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ITINERARY OF THE MONTH |
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TRAVELLING
TROUGH
THE
CHIANTI
CASTELS:
The Chianti territory was the battle-field for the
republic of Florence and Siena: not only because it was a
borderland, but also because his geographic conformation
made it was suitable for fortification: two real and
proper defensive lines came to be created. Let us make a
tour trough this castles:
the first castle that we find on the road from Radda to
Gaiole is the SAN DONATO IN PERANO today it's
changed in a big 17th century villa built on the fortified
ruins (before 1000) that dominates the village.
Driving back to the SS 429 you reach the ruins that today
can bee seen of the CASTELLO DI MONTEGROSSI. It was
the sentinel and last rampart of the medieval feudal
system constituted in the Chianti region. Erected at
around 700 meters high on the crest of the last relief of
the small mountain chain on the border between the
territories of the Chianti and the Valdarno, perennial
object of disputes between Florence and its enemies, the
castle dominates the pass and the road that connects the
two areas and also a big part of the valleys from both
sides.
The first notices of the castle are of the year 1007 as a
property of the two sons of Ridolfo, the origin of the
families Firidolfi e Ricasoli. In 1172 it was conquered
and destroyed by the Florentine that wanted to free their
movements in the zone from a big obstacle. Some years
later the rests of the castle belong to the Firidolfi
family, that reconstructed it. They used Montegrossi also
as base for actions of brigandage and looting of the
caravans direct to Florence. Afterwards the castle made
part of the chain of fortifications wanted by the Emperor
Barbarossa to control central Tuscany. But during the war
between the League of the Tuscan Communes and the imperial
armies, the Florentines took again posses of the castle.
Montegrossi was strengthened and was gifted of a permanent
garrison.
In 1530 Charles V° that destroyed definitely the castle.
Since then the ruins of Montegrossi were abandoned, but on
the crest of the mountain still rises the mighty keep
surrounded by the walls, unfortunately only shed stones in
the vegetation, of the fortified enclosure.
Near the vilage of Gaiole there is the castle of
BARBISCHIO: under Florence, it had a wall with
three towers. In the 1049 it was presented to the monks of
Coltibuono, and in the 1220 it became a feud of the Conti
Guidi until it felt into the hands of the Ricasoli Family.
At the end of the 15th century it was detroyed by the
aragonesi. The tower has been restored.
Of interest is also VERTINE, The "walled town" was
the biggest Castle of Chianti region. In the 13th century
it belong to the Ricasoli Family. Because Vertine was
never at the centre of war events as sieges or fighting,
it reached us quite intact. Only in the 15th century its
fortifications were restored and enlarged. On the southern
front rises a splendid rectangular tower that had the
function of keep.
On the left side of the keep there is the north gate, once
twin of the opposite partially disappeared south gate,
still today the only two entries of the suburb. The arch
of the south gate is lost but we are still able to notice
the tower that defended it.
On the SS408 from Gaiole to Castelnuovo we find the little
road that drive us to the CASTELLO DI MELETO: built
in the 11th century it belong to the Count Ugo, Marchise
of Tuscia, later it was presented to the monks of the near
Coltibuono Abbey. The name of the first vassal of the
castle was Guardellotto. This was stripped of all his
possessions for some contrasts born with the Emperor
Federico Barbarossa that entrusted Meleto to the local
family of the Firidolfi.
Its strategic position made of this castle one of the
principal fortifications of the Terziere (one of the three
parts in which these Florentine military organization was
organized) of the 'Chianti League' headed by Gaiole. It
was for centuries theatre of wars but it has never been
destroyed. The 'military' destination can be seen also
today: the form of irregular quadrate, almost a trapeze,
with the presence at the centre of the keep, although
notably lowered, show us a classical example of castle-
enclosure.
In 1478 the castle was occupied by the Aragonese army
allied with Siena, two years later it was quickly regained
by the Florentine that started great works of
reinforcement of the structures.
The 1480's addition is today practically still intact and
consist in the two mighty cylindrical bastionated towers,
gifted of machicolulis (opening between corbels of a
parapet through which the defenders can drop rocks or fire
projectiles against an enemy directly below them) posted
at the two southern angles (the more exposed); of two
hoarding in bricks at the northern angles overlooking the
border of the crag, so already naturally defended; the
reinforcement of the walls curtains toward the only road
of access and the insertion of loopholes and gun holes,
partly disappeared, along the perimeter of the enclosure.
Thanks to this in the 1529 Meleto victoriously withstand
to the siege of the imperial troops. The Meleto castle was
transformed in a villa during the 18th century and its
defenses were partly dismantled. The interior, visible by
a fee, has still today the aspect of this period, with
decorated halls and a particular little theatre of the
year 1742 still provided of its seven original
scenographies. Meleto remained ownership of the Ricasoli
family until about thirty years ago, today is center of an
agricultural firm for wines production.
On the same road we find also the CASTELLO DI
TORNANO: built in the 11th century it belong to the
noble from Siena Guarnellotto dei Mezzolombardi until the
1167 as he rebelled and the Emperor Friedrich the 1rs gave
him to Ranieri de' Firidolfi Ricasoli. It’s known that
Guarnellotto, thanks to Siena, maintaned the control over
Tornano and over the nearby Castle of Campi.
In 1400 Tornano was fortified by the Ricasoli and during
the invasions of the aragonesi it succeeded to keep on
until 1530 as it was conquered by the emperor armies.
The castle was recently restored and today is an
agriturismo with a farm.
Driving back an taking the road SS 484 you will arrive to
the CASTELLO DI BROLIO
It has a Longobard origin, that is revealed only by its
location. At the beginning of the 12th century the family
of the Ricasoli from Cacchiano took office on it and today
the castle belongs still to their descendants.
Its position was always strategical for the control of
this area of Chianti, from the 1176 it was edge of the
Florentine influence at the borders with the Senese
territory. For this reason, since the 13th up to the mid
16th century, the castle was often interested in the
frontier wars. Siena tryed more times in conquering the
castle, until the second aragonese occupation when it felt
into Siena’s hands, but only until 1484 when the castle
returned Florentine, began a great work of restructuring
and expansion of the fortification to adeguat the walls at
the new fire weapons, so we can consider Brolio one of the
first 'Italian bastioned fortresses' (the architect was
Giuliano da Sangallo).
During the siege of Florence (1529) the castle was again
occupied and parts burnt. The next year Florence conquered
it again.
This bastioned walls enclose the rests of the original
medieval castle, above all the keep and the Roman Chapel,
over that a neo-gothic building was build to the place of
the preexisting one from the Baron Bettino Ricasoli, 1809-
1880, famous political man of the last century, known also
as the 'Iron Baron'.
Inside the Baron let make an interesting archive of
Renaissance works: it can be visited the lunch-hall, hung
with tapestry of Flemish school, armours and a big iron
chandelier decorated with the coats-of-arms of Ricasoli
and the original appartament of Bettino Ricasoli. The
Chapel of San Jacopo can also be visited (1348). The
facade is decorated with a modern mosaic and there are a
polyptyc with Virgin Mary and the Saints of Ugolino di
Nerio (14th century.); the Crist’s Predication and the
Adulteress, mosaics made by Augusto Castellani over paper
of Alessandro Franchi. Behind the altar a stairs bring in
the crypt, where there are the Ricasoli family’s tombs.
If you want to know more, just keep in touch with
us:
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