This is the first of a new series of three posts on the small villages we visited in Tuscany, Italy.
We took a 2-week long driving tour from Lausanne, Switzerland to Tuscany by way of Turin (Torino), the Italian Riviera (Genoa, Cinque Terre), and Florence. Before we turned around, we explored several Tuscan villages. If you like to join us on this epic road trip from the beginning in Switzerland, click here. We started this Tuscany portion of the trip from Florence, click here to follow us starting in Firenze.
Castellina is located along the Chiantigiana Road (SR222), one of Tuscany’s most scenic driving routes, which connects two historically powerful and warring city states: Florence and Siena.
Castellina’s history dates back to the Etruscan period 900 BCE to 300 BCE.
From the 12th to mid-16th century, the Chianti region was often a battleground as the Republic of Florence and Republic of Siena fought for territorial dominance. Villages like Castellina were fortified with walls and towers to protect against constant invasions.
The village is surrounded by rolling vineyards, olive groves, and cypress-lined hills.
In 1384, to better defend themselves against these ongoing conflicts, the Chianti League (Lega del Chianti) was established by Florence. The league united key Chianti towns—Castellina, Radda, and Gaiole—under a military pact to protect the region from Siena.
Beneath the village streets lies a series of hidden tunnels. These tunnels were built in medieval times for defensive purposes.
Via delle Volte offers a scenic passage with small openings that provide beautiful views of the Chianti landscape.
Chianti Wines
The league adopted the Black Rooster (Gallo Nero) as its symbol (see photo), which remains iconic in the Chianti Classico wine region (the icon often stamped on the bottle).
In 1716, Grand Duke Cosimo III of Tuscany declared that wines from these areas would officially be called Chianti wines, marking the creation of the world’s first defined wine region.
In 1932 the term “Classico” was added, to distinguish it from the wine produced outside the territory delimited by Cosimo III.
Chianti wine is based on the Sangiovese grape. The other well-regarded wine is Chianti Ruffina.
Wine tasting by the glass. The shop said they will “contribute” towards the shipping costs to USA.
Via Ferruccio is the main throughfare. Apart from wine, they sell locally produced olive oil, and spice mixes commonly seen across Italy for tourists.
The Church of San Salvatore in the heart of Castellina was rebuilt after World War II, it houses important religious artworks, including a 15th-century fresco of the Madonna and Child by Lorenzo Bicci and the remains of Saint Fausto. We were not sure how this bronze statue is related to the fresco, if at all.
Saint Fausto, an early Christian martyr has been venerated in this region for centuries. It was a bit disturbing when we first came across this vivid display.
Castellina is one of three quintessential villages in Chianti, the other two are Greve in Chianti and Radda in Chianti. Unfortunately, we did not have time to see them.
In our next post, we’ll be sharing photos of a walled village – Monteriggioni, built by Siena to counter Florence’s influence in their 400 years of rivalry.