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Province of Florence Val d'Elsa Villages

Certaldo: an intact medieval village in Val d’Elsa

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 […]

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Media Valle del Serchio Province of Lucca Villages

Borgo a Mozzano: a village and a spectacular bridge

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 […]

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Chianti Province of Siena Villages

Castelnuovo Berardenga: where Chianti ends

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 […]

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Province of Siena Val di Chiana Villages

Sarteano: a walled village dominated by a castle

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. […]

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Province of Siena Val di Chiana Villages

Cetona: a medieval village of Etruscan origin

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 […]

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Maremma coast Maremma Grossetana Province of Grosseto Villages

Scarlino: a medieval village near the Gulf of Follonica

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 […]

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Province of Siena Spa Val d'Orcia and Monte Amiata Villages

Bagno Vignoni: a village with a particular square

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 […]

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Province of Siena Val d'Orcia and Monte Amiata Villages

San Quirico d’Orcia: fortifications, churches and gardens

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 […]

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Chianti Province of Florence Val d'Elsa Villages

Barberino Val d’Elsa: a medieval village in Chianti

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 […]

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Province of Arezzo Val di Chiana Villages

Monte San Savino: architectures of late Renaissance

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 […]

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Province of Arezzo Val di Chiana Villages

Castiglion Fiorentino: a medieval town

Castiglion Fiorentino is an important town in the Val di Chiana situated on a hill 345 meters high, between Arezzo and Cortona. The village has remote Etruscan origins, it is shown by the remains of Etruscan walls found at the Cassero. During the late archaic and the Hellenistic periods in the area of Castiglion Fiorentino stood […]

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Casentino Castles, towers and fortresses Province of Arezzo Villages

Poppi: an imposing castle and a beautiful medieval village

From a distance the structure that characterizes the village of Poppi is undoubtedly the Castle of the Counts Guidi (or Praetorian Palace), which, with its massive structure dominates the town on the hilltop, but the town is very beautiful even for its porches. Poppi’s history dates back to the twelfth century when it became the […]

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Casentino Province of Arezzo Villages

Castel Focognano: ancient medieval castle

Castel Focognano is a town in the Casentino situated 28 km from Arezzo, and about 12 km from Bibbiena, the main center and seat of the municipality is the village of Rassina, located in the plains along the valley of the Arno river. The town has kept the name of the old location, Castel Focognano, […]

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Casentino Province of Arezzo Villages

Bibbiena: the most important center of the Casentino

Bibbiena is an important center of the Casentino in the province of Arezzo, is located on a hill 425 meters above sea level at the confluence of the Archiano stream in the Arno river. The area where today stands Bibbiena was populated since Etruscan times, but the foundation of the present town dates back to […]

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Abbeys, basilicas and churches Province of Siena Val d'Elsa Villages

Abbadia a Isola: an abbey along the Via Francigena

Abbadia a Isola is a small interesting medieval village, it’s lies just 4 km from Monteriggioni along the road to Colle Val d’Elsa. The small village, built around the Cistercian Abbey of San Salvatore, which was founded here in the tenth century, was in medieval times, a stopping place for pilgrims along the Via Francigena. Here was […]

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Castles, towers and fortresses Province of Siena Val d'Elsa Villages

Monteriggioni: a village surrounded by circular walls

Monteriggioni is a picturesque medieval village completely encircled from circular walls with 14 towers, situated on a low hill, approximately 10 km from Siena. Until 11th century, Monteriggioni was a station of exchange along the via Francigena. Siena transformed Monteriggioni in an imposing fortress in order protect its northern border during the wars against Florence. A […]

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Province of Arezzo Val di Chiana Villages

Cortona: important Etruscan and medieval town

Cortona (23 000 inhabitants) is a beautiful town in the province of Arezzo, which is located on the slopes of a hill about 500 meters high, is now a major tourist city with many tourist attractions primarily Etruscan, Roman, Medieval and Renaissance. The town of Cortona traces its historical roots in the Etruscan period, probably […]

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Province of Arezzo Val di Chiana Villages

Civitella Val di Chiana: a picturesque medieval village

Civitella in Val di Chiana is a picturesque village perched on a hill 523 meters above sea level. Civitella in historical times was important due to its strategic location in relation to the paths towards Siena and Florence, and his role as garrison in the proximity of the city of Arezzo. The definitive aspect of Civitella […]

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Crete Senesi Province of Siena Villages

Buonconvento: a medieval walled village

Buonconvento is a village of just over 3,000 inhabitants located in the province of Siena at 147 meters above sea level at the confluence of the river Arbia in to river Ombrone. Buonconvento is about 30 km from Siena and is still surrounded by medieval walls, built between 1371 and 1385. The medieval village enclosed by walls […]

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Chianti Province of Siena Villages

Castellina in Chianti: a delightful medieval village

Situated on a hill, 578 meters above sea level, overlooking the river valleys of the Pesa, Arbia and Elsa, Castellina in Chianti is one of the most important villages of Chianti and a famous resort area. Castellina in Chianti, is an interesting medieval town of Etruscan origins, of this period are witness the many Etruscan […]

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Province of Arezzo Val di Chiana Villages

Lucignano: a medieval village in the Val di Chiana

Lucignano (3,500 inhabitants), is a small medieval village of the Val di Chiana, located about 400 meters above sea level, in the province of Arezzo, from which is 33 km away. The origin of Lucignano probably dates from the period of the Roman Empire, when the top of the hill where today the country there […]

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Province of Arezzo Valtiberina Villages

Sansepolcro: city of art of the Alta Valtiberina

Sansepolcro rises in the Upper Tiber Valley, in the eastern end of Tuscany, about forty kilometers from the city of Arezzo. Charming Renaissance town, Sansepolcro owes much of its fame to Piero della Francesca, a famous artist who was born here in the early fifteenth century. The center still retains its character as a city […]

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Province of Siena Val d'Orcia and Monte Amiata Villages

Pienza: an ideal Renaissance city in Val d’Orcia

Pienza is a wonderful village that lies on a hill dominates the Val d’ Orcia at about 490 amsl. The small city is approximately 50 km from Siena and is reachable travel along the Cassia until San Quirico d’ Orcia and then following the indications for Pienza. Another road that can be used is the […]

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Province of Siena Val d'Elsa Villages

San Gimignano: medieval New York

San Gimignano was built in the 8th century as a walled feudal castle. In the following centuries the village became a free municipality. Then in 1353 the town became part of the possessions of the Republic of Florence. In the Middle Ages San Gimignano was an important stop for pilgrims who went to Rome along […]

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Archeology Province of Siena Val di Chiana Villages

Chiusi: an important Etruscan city in the Val di Chiana

Chiusi lies in the extreme south of the Valdichiana on a hill at approximately 400 amsl. it’s a famous city for its Etruscan tombs and its historical center. The city is reached in car from Florence or Rome through the Highway of the Sun (Autostrade del Sole, A1), exit Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, from the exit are […]