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Brief
History and things to see in and near Castellina in Chianti
The origins of Castellina in Chianti go back until the 7th century B.C. A whole series of Etruscan villages and hamlets once existed along a major route following the crest that passes through Castellina and provided a link between the great cities of maritime Etruria – Vulci, Vetulonia and Roselle – and the markets of the north, particularly Spina, the most important trading harbour on the Adriatic and the gateway to the East.
Many important archaeological finds have come to light in Castellina, particularly the imposing burial vault of Mt. Calvario, which measures about 53 metres across, just outside the town on the road to Florence. The hill gets its name from a little chapel that once stood on the summit, the last station of the Way of the Cross.
At Poggino, to the east of the hamlet of Fonterutoli, along the old road towards Siena, archaeologists have unearthed a small necropolis containing five tombs, four with death chambers and one small rectangular chamber shaped like a chest. Artifacts found among the burial objects show that rich families of noble birth lived in this region throughout the 6th century B.C., the Etruscan period of greatest splendour which, according to Dionigi of Alicarnasso, "has no peer".
Some of the finds are now on display in the entrance hall of the
Mediaeval castle, now the town hall. Exhibits include two Attic vases painted with black figures, Etruscan-Corinthian ointment jars made in Vulci, other vases made of vitreous paste, as well as ornaments and parts of weapons made of iron and bronze. Castellina continued as a settlement in Roman times up until the 1st century B.C. but traces of sudden destruction followed by a fire indicate that the town came to a tragic end.
Castellina was a border between the powerful Etruscan lucumon-ruled territories of
Volterra, Chiusi and
Fiesole, which were in both political and cultural opposition. The ancient border is relected today in the division of the Castellina region between the dioceses of Siena and Fiesole.
Within the Chianti Alliance, Castellina played a military role mainly because of its strategic location, which guaranteed the control of all the surrounding roads as well as the entire valley of the Elsa river. Evidence of the town’s importance is its imposing fortress, built in severe style. The entire town was surrounded by mighty walls and towers, with only two gates providing access, one towards Siena, the other Florence. Unfortunately both gates were completely destroyed, the Florence gate during the Second World War. Most of the walls still stand today, although houses have been built right up against them in numerous places. These defences witnessed centuries of battles, sieges and clashes. The battles had alternating outcomes. Alberico da Barbiano, in the service of the Duke of Milan, took Castellina by storm in 1397. The troops of Ferdinando d’Aragon failed in their attempt to do the same in 1452 and withdrew after a 44-day siege. The town was stormed in 1478 after a lengthy siege by the Duke of Calabria, despite Lorenzo the Magnificent, who then ruled Florence, having despatched the famous architect Giuliano da Sangallo to Castellina to strengthen the town’s
defences.
Sites and buildings of historical and artistic interest
15th Century Rocca Comunale
The main features of interest in this ancient fortress, now the town hall, are the atrium, the council chamber, the Captain’s hall, and the courtyard and well. The entrance hall contains Etruscan finds unearthed in the area. Below the ceiling is a bronze bas-relief paying tribute to the citizens of Castellina killed in the First World War. To the left is the iron coat-of-arms of the Grand Dukes of Hapsburg-Lothringen. The top floor windows offer a magnificent view over the town and the surrounding countryside.
The Church of San Salvatore
This 16th century church, which was rebuilt and extended after the Second World War, is in neo-Romanesque style. It contains an important staccato fresco of the enthroned Madonna attributed to Bicci di Lorenzo (1373-1452), and a wooden Renaissance statue of St. Barnabas, the former patron saint of the town. In the right nave is a wooden urn with gold decorations containing the remains of St. Faustus, the present patron saint, donated by the Ugolini family in the 18th century. The left nave contains a 17th century Annunciation of the Tuscan school. To the left of the choir is a 15th century Renaissance ciborium, and behind the altar a 17th century Tuscan crucifix. In the transept stands a modern 40-pipe organ that replaced the ancient one in 1965. The three bells date back to 1797.
Via delle Volte
This is a very impressive arched passage leading along the eastern wall, originally an ancient ‘pomerium’, a public area of archaic origin adjacent to the walls used for sacred and military purposes. Originally open to the sky, it was gradually covered in by private dwellings built right up against the walls when no longer needed as a defence.
Via Ferruccio
On the right-hand side of the main road to the north stands Palazzo Ugolini, formerly Palazzo Squarcialupi, which has a wide façade with three ashlar doors overlaid with grey sandstone, and eight arched windows on the first floor in line with the square windows of the floor above. The façade bears two stone coats-of-arms belonging to the Ugolini family. The adjacent Palazzo Biancardi has three storeys and two tiers of windows with sandstone frames. Above the entrance is the Medici coat-of-arms of Pope Leo X (Giovanni de Medici, son of Lorenzo il Magnifico and pope from 1513 to 1521) who stayed here when passing through in 1513.
Fonterutoli
This town, which takes its name from the Latin fons rutilus (clear spring), lies on the road leading from Castellina to Siena. The ancient castle stands on a hill overlooking the Elsa valley, on the border between the municipalities of Siena and Florence and the dioceses of Siena and Fiesole. Reference to it is made in a diploma by Pope Alexander III in 1177. The church, dedicated to
San
Miniato, was the site of important agreements between Siena and Florence, such as the one signed on 29 March 1201 that granted Siena the right to annex
Montalcino and the one signed on 6th October 1208 whereby Siena renounced its right to
Poggibonsi and all its territory. Unfortunately very little is left of the original church and the castle.
San Leonino
San Leonino in Conio is a very old parish church that once had control of Castellina in Chianti. Now all that remains is the old Romanesque church, with its very interesting interior and beautiful apse. Adjacent to the church are some old buildings that are now used as the priest’s living quarters. There is also a small cloistered courtyard with an ancient well in the centre.
Sant’Agnese
The parish church of Sant’Agnese, on the main road from Castellina in Chianti to Poggibonsi, belongs to the diocese of Siena. The church has three naves and three apses. Destroyed during the Second World War, it has been entirely rebuilt according to the original layout and dimensions. The bell tower is imposing. Other Romanesque churches are located in the area, including those of Cispiano and San Quirico. The former, with its single nave and a small apse, is - like Romanesque churches in the Chianti region- built of typical ivory-coloured Albarese stone; the latter has a single nave, and a bell tower added later on one side. No architectural decorations remain. In the region of Cispiano, the imposing ruins of the castle of Monternano, references to which date back to 1089 and which was destroyed in 1254 by Florentine troops, are almost completely covered with wild vegetation. Only doors, arches, walls and underground passages can still be seen. This is very charming spot but rather difficult to locate.
Rencine
At the southern part of the Castellina territories and at the farthest end of the Chianti region, facing the fortress of Monteriggioni, the ruins of an immense almost completely destroyed castle can be seen. In a good state of preservation is the church of St. Michael with one nave and no apse. An interesting and unique feature is a decorative motif on the façade, with small arches supported by thin semi-columns with small odd-toed capitals, reminiscence of the nearby abbey in Isola. The decoration line is interrupted in the middle due to past destruction and subsequent restoration.
Eating,
drinking and enjoying yourself
The wine
The oldest document in which the name CHIANTI is associated with the wine produced in the region dates back to 1404 and is kept in the archives of the famous merchant Francesco Datini from Prato. In actual fact, numerous historic documents confirm that wine and olives have been cultivated for many centuries in this area. A parchment document dated 1202 and kept at
Badia di Passignano contains references of the sale of a land cultivated with vineyards in the region of the Grignano castle, to the north of Castellina, while the so-called 'vin vermiglio', meaning 'cinnabar wine', was already famous in the 14th century. The Lega del Chianti (Chianti Alliance), which was set up at that time, recognised the need of issuing rules regarding vine-growing. It is worth mentioning the ban to start the vintage before 29th September, the day of St. Michael, to prevent premature vintages from affecting the quality of wine.
Dante, Cecco Angiolieri and Boccaccio all dealt with wine and knew well the red wine made from grapes grown in this area.
In 1924 a consortium for the protection of the Chianti Classico wine was founded. The identification mark is a black rooster or Gallo Nero, the same mark used by the old Lega del Chianti and the Castellina town council. In 1967 the entire Chianti region was granted the D.O.C., Controlled Denomination of Origin, and the exact area of production of Chianti Classico was identified in the territories of Castellina,
Radda,
Gaiole and part of the neighbouring villages.
In 1974, Chianti Classico wine was granted the D.O.C.G mark. - Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin.
Chianti Classico is currently made from a blend of grapes:
- 75-90% Sangiovese
- 5-10% Canaiolo
- 2-5% white Trebbiano and Malvasia
Extra virgin olive oil
Olive groves are an important source of income for this area. The features of the soil contribute to make superior quality olive oil with less than 1% acid content. The unique properties of the extra virgin olive oil produced in this region are the result of expertise and devotion to work: the olives are harvested by hand at the right time of maturation, then they are cold stoned and pressed using traditional methods.
The cultivation of olive groves focuses more on quality rather than on quantity. Output is closely linked to the climate and it may be seriously affected by winter frost, as it was the case of the years 1956 and 1985, when the olive trees suffered heavy damage and many groves were completely destroyed.
Like traditional Tuscan food, Chianti dishes are prepared simply with the right proportions and without unnecessary fuss, using fresh and genuine ingredients. A strong point in the Chianti region is game, which was abundant up until recently. These dishes harmonise optically with Chianti Classico wine, preferably aged bottles. Hare, pheasants, partridges and woodcocks were common in the hunter’s game-bag, though wildfowl hunting, especially thrushes, was practised using live decoys. Stable structures, though no longer used, consisting of trenches, the so-called ‘paretai’ (walls made of twigs) can still be seen. These were used to capture birds with ‘pania’, a sort of bird lime obtained from mistletoe berries and spread onto the tree branches so that the birds that rested on them could no longer fly away. This hunting technique is forbidden, but it must noted that hunting has long been considered an important supply of food and a source of income as well. The game that was not consumed locally was sold to nearby markets for the tables of the rich families of Siena and Florence.
Another popular tradition in the Chianti area, which has always provided superior quality food, is the art of making dressed pork: salami, finocchiona (coarse salami with fennel), sausages or salty meat like capocollo (pork shoulder) and ham, which make a snack a real meal. Local restaurants offer a wide selection of quality food and Chianti Classico of different vintages and brands.
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