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Castiglioncello Bandini
     
   

Castiglioncello Bandini
Castiglioncello Bandini, view from the cemetery
The fraction of Castiglioncello Bandini belongs to the municipality of Cinigiano, in the province of Grosseto, in Tuscany. Castiglioncello Bandini is situated in the eastern part of Cinigiano, at the foot of Poggio all'Olmo Nature Reserve.
 
   

Of the castles that are situated in the Commune of Cinigiano, Castiglioncello Bandini, also called Stribugliano, is situated near the river Melacce in the valley of the Ombrone. Originally part of the holdings of the family Aldobrandeschi, over the centuries it frequently changed ownership: first Ranieri Giamboni, then the lords of Montorgiali, then the Abbey of Monte Amiata and finally the Piccolomini Bandini of Siena. It is currently privately owned. Of the original castle, recently reconstructed, there remains the round tower with sloping base that stands out in the highest part of the town. The castle underwent several operations for the amendment and restoration, particularly in the sixteenth century, and between the nineteenth and early twentieth when it was renovated in large part neomedievale style.
The internal church dedicated to San Nicola and medieval, had a replacement in the Baroque period.

The territory of Cinigiano, which stretches from the plains of the Maremma to the slopes of Mount Amiata, is very varied: the Mediterranean maquis alternates to olive groves and vineyards, fruit trees to green hills and chestnut trees.

The Olivastra Seggianese grows at 350-600 meters on the north-western foothills of Monte Amiata. This indigenous variety of olive tree was presumably introduced by monks from the nearby monastery San Salvatore in the early Middle Ages.
There are probably hundreds of majestic and magnificent trees in Monte Amiata area. Some of the most impressive trees are to be found near Podere Santa Margerita and Podere Santa Pia in Castiglioncello Bandini. The ancient trees grow in wondrous, tangled ways, with trunks resembling characters in fairy tales. Tucked away in the hills, they grow in wondrous, tangled ways, with trunks resembling characters in fairy tales, these ancient trees have witnessed thousands of years of political unrest, plagues, diseases, varying climatic conditions and changing civilizations.


 

Cinigiano

Cinigiano is definitely one of the most fascinating and enchanting location of Alta Maremma, seen as a small but wonderful ancient village.
Cinigiano rises on a hill west of the massif of Mount Amiata. It is a quiet village bordering the plains of Maremma. Cinigiano is shaped like a fortified village and preserves part of the walls and remains of the ancient fortress.

The passing of centuries cancelled out most traces of the earliest buildings, but one can still see the symbol of public power of Cinigiano: the Clock Tower. The Tower was reconstructed in the 19th century, hereby reviving the medieval style, which was fashionable at that time.
Of special interest are the Church of St. Michael Archangel and the Chiesa della Madonna delle Nevi (Church of the Madonna of the Snow).
In the upper part of town, at the end of Via del Pretoria, you can find the church that Cinigiano has dedicated to its patron saint: St. Michael Archangel. The church is from the 13th century, but was vastly reworked in the neo-Gothic style. It preserves a delicate fresco of La Madonna fra i santi Michele e Antonio (Madonna between Saints Michele and Antonio) and a canvas portraying La Madonna col Bambino che tiene in mano i fiocchi di neve (Madonna and Child holding snowflakes) from which the church gets its name.
Il Cassero (Bridge House) is a fortified construction which is situated in the highest part of the town, in the historic centre.

Comune Cinigiano

Thanks to the success of the red DOC wine Montecucco, Cinigiano has become a very lively village. We especially recommend Calici sotto le Stelle, literally wine glasses under the stars, on August 10, the night of Saint Lorenzo and of shooting stars, when cellars are opened to the public.

The Festa dell'Uva, the village grape festival is celebrated on the first week-end of October.
It’s an event first established in 1961 and involves the whole local population and thousands of tourists. On this occasion the wine-cellars dug out of the rocks underneath the old town are re-open and it is possible to taste Montecucco DOC wines, as well as local products and typical dishes, such as acquacotta, fegatelli and raisin schiaccia. Besides being a significant eno-gastronomical event, the Grape Feast is also an important folkloristic tradition with allegoric parades and music entertainment ranging from rock to folk singing.

To the community of Cinigiano belong the frazioni Borgo Santa Rita (7 km), La Cava (7 km), Le Cosole (7 km), Monticello Amiata (10 km), Piantaverna (20 km), Poggi del Sasso (8 km), Porrona (3 km), Sasso d`Ombrone (9 km), Villa (6 km), Volpaio (7 km) and Castiglioncello Bandini (8 km).

Restaurants in Cinigiano and surroundings

 

 




Cinigiano
 
   
Monticello Amiata, ensconced behind its walls, stands on the top of a hill, watching over all Maremma and surrounding valleys.
 

Along the road leading to Monte Amiata, still within the territory of Cinigiano, one finds the ancient village of Monticello Amiata.
The village was originally dominated by Monte Pinzutolo and is situated on a high hill, surrounded by a striking chestnut tree wood, and overlooks the valley of the Ombrone River. The walls enclosing the castle have retained their elliptical shape and are still visible, although many homes have been built over them. In addition, three protruding towers and two gateways are still preserved: the Monticelli gate and the gate of San Francesco.
The Parish church San Michele Arcangelo, looms over the village buildings and the colourful houses, separated by narrow alleys. The church of the patron saint of Monticello Amiata, stands in the centre of the village and preserves a superb painting La Madonna col Bambino by the Sienese artist Bartolomeo Neroni, a student of Sodoma, one of the most well known artists of 16th-century Italy.
On the outskirts of the town rises the church of Madonna di Val di Prata (1218), an ancient Marian sanctuary surrounded by a lovely park, in which are kept important works of art such as the altar-piece (1691) attributed to Nicola Nasini.

In Ripe the Cappella della Madonna del Lampino.

Casa Museo is a small ethnographic museum located in an old oilmill. The exhibition reveals many aspects of daily life, economy and folklore of the 18th and 19th centuries through a series of items, tools and reconstructions of domestic environments. The oil press with its huge millstone and the tools for chestnut processing are particularly interesting.

www.museidimaremma.it | Casa Museo
The Museums of Maremma | Monticello Amiata - Museum House

Do not miss the Festa della Castagna and the Festa dell'Olio: Monticello dedicates the second Sunday of October to the chestnut harvest and the last Sunday of November to the new olive oil.

  

Madonna di Val di Prata (1218)
     
   
     
 
   

Casa Santa Pia, between Castiglioncello Bandini and Cinigiano
 
 

 

The Maremma | Arcidosso | Campagnatico | Capalbio | Castel del Piano | Castell'Azzara | Castiglione della Pescaia | Cinigiano | Civitella | Follonica | Gavorrano - Castel di Pietra - Pia dei Tolomei | Giardino dei Tarocchi - Niki de Saint Phalle | Grosseto | Isola del Giglio | Istia d'Ombrone | Magliano in Toscana | Monticiano | Marina di Albarese | Massa Marittima | Montecristo | Montelaterone | Montemerano | Montichiello | Montenero - Montegiovi | Orvieto | Paganico | Parco naturale della Maremma | Monticello | Pitigliano | Porrona | Porto Ercole | Punta Ala | Principina a mare | Roccalbegna | Roccastrada | Rosselle | San Galgano | Saturnia | Scansano | Scarlino | Seggiano | Semproniano | Sorano | Sovana | Talamone | Vetulonia

 


Castiglioncello Bandini

 
 
   
The paths of Monticello Amiata | 14 km
  Various itineraries offer an opportunity to explore the hills at the feet of the western side of Mount Amiata. Choose between a ring north of the town (3.5km), a path that crosses the valley of the Zancono River to arrive at Montelaterone (3.5km), and one that circles Poggio Materaio and arrives at Salaiola (7km).
The ring of Cinigiano and Castiglioncello Bandini| 21 km
 

A long ring mostly along a gravel road, along the hills at the foot of the western side of Monte Amiata. It heads north towards Porrone and Poggio Campi Bui, then thurns south on a large crest crossing the road from Cinigiano to Monticello Amiata. On the return the path crosses the valley of the Melacce River.
The Olivastra di Seggiano
   
The Olivastra di Seggiano is an indigenous botanical species found throughout the area of Monte Amiata. This cultivar is above all found in the Province of Grosseto growing between 200 and 650 meters above sea level and concentrated particularly around Seggiano.
This indigenous variety of olive tree was presumably introduced by monks from the nearby monastery San Salvatore in the early Middle Ages. Already in the 10th century, the abbot of this monastery mentioned Seggiano as a production region of fine olive oil. The Olivastra Seggianese is largely climate-resistant and thus perfectly adapted for the altitude, which is unusually high for olive trees.

Characterized by its ample, rich foliage, the Olivastra is distinguished by the small size and the peculiar colour of its fruits, which are purple-red during the growing phase and black at the maturation stage. Growing high above sea level, it matures earlier compared to other olive oil tree species, whilst instead, it comes into production only after fifteen years.

The plant comes from a particularly robust rootstock: a mountain variety which is well able to resist the low winter temperatures, and this cazracteristic also acts as a natural deterrent to parasitic infestations.
If it happens to be neglected, it tends to get wild and even forms thorny branches: the cultivar is in fact descended from Olea Europea Silvestris, a form posterior to the wild cultivated olive.

There are probably hundreds of majestic and magnificent trees in Monte Amiata area. Some of the most impressive trees are to be found near Podere Santa Margerita and Podere Santa Pia in Castiglioncello Bandini.

The "Consorzio Olio di Seggiano" was founded in 2002 under the spur of a group of local entrepreneurs dedicated to the production of the extra-virgin olive oil from the processing of the local cultivar, the Olivastra di Seggiano. The association was formed in order to improve its quality and its characteristics, by promoting the adherence to a code of conduct for local producers.

In fact, this particular sort of olive oil presents many characteristics which continue to be preserved: a particularly hardy and wild cultivar, which grows on the slopes of Monte Amiata in secular olive groves ranging up to 600 meters over the sea level.
The flora and fauna present particular ecotypes which combine to make the territory unique: the mountain's slopes are wreathed with beech, chestnuts and pine forests, home to rare species, such as the short-toe eagle, the Egyptian vulture, the Lanner falcon and the wolf, as well as many other more common mammals and birds of pray. Various protected areas of the local environment have been created, which operate hand in hand with institutions for study and development to research and communicate information about the natural beauty of the territory.
The area of production of Consorzio di Seggiano extends over the municipalities of Arcidosso, Castel del Piano, Seggiano, Cinigiano, Santa Fiora, Roccalbegna, Semproniano and parts of Castell'Azzara's territory.

The Consorzio - Consorzio Olio di Seggiano
Restaurants in Cinigiano, Santa Rita, La Cava, Le Cosole, Monticello Amiata, Piantaverna, Poggi del Sasso, Porrona, Sasso d`Ombrone , Villa, Volpaio and Castiglioncello Bandini.
 
  Casa Bianca | Viale Giuseppe Mazzini, Sasso d'Ombrone | Tel 0564.990593, mail: casabianca2004@libero.it
  Locanda La Posta | Via Roma 2 | Telefono 0564.993430 | Closed on Wednesday.
  Il Lucherino | Località Lucherino, Monticello Amiata | Telefono 0564.992975, mail: meichini@tiscali.it
  l Riccio | Via Amiata 28, Monticello Amiata | Telefono 0564.992004.
  Il Rintocco | Piazza Marconi | Tel 0564.994120.
  Sotto l’insegna della luna piena | Via Amiata 3, Monticello Amiata | Tel 0564.992918, mail: sottoluna@tiscali.it | Closed on Monday.
www.sottoluna.it
  Trattoria Il Cinghiale | Poggi del Sasso www.sottoluna.itTel 0564.990428 | Closed on Tuesday.
  Il Villaggio | Loc. Borgo Santa Rita | Tel 0564.99056.