Surroundings
BEAUTIFUL TUSCAN CITIES AROUND THE VILLAGE
Borgo Poneta is located in the heart of Tuscany, in the countryside of Barberino Val d'Elsa, between Florence and Siena, on a hill in Chianti overlooking San Gimignano.
From Borgo Poneta, in just half an hour by car, you can reach both Florence, an authentic Tuscan gem, the true cradle of art and history of this region, and Siena; even closer is the city of San Gimignano, an ancient medieval village perfectly preserved where you can still breathe the magical atmosphere of the year one thousand, as well as Volterra, a suggestive stronghold of Etruscan civilization, Certaldo, a medieval town and the birthplace of Boccaccio, where numerous tales of the Decameron are set, Monteriggioni, a delightful fortified castle near Siena.
COLLE DI VAL D'ELSA
Perched picturesquely atop the hill
Colle di Val d'Elsa is perched in its oldest part on a high hill. The urban fabric is divided into Colle Alta and Colle Bassa.
The municipality is the most important Italian center for crystal production. Every year in September, the event takes place: Cristallo tra le mura, which reached its 30th edition in 2007.
In order to enhance the nativity scene as a symbol of peace and brotherhood among peoples, every year the municipality of Colle di Val d'Elsa organizes a nativity scene exhibition connected to the competition 'Primo Presepe di Arnolfo di Cambio', the distinguished sculptor and architect born in Colle di Val d'Elsa who executed the first sculpted nativity scene in history in the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome.
In Colle di Val d'Elsa, according to tradition, one of the nails from the Crucifixion of Christ is preserved. It is kept in the cathedral of Colle di Val d'Elsa in a tabernacle created by Domenico Rosselli. It is twenty-two centimeters long, with one end still well rounded and the other pointed and bent. The sacred relic arrived in Colle in the ninth century after passing through many hands.
CERTALDO
The intact medieval village, home of Boccaccio.
Located in the heart of the Valdelsa, Certaldo is home to numerous buildings of historical, cultural, and artistic interest.
The most interesting part of the municipality is certainly Certaldo Alto. Its main artistic and architectural feature, which has made it known and famous throughout Europe, is the perfect preservation of the medieval urban fabric with its narrow streets and small squares scattered here and there: Certaldo Alto has remained identical to how it developed in the Middle Ages.
Tra le molte cose è possibile visitare Casa Boccaccio, la residenza del noto scrittore che si affaccia sulla via principale del borgo, il Museo di Arte Sacra e il Museo Civico di Palazzo Pretorio.
SAN GIMIGNANO
Heritage of Humanity for its characteristic medieval architecture
San Gimignano rises in a place inhabited certainly by the Etruscans, at least since the 3rd century B.C. The hill was chosen for strategic reasons, being dominant (324 m above sea level) over the upper Val d'Elsa.
On the slopes of Poggio del Comune (624 m above sea level), there are the ruins of Castelvecchio, a village from the Lombard period.
San Gimignano is especially famous for its medieval towers that still soar over its skyline, earning it the nickname 'Medieval Manhattan.' Of the 72 towers and tower houses that existed during the city's golden age, twenty-five remained in 1580, and today there are sixteen left, with others truncated and barely visible in the urban fabric. The oldest is the Rognosa Tower, which is 51 meters high, while the tallest is the Tower of the Podesta, also known as the Great Tower, at 54 meters. A regulation from 1255 prohibited private individuals from erecting towers taller than the Rognosa Tower (which was the tallest at the time), although the two most important families, Ardinghelli and Salvucci, built two towers slightly shorter but of almost equal size to demonstrate their power.
SANT'APPIANO
Famous for the Romanesque parish church
Sant'Appiano is considered the first evangelizer of the Valdelsa and is the patron saint of the parish dedicated to him.
In 990, the parish became part of the possessions of the Bishop of Florence, but its origin is much older, as can be deduced from the proto-Romanesque features of the interior.
The complex structure of the parish church of Sant'Appiano is the best testimony to the remarkable importance assumed by the church. In the premises adjacent to the church, a small one has been created since 1991: Antiquarium serving as an archaeological museum. In front of the facade of the church was situated the Baptistery of the parish. Only the four supporting pillars remain of it.
BARBERINO VAL D'ELSA
Medieval village with extraordinary panoramic views.
Its history is linked to the destruction of Semifonte by the Florentines in 1202. Its development was mainly due to its location on the Roman Royal Road that connected Florence to Rome. Its urban form is elliptical, and the two gates of access to the village are preserved: Porta Romana and Porta Fiorentina. The facade of the Pretorio Palace preserves numerous coats of arms from the 15th century.
Also noteworthy are the Barberini Palace and the Pilgrims' Hospital.
MONTERIGGIONI
Characteristic medieval village still fortified
The nucleus of Monteriggioni is a small fortified village. The castle is surrounded by a massive elliptical-shaped defensive wall, interspersed with 15 towers and two gates, enclosing a hill called Monte Ala.
The Castle of Monteriggioni was built by the Sienese, by order of the podestà Guelfo da Porcari, between 1214 and 1219. In recent years, Monteriggioni has gained greater tourist relevance as it has been included in the itinerary of the Via Francigena by the Council of Europe, thus being part of the Cultural Routes.
Since 2005, it has been possible to walk along two stretches of the ancient patrol walkways on the walls, from which you can enjoy stunning views of the Chianti region and the Sienese Montagnola. In Monteriggioni, a Museum of Arms and Armor has been set up, which houses faithful artisan reproductions of medieval and Renaissance weapons and armor.
VOLTERRA
House of the master artisans of alabaster
Volterra, famous for the extraction and processing of alabaster, was one of the main city-states of ancient Tuscany (Etruria)
The hill on which Volterra stands was inhabited as early as the first Iron Age. The walls, still largely visible today, were built at the end of the 4th century BC.
The Cathedral of Volterra, in Romanesque style, was raised several times between the 12th and 13th centuries. The interior, restored in the 19th century, features late Renaissance elements. The bell tower, which rises beside the facade, is an elegant fifteenth-century construction. In front of the Cathedral stands the Baptistery of San Giovanni; built in the second half of the 13th century, the building is topped by a dome.
SEMIFONTE - PETROGNANO
Ancient village with a fascinating past
Semifonte was a fortified city that, towards the end of the 12th century, became a fierce rival of Florence. Today, it is only the name of a locality near Petrognano, a hamlet of the municipality of Barberino Val d'Elsa, in the province of Florence.
The name derives from the Latin "Summus Fons" (highest spring), later becoming "Summofonte" and finally "Semifonte." The castle first and then the city were founded around 1177 by the Count of Prato, Alberto IV degli Alberti, quickly becoming one of the most powerful centers in the Valdelsa region and an imperial stronghold in the area. This new power was immediately opposed by the Republic of Florence, which fought against it in every way and eventually defeated it within a span of twenty years. In 1202, Semifonte, after a siege that began in 1198, was defeated, conquered, and immediately razed to the ground by Florentine troops, who sought to exemplarily punish a rival to their expansionist ambitions.
After the destruction, Florence decreed that no building could ever be constructed on that hill again. This prohibition has effectively been upheld until today, with the exception of the Chapel of San Michele, erected in 1597 on the hill's summit according to a design by Santi di Tito, who struggled to obtain approval from Ferdinando I de' Medici, then Grand Duke of Tuscany.
