Top 12 Castles around Rufina

An ancient late medieval manor house that long belonged to the Guidi Counts. Mentioned and documented as early as the 11th century. It then passed to other owners, such as the Abbey of San Fedele, which later ceded it to the Cerchi family. From them, following internal struggles for control of Florence, the property passed to the Albizzi family, their allies, who in the 13th/14th centuries transformed and enriched it into a splendid fortified country residence, a gathering place for many artists and writers. In the second half of the 19th century, following the death of the bachelor Vittorio Albizzi, the property passed to his sister Leonia, wife of the Marquis Angelo Frescobaldi. Their family still owns it today. The current appearance of the ancient manor house is different from its original structure, as, following the explosion of German mines, the imposing main tower that overlooked the keep collapsed, destroying a large part of the Castle Church, dedicated to San Niccolò, which was located beneath the walls. The church was later renovated; but the tower was never rebuilt.

short path, you reach the parish church from the fields, ..rather suggestive. ..

A dive into the past

Castello dei Conti Guidi, beautiful stone village. Wonderful view.

Beautiful easy hike. Tuscany as it should be

The origin of the Montemignaio castle is linked to the passage through the area of the ancient Roman road which, from Florence ... led to Arezzo. The ancient route was still widely used during the Middle Ages and this generated the development of the Castle, located in a dominant position, at the top of a buttress overlooking the Fiana torrent valley. The first written document proving the existence of the settlement dates back to 1103, it is a papal bull in which the authority over the Pieve di Montemignaio was confirmed to the Bishop of Fiesole. Already in the following years and throughout the 12th century the area was remembered among the dominions of the Guidi counts... It was the Guidi family who built the castle on site, also known as 'Castel Leone' or simply 'Castiglione', which remained in their possession until the revolt of Castel S. Niccolò with whose inhabitants the Montemignanesi made common cause against the abuses of the last descendant of the feudal family, Count Galeoto. In 1440 the same inhabitants submitted to the Municipality of Florence and were aggregated to the Podesteria of the Montagna Fiorentina. The remains of the castle walls still partially surround the town. To the right of the main access door the mighty tower still stands out, which also served as a bell tower, to the left a second tower, probably originally the twin of the other, is today significantly reduced in height. The two towers are joined by a mighty curtain wall in which opens the beautiful round arched door that leads into the heart of the castle. Once through the entrance on the left, the majestic remains of the palace rise, first the residence of the counts and then of the Florentine Podestà, and of the square-shaped keep. In the curtain walls you can still see the walled shape of what was once the door that led into the courtyard of the Palagio. Today, to access the splendid courtyard, with a beautiful well in the centre, you need to go around the outside of the walls from the right of the main door. The original small church of the castle still stands immediately behind the bulk of the keep. The whole, rather well maintained, is one of the best examples of a fortified medieval Tuscan mountain village. (Source: https://castellitoscani.com/castel-leone-montemignaio/ )

The Palagio Fiorentino belonged to the Guidi Counts, like other castles in the area. Built around 1230 by Count Bandino, the branch of the counts of Palagio originated from this castle, to whom it belonged for many years The last exponent of the branch of the counts of Palagio was Count Antonio, who, in 1381, freed all his subjects from all bonds of servitude and vassalage. In 1398 Count Antonio allied himself with Florence, Bologna, Venice, Padua, Ferrara and Mantua against the Visconti of Milan, even if he later switched to the side of the Visconti. In 1402 Count Antonio had to cede the territories to the Republic of Florence, to avoid the consequences of some livestock raids against the Republic in the lands of Count Piero di Porciano. After this capitulation, Montemezzano, Lonnano, Papiano and Stia also spontaneously submitted to Florence, all subsequently reunited in the Community of Palagio Fiorentino. In 1440, during the clashes between Florence and Milan, the Milanese army commanded by Niccolò Piccinino burned and destroyed the castle. The current building of the Palagio Fiorentino was built at the beginning of the twentieth century by the lawyer Carlo Beni, mayor of Stia and author of a famous Guide to the Casentino. During the reconstruction work, medieval artefacts were found, including coins and a seal with the Guidi coat of arms The appearance of the structure, rather than respecting the original architectural layout, recalls the neo-Gothic taste in vogue in the years of the renovation. (Source: https://casentino.it/palagio-fiorentino/ )

The Castle was probably built around the 10th century, as it was mentioned in documents as early as 1008 as a possession of Guido Alberto, Marquis of Spoleto. This then passed through marriage into the hands of the Guidi Counts, lords of Romagna and Casentino, who held it until 1357, when it was sold to Florence for 9,600 gold florins. With the end of the Grand Duchy, Romena became the seat of the Municipality only to be abandoned after its abolition was decided. Damaged by the earthquake of 1678 and by the local population, who used it as a stone quarry for the construction of houses and farms, the castle was finally purchased at auction in 1768 by Count Ascanio of the Goretti de' Flamini family, who still owns it today the property. The castle originally consisted of three large central towers and eleven turrets to reinforce the external walls. At the end of the large parade ground, it is possible to recognize the prison tower, larger than the others and characterized by a large shoe. Here the prisoners entered from above and were lowered down through a trap door in the floor. Apparently the more serious the crime committed, the lower the prisoners were lowered: this system of punishment at various levels seems to have given Dante, who stayed here during his exile, the inspiration for the structure of Hell. Romena is in fact remembered by Dante Alighieri in the XXX canto of the Inferno, composed right here, regarding Mastro Adamo da Brescia, a forger in the pay of the Guidi counts captured and burned alive in a locality which, precisely because of this affair, takes Omomorto's name. The large tower in the center of the courtyard is the Postierla tower, equipped with a drawbridge, from which you access the Cassero area. Here the lords resided with their family, protected by the moat and by the men guarding the towers and patrol walkways at the top of the walls. In this area there is also the Mastio tower, the highest and most fortified of all as well as the last defense in the event of a siege: from here, a secret passage led outside the castle walls, allowing the besieged to escape. Romena also inspired Gabriele D'Annunzio, guest of the Goretti de' Flamini Counts, who wrote much of the Alcyone here while contemplating the sacred mountain of La Verna and the beauty of the Casentino landscapes. (Source: https://casentino.it/castello-di-romena/ )