Top 16 Castles around Pelago

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.

As a plant expert and botany enthusiast, Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d’Aragona designed the large green area surrounding Sammezzano Castle, approximately 65 hectares, which constitutes the current Historic Park. Around the ancient "ragnaia" (woodland) formed by a high forest of holm oaks, Ferdinando decided to place numerous rare and exotic plants. Their purpose was to serve the dual purpose of beautifying the exterior and gradually introducing visitors and guests to the wonders of the "Moorish" style of the Villa-Castle of Sammezzano. Among the exotic species introduced by Ferdinando, the most well-known are undoubtedly the majestic sequoias (Sequoia sempervirens and Sequoia gigantea), which, as demonstrated by the remarkable size they reached in just 150 years, certainly found the geological, soil, and climatic conditions favorable to their growth. Among these, the so-called "twin sequoia" stands out, as its trunk forks into two enormous vertical branches a few meters from the base. It is almost 54 meters tall and, with a circumference of 837 centimeters, the tallest sequoia in Italy. It is not only one of Italy's monumental trees, but also one of the select group of "150 trees of exceptional environmental or monumental value."

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/ )

In the forest with the largest number of sequoias in Italy, these two fascinating specimens grew side by side. An information sign indicates that their circumference exceeds 8 metres, but at least 5/6 people are needed to hug them