San Donato in Poggio: village in the Chianti hills

Located along the road that connects Tavarnelle Val di Pesa to Castellina in Chianti and just 6 km from the splendid Badia a Passignano, San Donato in Poggio is located 418 meters above sea level immersed in the typical Chianti countryside made up of hills with olive groves and vineyards.

San Donato in Poggio is a walled village of ancient origins. Its historic center has an oval shape and is crossed by a single main road and numerous secondary streets. On its medieval walls there are two gates, called Porta Fiorentina and Porta Senese. The best preserved part of the wall is the one that opens towards the south where the characteristic Torrino is located.

Inside the historical nucleus, all overlooking the main square of the village, there are some valuable buildings such as the Renaissance Palazzo Malaspina, the Palazzo Pretorio, the Church of Santa Maria della Neve and the ancient water cistern. The village is part of the most beautiful villages in Italy (Borghi più belli d’Italia), while the entire municipal area of Barberino Tavarnelle has been awarded the Orange Flag by the Touring Club.

TWO INTERESTING RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS

Outside the town walls is the splendid Romanesque pieve, a church whose origin dates back to before the year one thousand. The current structure represents the typical one of a 12th century religious architecture. Still outside the walls, but on the other side of the town, is the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Pietracupa, a building from the end of the sixteenth century with valuable works of art inside.

TO SEE IN THE SURROUNDINGS

In the surroundings of San Donato there are interesting excursions to do such as the one that leads to the remains of an ancient medieval tower, to the pavement of a road in the woods, to the ruins of a medieval church camouflaged in the woods with a mysterious bridge nearby and to small villages full of charm like that of Olena.