Borghi di Toscana
The current museum complex of Santa Maria della Scala, was one of the first European hospitals expressly built to accommodate pilgrims traveling along the Via Francigena, and support the poor and abandoned children. The complex is located opposite the facade of the Duomo in Siena, and its creation is due to the canons of the […]
The Medici Fortress of Siena was built starting from 1560 by order of the future Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I de’ Medici. This fortress is located in the heart of Siena, and was built where the old Spanish fortress was destroyed by the Sienese in 1552. The fortress was designed by Baldassarre Lanci and […]
It is said Siena and you immediately think of the Palio. It’s almost impossible, in fact, speaking of this charming Tuscan town and not remember this competition on horseback of medieval origins, unique in the world for participation, passion and intensity with which it is lived by all Sienese. So engaging is the climate that you […]
Siena is one of the best preserved historical cities of Tuscany. Ancient medieval town built on three hills, is still surrounded by walls. The whole city, built around the Piazza del Campo, was conceived as a work of art that blends into the landscape of the Crete Senesi. Siena is a medieval jewel made of […]
Situated along the road Siena-Grosseto, a few km north of Grosseto, the hill of Roselle contains the most important Etruscan – Roman remains of Tuscany. The river Ombrone characterized the hydro-morphology of this area, in ancient times the rivers were the fundamental lines of communication, and the Ombrone probably was at the time navigable for […]
Grosseto (80,000 inhabitants (2008), 10 meters above sea level) is the most important town of the Maremma, lies at the heart of the vast flood plain of the river Ombrone a short distance from the sea. Grosseto is situated in Southern Tuscany, about 12 km from the sea in the Ombrone alluvional valley. HISTORY The origins […]
Radicondoli is a small medieval village which has about 1,000 inhabitants, the village is located on a hill 509 meters above sea level in the metalliferous hills (Colline Metallifere) in the province of Siena, in the westernmost part of the province. Radicondoli was an ancient castle of Aldobrandeschi of which we have historical evidence since the twelfth century. […]
Radda in Chianti a medieval town of Etruscan origins – now the seat of the Consortium of Chianti Gallo Nero – is situated on a hill 530 meters above sea level between the valleys of Arbia and Pesa. The first documents that refer to Radda date back to the eleventh century AD. Since 13th century the castle was the […]
Certaldo is divided into an upper part, medieval, called Certaldo Alto, surrounded by fortified walls, and a modern part located in the valley below. The town is the birthplace of Giovanni Boccaccio, and still retains its ancient part of the original medieval structure with the Praetorian Palace, monasteries, churches, towers and fortifications, characteristic of the […]
The Devil’s Bridge (Ponte del Diavolo) or Magdalene’s Bridge (Ponte della Maddalena) is an impressive medieval structure that crosses the river Serchio a few hundred metres after passing Borgo a Mozzano coming from Lucca along the State Road 12 of Abetone and Brennero towards the Garfagnana. The bridge is walkable, best park in the parking […]
Borgo a Mozzano is a town of just over 7,000 inhabitants placed at 97 meters above sea level along the river Serchio valley in the province of Lucca, which is about 21 km. Borgo a Mozzano was once an important service center for the surrounding area, at the end of the thirteenth century it became the […]
Castelnuovo Berardenga, is an interesting village of Chianti in the province of Siena. The municipality has about 8,900 inhabitants and is located at the southern end of the Chianti hills at the point where begin the clay soils that form the Crete Senesi. Castelnuovo Berardenga is located on a hill about 350 meters high, between the Ombrone […]
A very suggestive medieval bridge linked by legend to the historical figure of Pia de’ Tolomei is located next to the road that connects Siena to Roccastrada. In fact, along the highway 73 that leads from Siena to Roccastrada. A few km after passing through the town of Rosia, and before the crossroads with the […]
Sarteano, is an interesting medieval town situated at 525 meters above sea level in the southern province of Siena, the town is just 6 km from the highway (A1) exit Chiusi-Chianciano. At Sarteano was born in 1439 Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini, who became Pope in 1503 for less than a month with the name of Pius III. […]
Bagni San Filippo is a small spa village situated on the slopes of Mount Amiata 524 meters asl, in the municipality of Castiglione d’Orcia, in the province of Siena. The place name recalls the presence of San Filippo Benizi, prior of the Florentine religious order of the Servants of Mary, who in the twelfth century, according […]
Cetona is a small village situated at 384 metres above sea level at the feet of the mount Cetona (1,148 meters) of vulcanic origin. The zone was inhabited since the Etruscan and Roman age. During the Middle Ages (15th century) Cetona was fortified from Siena, of these works still now remains, the rocca, three gates […]
Cala Violina is a charming part of the Maremma Grossetana, it’s located in the heart of the Natural Reserve of the Bandite di Scarlino, within the Protected Area of Local Interest of the Costiere di Scarlino. The Bandite di Scarlino is a forest complex of large size (about 8,700 hectares), which are part of the […]
Scarlino is located in a beautiful position on a hill 229 meters above sea level, which dominates the plain of Follonica and the sea. The village of Scarlino developed from the thirteenth century as a fortress of the Aldobrandeschi family, in 1278 it was occupied by the Republic of Pisa and from 1399 became a […]
Bagno Vignoni is a small village of medieval appearance, characterized by a group of houses and the enormous pool of water occupying the main square. The small cluster of houses was originally a castle of the family of Amerighi, already known in the eleventh century, today the remains of the castle (Vignoni Alto) dominate the […]
The building most interesting and enjoyable of San Quirico d’Orcia is undoubtedly the magnificent collegiate or parish church of Osenna (Saints Quirico and Giulitta), the church is starting out from the eighth century, but the current structure dates from the twelfth or thirteenth century. The oldest part seems to be that corresponding to the facade […]
San Quirico d’Orcia, located over 400 meters above sea level, is situated 45 km from Siena on SS. Cassia, to get there you pass through the villages of Monteroni d’Arbia, Buonconvento and Torrenieri, near the intersection to Pienza you arrive in San Quirico. Formerly the village was called San Quirico in Osenna. In medieval times […]
To reach the Pieve of Sant’Appiano from Barberino Val d’Elsa, coming from Tavarnelle Val di Pesa you through the entire village of Barberino and near the end of the village turn right towards Linari, after about one km, turn left to Sant’Appiano-Linari, still a 1 km and you reach the Pieve of Sant’Appiano. AN ANCIENT ROMANIC […]
Barberino Val d’ Elsa is a fortified village situated on a hill over the Elsa River valley at 373 meters of height, the village lies half way between Florence and Siena in the north-western area of the Chianti hills. Barberino Val d’Elsa was founded by the Republic of Florence as a castle in a strategic […]
Monte San Savino is an interesting town in the Val di Chiana in the province of Arezzo, located on a hill about 330 meters high. The historic center has medieval and late Renaissance buildings. This town is the birthplace of Andrea Contucci known as Sansovino, famous architect and sculptor of the Renaissance. The area where […]
The Val di Chiana is a large flat area, crossed by the Chiana river, which is located south-west of the city of Arezzo. The Chiana river, an ancient tributary of the Tiber, was diverted by the Romans so that its waters flowed into the Arno, thus reducing the risk of flooding the Tiber in Rome. […]