Camporbiano: Castle, Glassmaking History and Via Francigena

Camporbiano bears traces from several eras: early settlement, Etruscan copper extraction, medieval rule, castle history and glassmaking. It is also connected with the Via Francigena and the agricultural work of Poggio di Camporbiano. This creates a varied travel itinerary combining historical sites, a route and traditionally produced goods.

Early Settlement and Medieval Rule

Camporbiano was already inhabited in the Neolithic period, as evidenced by finds of chipped red jasper points. The ancient Etruscans used the heights around Camporbiano for copper extraction. For those interested in culture, the early finds and copper extraction in Camporbiano offer two different historical starting points for planning their own trip.

Before the year 1000, Camporbiano was a villa dependent on the Bishop of Volterra. In the High Middle Ages, one of the castles of the Counts Cadolingi of Catignano and the Alberti stood here. With the transition from episcopal dependence to comital rule, a medieval connection to lordship was added to the early use of the heights.

Castle History and Glassmaking

The appearance of Camporbiano's late-medieval castle was recorded by Leonardo da Vinci on one of his famous maps. For those interested in culture, this adds a connection to historical cartography to the castle's history.

The first documented glass furnace in the Val d'Elsa, dating back to 1230, was located in Camporbiano. Camporbiano also had a historic glassworks. The year 1230 places the glass furnace in the Middle Ages and establishes a fixed point in time within the history of glassmaking.

Mining Evidence at the Rio di Camporbiano

The so-called Buche del Rame, historic mining pits, are visible along the Rio di Camporbiano. On the steep slope on the opposite side of the Rio di Camporbiano, the remains of buildings erected for miners are also visible. The location along the river and on the steep opposite slope therefore provides two clearly separate spatial reference points for the history of mining.

Via Francigena and Rural Products

The Sienese route of the Via Francigena begins in Castagno, in the hamlet of Camporbiano, immediately outside the provincial territory. This geographical limitation is important for individual travel planning: the route begins in Castagno, in the hamlet of Camporbiano, but immediately outside the provincial territory.

At Poggio di Camporbiano, dairy goats and dairy cows are kept in Camporbiano. Vegetables, grain and fruit are grown. In the workshops of Poggio di Camporbiano, dairy products, preserves, flours, products preserved in jars and baked goods are made. Agricultural production therefore includes livestock farming and cultivation as well as the production of processed goods. For those interested in food and drink, the range of products—from dairy products and baked goods to preserves, flours and products preserved in jars—is also relevant.

Poggio di Camporbiano also has a farm shop.

Further destinations for planning your trip to Italy: Varna, Badia A Cerreto.

For the broader travel overview: Gambassi Terme.