Swabian architecture in central and northern Italy and was built by Sicilian architect Riccardo from Lentini between 1237 and 1248. The plan of the castle is square, and it was was strengthened at its corners by square towers, while other towers are placed in the middle of each side: those located on the east and south sides of the walls have a peculiar pentagonal plan, while those on the other two sides were incorporated from a preexisting palace. The latter towers originally used to be much higher and were used as lookout points The limestone structure is crowned by a ghibelline-style battlement with a “dovetail” crenelation restored in 1933.
Frederick II has never been in Prato, but the fortress was inhabited by his vicar in Tuscany. He had the task of protecting the road that connected the Holy Roman Empire to Southern Italy and Sicily through the passage of the Apennines. The symbols of the Swabian empire are the lions carved on the sides of the gateway. During the Fourteenth century the Florentine government transformed the building into a military garrison and prison, connecting the castle to the walls 12th century walls via a covered walkway. From the inside it is possible to access and visit the courtyard and the rooms of the towers. A ladder inside the tower on the corner allows you to reach the eastern upper walkway that runs along three sides of the perimeter. From here you can enjoy a magnificent panorama of the city monuments, the hills and the surrounding plain. Inside the towers are hosted interesting contemporary works of art. During summer time the castle becomes an open space for events, concerts and outdoor film view the space used at events, concerts and outdoor film screenings.
The castle can be visited on weekdays and holidays, it is closed on Tuesdays. From October to March it opens at 9am and closes at 1pm. From April to September it also opens in the afternoon from 4pm to 7pm.
The castle is partially accessible with wheelchairs, and the ticket is 2 euros and a half.
For more info call +39 0574 38207

During the Holiday season there is nothing more romantic than to visit castles and beautiful country villages in Tuscany. The little town of Campagnatico offers both. With just one day trip you will be able to have a full and rich experience of this portion of Tuscany, its history and culinary traditions.
Campagnatico itself includes several interesting spots to be visited. Since the town was a fortified hamlet, the walling is still very much present and visible. In some parts the walls have been surpassed and covered by houses, which give the real sense of history and the passing of time. Like many other medieval dwellings, the walls present doors in the four cardinal directions, of which one pointing south to Rome, and one to north, towards France. The church of Saint John the Baptist was built at a later stage compared with the walls, and uses one of the many crenelated defense towers as its belfry. Opposite the church is the Rocca Aldobrandeschi, of which only ruins remain to these days.
The surroundings of Campagnatico also include other fortresses and castles to visit.
The Monte Leoni castle is one of these. Its existence is certified in documents of 1188. After a quite unresting history, the Pannocchieschi family conquered it in 1262. Soon after the castle was abandoned and started going into ruins. Unfortunately to these days only ruins of it are left as the legacy of a glorious past. Definitely worth a visit for those who want to have the real feel of the passage of time.
Not far from Monte Leoni is the castle of Stertignano, another building that has not stood the toll of time and is now in ruins. Nevertheless, it is worth a visit to realize the building characteristics, such wall thickness and materials used, of the castles of this area. Needdless to say, here one breathes the disgraced history that characterized this castle, that passed through the hands of many important families from 1274 onwards to be abandoned in 1370 and returned to the countryside in 1438 by the state of Siena.
Finally the most important castle is Montorsaio, today blossomed into a hamlet of greater proportions than the usual fortress. The location is wonderfully set on a hill covered with woods. It is a very ancient castle, as documents mention it already during the 8th century. Just like the other two castles, Montorsaio belonged to many powerful families, however all under the dominion of Siena, which reinforced the bastion with a newly made keep. After other passages of property the Medici got hold of the castle in the 16th century. The more strategic importance of the castle explains why throughout the centuries it has been maintained, reinforced and preserved, saving it from the ruin like its neighboring fortresses.

Here the map of the area with the three castles:

View Campagnatico and Its Surrounding Castles in a larger map

Treschietto was an important fortress overhanging a valley that could be crossed only through two round arch bridges. It used to be accessible only by mule tracks and surrounded by the river Acquetta to the west, Bagnone to the south and the Tanagorda to the northeast. Its importance was attached to its location, a required passage between rivers and valleys. The urban area is divided into five well-defined nuclei: the castle, the Church, Querceto, Palestro and Valle. Until 1950, the year of opening of today’s state road, the village has been virtually inaccessible.
Treschietto was a dominion of the Marquises Malaspina of the Spino Fiorito of Filattiera. Following a will of 1351, the castle passed to Giovanni Malaspina called the Berretta, who built the castle and used it as his main residence. In 1698 the Marquis Ferdinand, the last of the dynasty, sold his fief to the Grand Duke Cosimo the Third. After various vicissitudes Treschietto with its territory was ceded to the Prince Corsini of Florence, in 1800 it was occupied by the French and in 1814 joined the Estensi States of Lunigiana. It was finally annexed to the municipality of Bagnone.
The ruins of the castle are only accessible from the north-east and are made up of what remains of the square walls topped by the slender round tower. The latter was halved by a lightning and was once crowned with battlements and defense a structure with corbels. The resemblance to the tall towers of Malgrate and Comano, both Malaspina castles, is so astonishing that we can assume the workers used in their construction were the same. Very little is left of the internal buildings. The Castrensian chapel was covered by the debris of collapsed defense structures. The complex is now invaded bu vegetation and at continuous risk of further structural collapse.
A dark side is hidden behind the history of the castle. The legend tells the story of a local evil lord, the Marquis Giovanni Gasparro Malaspina that from 1616 onwards harassed his subjects with all kinds of evil actions and was responsible for all sorts of wrong doings until 1678, so much that he came to be known as “the monster”. At the age of 62 years, with great relief of his subjects, he died. Another legend has arrived to these days narrating the story that in the basement of the castle is hidden a golden calf. It has been sought by many to the point of destroying the best parts of the castle. As it figures, the calf of gold has never been found.

Getting to the castle of Treschietto:

View Treschietto Castle in Tuscany Lunigiana in a larger map

This is a journey to rediscover the Via Francigena through the castles and fortresses overlooking the hills of Lunigiana. Medieval towns with long living traditions, rich in history and surrounded by nature. An ancient road that is still full of fascination and charm.

Castle of Treschietto near Bagnone

View Treschietto Castle in Tuscany Lunigiana in a larger map
The castle, now in ruins, was built in the Fourteenth century by the Marquis Malaspina. The remains of the square walls and the imposing cylindrical tower that dominates the castle are still visible. Of what was once the castle of the cruel Marquis Treschietto, exterminator of girls, remains only a horrible memory.

Castle of Bagnone

View Bagnone Castle in a larger map
It is massive cylinder of rock, overlooking a merchant village with its bridges and arches. It used to be the head of one of the Tuscan enclaves in Lunigiana controlling the roads and passes of the Apennines. The village was led by trade and commerce, where languages and cultures met on the Francigena road.

The Castle of Castiglione del Terziere in Bagnone

View Castiglione del Terziere Castle in a larger map
The village of Castiglione Terziere is dominated by its castle of Medieval origin. In the Thirteenth century it is among the possessions of the Malaspina dello Spino Fiorito family. Today Loris Jacopo Bononi owns the castle, that he restored, creating the Center for Humanistic Studies “Nicholas V”, which houses an invaluable archive and a library of great value.

Castle Monti in Licciana Nardi

View Monti Castle in Licciana Nardi, Tuscany in a larger map
This castle sits at the intersection of Via del Volto Santo towards Lucca and the road connecting Emilia Reggiana with the Francigena Road through the passage of the Abbey of Linari. Since the Middle Ages it played an important role in monitoring the road status and safety. The many works of art remained confirm the importance of this site through the centuries.

Castle of Bastia in Licciana Nardi

View Bastia Castle in Licciana Nardi in Tuscany in a larger map
The Valley of Venelia is controlled by austere castles, but this most impressive one is a mountain fortress, with towers at the sides and center. It seems to express the sense of power that castles wanted to convey to the people.

Castle Malaspina of Comano

View Malaspina Castle of Comano in Tuscany in a larger map
The castle is situated on a hill in the Averone Valley and its position through the centuries has played a foundamental security role. Today its location in the beautiful National Park of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines provokes very evocative feelings.

Castle Aquila Gragnola in Fivizzano

View Castle dell’Aquila in Lunigiana in a larger map
The castle overlooks and dominates the medieval village of Gragnola from a high hill.

Like a Medieval Troy, through the centuries the rock of Tentennano has seen a number of wars, invaders and owners, and it was once destroyed and rebuilt as we see it today.
Owned since 1100 by the Tignosi family Count of Tentennano, as of 1170 the castle was part of the family’s possessions with Bagno Vignoni, a third of San Quirico d’Orcia and other castles of the valley. In 1188 a family member, Rolando, became the abbot of the powerful monastery of San Salvatore, and in 1247 Aldobrandino of Tentennano commanded the troops of the Republic of Siena against the army of Perugia.
In 1207 the Tignosi enacted a freedom act, which gave the inhabitants of the Rock rights towards the Tignosi rulers, which hitherto had been absolute rulers. In 1251, the fortress, and the castle passed into the hands of the Sienese, who destroyed it and rebuild it anew in 1262. That is the version that today still stands in Val d’Orcia. The Sienese gave the fortress and the castle to Salimbene Salimbeni as warranty against the loan he had made to Siena to pay off the victorious army of the Monteaperti battle.
In 1274 the Rock was ceded permanently to Salimbeni. This was the beginning of a long period of struggles, battles and skirmishes between the family and Siena, to the point that in 1380 Catherine of Siena stayed at the rock with the purpose to reconcile the Salimbeni with Siena. Nonetheless, the war ended only in 1419, when a certain Giovanni Zolla opened the doors of the rock at night bringing the Sienese army in. Cocco Salimbeni, the ruler at the time, took refuge on the tower with a small loyal group, his the wife and the rest of the family. Cocco pushed back all the assaults, but a council of citizens decided that they want to be governed by Siena and swore allegiance to the Republic, so that Salimbeni was forced to surrender.
The fortress then became one of the strongholds of Siena that from here pushed back the raids of Cesare Borgia, Machiavelli Valentino, and Fabrizio Maramaus, aka Maramaldo. In 1553, the inhabitants surrendered without fighting against the troops of Charles V, but conquered again the fortress and Castiglione d’Orcia a few months later. This did not prevent the Imperial troops to recover the territory, loathing and destroying dozens of houses, event that determined the decline of the Rock of Tentennano.

It is possible to visit the castle and the rock within the following hours:
From June 1st to September 30th, open every day from 10am to 1pm and from 3,30pm to 6,30pm.
The rest of the year, open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10,30am to 1pm and from 3,30pm to 6,30pm.
The full price is 3 euros per person, reduced 1,50 Euros per person. Unfortunately, no wheelchair access is available.
For more info please contact:
Phone: +39 0577 898303 E-mail: info@parcodellavaldorcia.com

The rock is a short way from Castiglion d’Orcia. Here it is on the map:

View Tentennano Castle Rock in Tuscany in a larger map

Castiglione d’Orcia, which existence is recorded since 714, was held by the Aldobrandeschi. It became a free city in 1252, and afterwards a possession of Siena in the Fourteenth century.
The historic center, with its old cobblestone alleys, is especially picturesque, reaching the height of romanticism in the Vecchietta Square, dedicated to Lorenzo di Pietro also known as “Il Vecchietta”, a Fifteenth century painter, sculptor and architect. At the center of the sloped square is a beautiful fountain of travertine built in 1618. Opposite is the Palazzo Comunale, inside which is a fresco of the Sienese school, Madonna with Child and two Saints, from Rocca d’Orcia. The walk inside Castiglione must also include the beautiful Romanesque church dedicated to S. Mary Magdalene, recently restored. The Thirteen century facade and the Fourteenth century apse support the splendid bell tower. The church of Saints Stephen and Degna has less impressive interiors; however, it was the most important religious building of Castiglione for the wealth of works of art it held. Its facade is from the Sixteenth century, and its interiors included a Madonna and Child from 1320 by Simone Martini and another Madonna and Child by Pietro Lorenzetti.
The San Giovanni art room is located in the fraternity by the same name and preserves the paintings executed for Castiglione and Rocca d’Orcia by some of the greatest exponents of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth century Sienese school : Simone Martini, Lorenzo di Pietro “Il Vecchietta”, and Giovanni di Paolo. A series of liturgical furnishings from churches and fraternities in the area accompany the paintings.
A short climb leads to the Rocca Aldobrandesca, which dominates the town. The walls are still intact on the north side, while the top plateau was arranged as a park. The view is extraordinary towards Castiglione, the Mount Amiata, and the Fortress of Tentennano.
The latter stands on an outcrop of limestone in the heart of Val d’Orcia. Built in the Thirteenth century by the Tignosi Counts of Tintinnano as a garrison on the underlying Via Francigena, in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth century it belonged to the Sienese Salimbeni family. The imposing fortress, which also hosted St. Catherine of Siena, has always held an important strategic role for the control of the territory south of the ancient state of Siena. At the time of the War of Siena, it became a cornerstone of the Sienese defense system that protected the Republic of Siena, retreated in Montalcino, against Imperial Army attacks. From its summit you can enjoy splendid views.
Castiglion d’Orcia is part of the Natural Cultural and Artistic Park of the Val d’Orcia. The other milestones of this important park are Montalcino, Pienza, San Quirico d’Orcia, and Radicofani

Where to find Castiglione d’Orcia on the map:

View Catiglion d’Orcia in Tuscany in a larger map

Sure enough, after posting about Abbadia San Salvatoe, Piancastagnaio, and San Quirico d’Orcia, Radicofani had to be covered as well. Castiglione d’Orcia is short to come too, so come back and check it out tomorrow or in a few days.
Radicofani is a tiny town set on a 900 meters high hill on the Mount Amiata. For centuries, Radicofani has been one of the most important strongholds of Italy. While approaching the village, the castle rock appears from tens of kilometers away, and seems to loom over the houses below. Built in the Thirteenth century, the castle was rebuilt in 1565 and partly demolished in the Eighteenth century. From the terrace on the top of the tower, which reaches 37 meters in height, you can admire a vast panorama although closed to the west by the Mount Amiata.
Before descending towards the village, a stroll in the pine tree grove around the fortress is worth it. In the grove there are “hidden” arches, vaults and pits that the vegetation has covered throughout the centuries. Spotting them during your walk is a very suggestive experience that brings your fantasy back in time.
The hamlet also deserves a careful visit. The most famous monument is the Romanesque church of San Pietro, built in the Thirteenth century, damaged by the last war and restored in 1946. Its interior, with low Gothic arches, houses a splendid collection of Della Robbia glazed terracotta and wooden statues, amongst which is a Madonna with Child by Francesco di Valdambrino. Behind the church there is a square from where you can admire a landscape that equals that from tower of the castle rock.
On the main road of the hamlet is the church of St. Agatha, patron saint of Radicofani. On its altar it preserves another great glazed terracotta panel by Della Robbia, while in the sacristy there is a wooden statue of more recent creation.
The Praetorian Palace is the last of the monuments of Radicofani. It is a robust construction that includes numerous antique stone coats of arms on its facade. The Maccione gardens hold a statue of Ghino di Tacco.
On the old Via Cassia, which runs around the town, is the Central Post Office, a beautiful Medicean palace that was built as the hunting lodge of Ferdinando the First, and then converted into a hotel for travelers.
Radicofani is part of the Natural Cultural and Artistic Park of the Val d’Orcia. The other milestones of this important park are Montalcino, Pienza, San Quirico d’Orcia, and Castiglione d’Orcia.

Where to find Radicofani in Tuscany:

View Rdicofani in Tuscany in a larger map

San Gimignano has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to the towers that distinguish the town. At one time these were 72 but now there are only thirteen to characterize this elegant town in the province of Siena.
San Gmignano’s worldwide fame, is not only owed to its particular architecture, but also to the wealth of works of art and the Vernaccia di San Gimignano, a fine white wine produced exclusively here. It seems that the grape was introduced for the first time in the Municipality of San Gimignano by a certain Vieri de’ Bardi, from Liguria, around 1200. Thanks to the work of his descendants, Zanobi and Angiolo Bardi, the development of the grape cultivation became very popular and made the wine famous. Already in 1276 the trade of Vernaccia di San Gimignano was flourishing, fact proven by the taxation ordinance that in that year imposed a charge of three coins for each load of Vernaccia outside the city walls.
When visiting San Gimignano, you should not miss out:
The cathedral, completed in 1148, and considered one of the most prestigious museums in Tuscany. Built on three naves, it is a container of Florentine School frescoes with St. Sebastian by Benozzo Gozzoli, Stories of St. Fina by Domenico Ghirlandaio and wooden statues by Jacopo della Quercia. The Palazzo Comunale, which formerly housed the mayor, is very interesting. It currently houses the civic museum and the art gallery containing masterpieces by artists such as Benozzo Gozzoli, Pinturicchio, Pier Francesco Fiorentino, Domenico di Michelino and Filippino Lippi. Inside the Town Hall you can also visit the hall of Dante with the Majesty of Lippo Memmi and access the Torre del Podestá or Torre Grossa, a 54 meters high structure built in 1311.

More information on the Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Vernaccia was the first Tuscan white wine to receive the guaranteed origin label in 1993. The wine has been subject to a constant evolution, both in the vineyard and the cellar, which has led to great quality levels. It is obtained from grapes of the vine of the same name, with the possible presence of other non-aromatic white grapes, up to a maximum of 10 percent.
The pale straw yellow color, tending to gold as it ages, is its characteristic, just as the fine and penetrating scent. The taste is dry, harmonious, with a slight bitterish aftertaste. Alcohol level must be at a minimum of 22 proof, 23 for the aged reserve. Vernaccia di San Gimignano is an excellent companion for bread soups, Italian appetizers, fish and shellfish. This nectar is also a delicious aperitif. Always serve chilled!

Find San Gimignano in Tuscany here:

View San Gimignano in Tuscany UNESCO World Heritage Site in a larger map