Castel del Piano Between Local History and Monte Amiata
File:58033 Castel del Piano, Province of Grosseto, Italy - panoramio.jpg
Photo: trolvag via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Castel del Piano combines a historic town center with the landscape of Monte Amiata. Narrow, cobbled streets, stone houses, loggias, and small squares shape the center.
Historic Town Center and Sacred Art
Castel del Piano was first officially mentioned in 890 under the name “Casale Plana”. In the townscape, the Porta dell’Orologio preserves part of the historic city walls; its distinctive features include a clock and a bell. The Porta Pianese, also known as Porta Amiata or Porta Castiglionese, is another historic gate along the town’s old walls.
The Chiesa della NativitĂ di Maria was built between the 17th and 19th centuries. Its floor plan is in the shape of a Latin cross; the interior contains works by Giuseppe Nicola Nasini as well as a historic organ from the 18th century.
The medieval single-nave Chiesa del Santissimo Sacramento is also known as Chiesa Piccina and preserves works by Francesco Nasini. The Chiesa di San Leonardo dates from the 12th century and was restored in the Neo-Gothic style in 1915. It contains frescoes from the 15th and 16th centuries as well as Renaissance details, including trachyte surrounds. The Chiesa della SS. Madonna delle Grazie houses a 15th-century depiction of the Madonna attributed to the Sienese painter Sano di Pietro.
The Palazzo Nerucci is a 16th-century building and houses an art collection that includes the Vegni collection, donated in 1883. A fixed date in the annual calendar is the Palio delle Contrade di Castel del Piano: it takes place every year on September 8 and is preceded by a historic parade.
High Plateau, Forests, and Cultural Landscape
Castel del Piano lies on the edge of a high plateau. Chestnut and beech forests extend uphill, while olive groves, vineyards, and fruit trees follow downhill. The Prati delle Macinaie and the Prati della Contessa are located within the municipal area at an elevation of approximately 1,300 to 1,400 meters.
Hiking, Routes, and Regional Products
The 27-kilometer “Trekking dell’anello del Monte Amiata” hiking route can be started directly in Castel del Piano. Another route is “La salita delle Macinaie sul Monte Amiata”, also called “Salita di Castel del Piano”; it begins in Castel del Piano.
The “Strada del Vino Montecucco e dai sapori dell’Amiata” also passes through the town, a visitor route for discovering typical local products.
Getting There and Choosing a Location
Castel del Piano can be reached by car or coach from Grosseto. If you choose Castel del Piano as the location for your accommodation, you can plan your stay around its historic buildings, the landscape of Monte Amiata, and the routes that begin in or pass through the town.
For more: Montegiovi.
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