Holidays in Castelnuovo Berardenga


Castelnuovo Berardenga is the most southern Chianti town, characterized by a landscape that gradually shades from the bright green of Chianti woods to the warmest earth colours of the famous "Crete Senesi", the clay hills with no vegetation, typical of the surroundings of Siena. But let us read better in this particular name, which tells us so much about its history. "Castelnuovo", namely New Castle, explains the purpose of its foundation: in 1366 the Republic of Siena wants to build this new fortress to protect the area from the attacks by the Florentines. This becomes the main castle and all the other smaller castles refer to it. The adjective "Berardenga" comes from "Berardenga County", the name given already from ’800 to the whole area under the jurisdiction of the Frankish noble Berardo, representative of the Holy Roman Empire.

This nice town and its immediate surroundings offer plenty to see! And to jump immediately into the right spirit to enjoy your holiday and cultural visits with balance, we say at once that Castelnuovo Berardenga is recognized as a "Slow City"! (It belongs to the international network of those “well-being cities” that put people at the centre and are respectful of ways of living more natural and “slower”).

Why not start from the beautiful villas that dot the area? Villa Chigi Saracini, Villa Geggiano and Villa of Monaciano are of great interest for their beautiful parks and Italian style gardens; real masterpieces of art and nature. (Villas, inside, are not open to visitors).

Moreover, you should visit, just outside Castelnuovo, the Pieve (=parish church) of Santa Maria in Pacina, very characteristic in its mix of styles , with a particular round bell tower, quite unusual in our area. Inside, “San Domenico e Santa Caterina” painted by Bruni and a “Madonna col Bambino”(= Madonna with Child) by Andrea di Niccolò.

The Charterhouse of Pontignano is even more striking; an oasis of quietness, huddled in the green. Towards the middle of the XIV century, the order of the Carthusians is expanding throughout Italy and in Tuscany. Thanks to a donation of Bindo Petroni, a rich merchant of Siena, they establish this Charterhouse in 1343. The initial structure does not look like the today one, that is rather due to refurbishment and renovation of the XVI century. Handed over to monks of Camaldoli in 1700 for a short period, already in ’800 the Charterhouse is sold to the University of Siena, which keeps it alive with many cultural activities. (www.pontignano.unisi.it)

Finally, we suggest you take a short tour in San Gusmè (originally "St. Cosmas and Damian"), a pretty fortified village, very typical. Small, well maintained, with all the houses made of stones and narrow cobbled lanes ... a small gem in which wander with pleasure! And do not forget the Badia (=Abbey) a Monastero, currently re-used as a sort of farm-house, but with a quite remarkable architectural complex. If you love trekking you can get there with a leisurely pace in approximately 1 ½ hours, departing from the centre of Castelnuovo.

 

Our most requested villas for vacation rentals:
Villa Montespertoli Villa for holidays on the hills of the Florentine countryside. Accommodation for 12+2 people, garden, private swimming pool, hydro massage, Internet connection. More details
Villa Marco Villa for rent in the countryside of Chianti, near Florence. Accommodation for 8/12 people, private swimming pool, outdoor whirlpool bath for 7, Internet connection, children's playground, air conditioning. Golf club, riding stable and tennis club within a few kilometres. Possibility of organising dinners and cooking lessons. More details
Villa Botticelli Villa for vacation rental in Radda in Chianti, between Florence and Siena, in the Tuscan countryside. Accommodation for 10 people, garden, swimming pool, panoramic view, Internet connection. More details
Villa Siena Villa with swimming pool for rent near Siena for holidays in Tuscany. Villa with accommodation for 4/6 people, panoramic view on Siena. More details