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Country estate for 15 people in a beautiful location in the Val d’Orcia.
1/4Between cypresses and cycadsTuscany | Whether a restored farm house or agriturismo – during a country vacation in Tuscany you can experience the nature and regional cuisine.
Per week from USD 394
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Holiday home for max. 6 persons on Sicily
2/4Holiday with your own poolItaly | Give your Italian holiday the perfect touch in a holiday home with its own pool: Splash about with the whole family in the water or let yourself completely relax.
Per week from USD 537
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Studio for max. 4 persons on the Italian Adriatic Coast
3/4Fun for the entire familyItalian Adriatic | A vacation in a holiday park is particularly ideal for families. As parents you can lean back and relax whilst your kids are taken care of your hands and are fully entertained.
Per week from USD 499
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4/4Vacation with your dogItaly | With these holiday houses it is explicitely allowed to bring pets so that your faithful four legged friend can also enjoy a relaxing and eventful holiday.
Per week from USD 542
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Tuscany | Vacation on a country estate
491 offers -
Italy | Holiday with your own pool
4,756 offers -
Italian Adriatic | Vacation in a holiday park
469 offers -
Italy | Vacation with your dog
16,285 offers
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This is how holiday rental owners described Chiusdino
In the province of Siena, a little more than thirty kilometers south-west of the city, along the road to Massa Marittima, Chiusdino is sited on one of the summits of the Metalliferous Hills, away from major roads, and it was a center of human civilization since the antiquity, but it
...
show more became constant and increasing during the High Middle Ages.
The origin of the castle, Chiusdino, is remote and may be placed during the Lombard domination of the Tuscany: the Lombards penetrated into Italy between 568 and 569, and succeeded in a short time to conquest the Eastern Roman Empire provinces north of the Po; from 572 they occupied the western territories of Tuscany between the rivers Cecina and Ombrone, more or less the area of the Metalliferous Hills. The installation of the Lombards in the territory of Chiusdino and the founding of the castle dates back presumably to a slightly later period, under the new administrative definition that they gave to the conquered territories, particularly the establishment of military units such Arimannie, and the foundation of fortifications called 'clusae' o 'clausurae' to control the neighborhood and to collect the duties.
As evidence of his Lombard origin, remain in Chiusdino the same name, in Latin Cluslinum, which derives from Clusa, and the title of the local church: St Michael the Archangel, common in Lombard settlements.
With the conquest of the Regnum Langobardorum accomplished by Charlemagne in 773 and the new structure given by him to Tuscany with the creation of the 'comitati,' corresponding to the ecclesiastical 'circoscrizioni', and the counties, the castle of Chiusdino, located inside the large diocese of Volterra, found himself in the comitatus established in that city.
Until the eleventh century, the settlement of Chiusdino was massed on top of the hill, enclosed by a rather small perimetrical wall, of which the gateway is still preserved. In this area you can still see the remains of walls with a roughly squared layout. Within the walls, you can find the church of San Michele Arcangelo and near the gateway of the castle the church of San Martino. The castle was so small as to be regarded as strategically irrelevant, but in the late eleventh century and the beginning of the twelfth century, perhaps due to the development of agriculture patronized by the Abbey of Serena or possibly related to the silver mines' exploitation of the neighboring castles of Miranduolo and Montieri, it was enlarged so as to become cause of quarrel between the Bishop of Volterra and the Counts of Gherardesca.
During the fourteenth century the historical centre of Chiusdino reached the actual dimensions. During the fifteenth and sixteenth century the Republic of Siena completed the annexation of the country and it followed its fortunes. In 1554, during the "War of Siena ', Chiusdino was besieged and conquered by the French force then by Fiorentine-Imperial troops. In 1557 he joined the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. With the reforms of the Medici in the later centuries, Chiusdino was administered by the Captaincy of Justice of Casole, then by the Vicariate Regio. In 1776 the House of the Grand Dukes of Lorraine established the Comune di Chiusdino and the burg became the site of a Comunitativa Chancellery. From 1850 there was established the Municipal Court of Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
Nevertheless, the story of Chiusdino is intrinsically bonded with its local saint, Saint Galgano, and his Abbey.
He was born in Chiusdino, from Guidotto and Dionigia. His alleged date of death is December 3, 1181, now celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church, but other scholars assign it to November 30, 1180. Galgano led a ruthless life in his early years, but later abandoned it in favour of a pious hermitage in the place now known as Rotonda di Montesiepi. To show his will to change his life he put his sword inside a stone at top of Montesiepi, thus changing the sword into a cross. The Sword in the stone of San Galgano can still be seen at the Rotonda at Montesiepi, near the ruins of San Galgano Abbey
The abbey of Saint Galgano with the Montesiepi hermitage rise in the valley of the river Merse, between the medieval villages of Chiusdino and Monticiano, in the province of Siena. Both sites are easily reachable from Florence following the motorway FI-SI until the exit towards 'San Lorenzo a Merse', then following the indications for Monticiano. You can also exit the motorway at Siena and then drive on the road SS73 that leads to the ruins of Saint Galgano.
The original nucleus of the monastic complex Cistercian of Saint Galgano (Galgano Guidotti 1148-1181) is constituted by the hermitage of Montesiepi, built in Roman style as mausoleum of the Saint between the 1182 and the 1185. Its greater particularity is the so-called 'the Rotunda of Saint Galgano' with a unique, for the constructions of that time, plan. It encloses, beyond to the tomb of the saint, the famous rock with the sword. Although at a first look it can seem an emulation of ancient Etruscan tombs of Populonia, Vetulonia and Volterra, the architect responsible of its construction inspired itself to Castel S.Angelo and the Pantheon of Rome. In the following centuries the Rotunda was strongly manumitted, but the perfect restoration of the year 1924 brought it back to the original aspect. The dome is constructed using alternated rows of white stone and bricks. With the growth of the interest in the cult of Saint Galgano many rich nobles wanted to contribute to the embellishment of the Rotunda, in the year 1340 was begun the construction of a Chapel on the north side, then frescoed by the great artist Ambrogio Lorenzetti, he's paintings are still today in part visible thanks to a careful restoration work that has arrested their degrade.
The hermitage began too small to contain the monks and the pilgrims, so in 1218 was decided to begin the construction of a new imposing Abbey in the plain below. The works were encouraged also by the Bishop of Volterra. The community of Saint Galgano began the point of reference for all the territory and for the interest of the Senese Republic. The Abbey was built in the classic gothic forms of all the other Cistercian constructions, with plan at Latin cross with three aisles, rich of carved capitals and rose-windows, cloister, halls, bell tower.
The richness of S.Galgano and the good relationships with Siena attracted on it the incursions of the Florentine armies that, together with other political events, carried to a rapid decadence of the abbey since from the first half of 15th century: in the 1550 only five monks were in the abbey and at the beginning of 17th century only one old and poor monk still lived between its walls, already in ruin. On the 6 of January 1786 the bell tower, with its 36 meters high, collapsed sweeping up great part of the roof of the church.
In the 1789 the great Abbey was definitively abandoned and become an enormous quarry of stones and columns for all the buildings of the zone. Fortunately, from the beginning of this century, many jobs of restoration and maintenance have been undertaken, so that today the ruins of Saint Galgano, by now without more traces of the roof, are one of the most visited medieval monuments in Tuscany.
The monumental complex of Saint Galgano rises approximately 30 km to the West of Siena, to the border with the province of Grosseto, between the villages of Monticiano and Chiusdino, in a wild and unspoilt landscape, rich in nature beauties.
Two roads of great historical and economic importance pass here, the “Massetana” that connects Siena with the Sea, crossing Massa Marittima and the Metalliferous Hills and the ancient “Maremmana Road” that joints the center of Tuscany with Grosseto.
The Abbey of Saint Galgano has represented throughout the centuries an important stop and point of reference for travelers, pilgrims and people of every kind in the Val di Merse area, which was densely populated, rich in parish churches, castles, villages, churches and monasteries and that extends among the municipalities of Monticiano, Chiusdino, Murlo and Sovicille.
Monuments and Places of Interest:
Abbey of San Galgano
Church of Madonna del Buon Consiglio a Frosini
Nativity house of San Galgano
Church of San Martino
Church of San Sebastiano
Hermitage of Santa Lucia a Rosia
Propositura di San Michele Arcangelo
Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Ciciano
Pieve di Santa Maria in Luriano
Church di San Magno in Montalcinello
Chapter of San Galgano in Montesiepi
Santuary of Madonna delle Grazie
The "Mulino Bianco", an old four mill become famous as site of a television spot during the '90s.
show less
show more became constant and increasing during the High Middle Ages.
The origin of the castle, Chiusdino, is remote and may be placed during the Lombard domination of the Tuscany: the Lombards penetrated into Italy between 568 and 569, and succeeded in a short time to conquest the Eastern Roman Empire provinces north of the Po; from 572 they occupied the western territories of Tuscany between the rivers Cecina and Ombrone, more or less the area of the Metalliferous Hills. The installation of the Lombards in the territory of Chiusdino and the founding of the castle dates back presumably to a slightly later period, under the new administrative definition that they gave to the conquered territories, particularly the establishment of military units such Arimannie, and the foundation of fortifications called 'clusae' o 'clausurae' to control the neighborhood and to collect the duties.
As evidence of his Lombard origin, remain in Chiusdino the same name, in Latin Cluslinum, which derives from Clusa, and the title of the local church: St Michael the Archangel, common in Lombard settlements.
With the conquest of the Regnum Langobardorum accomplished by Charlemagne in 773 and the new structure given by him to Tuscany with the creation of the 'comitati,' corresponding to the ecclesiastical 'circoscrizioni', and the counties, the castle of Chiusdino, located inside the large diocese of Volterra, found himself in the comitatus established in that city.
Until the eleventh century, the settlement of Chiusdino was massed on top of the hill, enclosed by a rather small perimetrical wall, of which the gateway is still preserved. In this area you can still see the remains of walls with a roughly squared layout. Within the walls, you can find the church of San Michele Arcangelo and near the gateway of the castle the church of San Martino. The castle was so small as to be regarded as strategically irrelevant, but in the late eleventh century and the beginning of the twelfth century, perhaps due to the development of agriculture patronized by the Abbey of Serena or possibly related to the silver mines' exploitation of the neighboring castles of Miranduolo and Montieri, it was enlarged so as to become cause of quarrel between the Bishop of Volterra and the Counts of Gherardesca.
During the fourteenth century the historical centre of Chiusdino reached the actual dimensions. During the fifteenth and sixteenth century the Republic of Siena completed the annexation of the country and it followed its fortunes. In 1554, during the "War of Siena ', Chiusdino was besieged and conquered by the French force then by Fiorentine-Imperial troops. In 1557 he joined the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. With the reforms of the Medici in the later centuries, Chiusdino was administered by the Captaincy of Justice of Casole, then by the Vicariate Regio. In 1776 the House of the Grand Dukes of Lorraine established the Comune di Chiusdino and the burg became the site of a Comunitativa Chancellery. From 1850 there was established the Municipal Court of Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
Nevertheless, the story of Chiusdino is intrinsically bonded with its local saint, Saint Galgano, and his Abbey.
He was born in Chiusdino, from Guidotto and Dionigia. His alleged date of death is December 3, 1181, now celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church, but other scholars assign it to November 30, 1180. Galgano led a ruthless life in his early years, but later abandoned it in favour of a pious hermitage in the place now known as Rotonda di Montesiepi. To show his will to change his life he put his sword inside a stone at top of Montesiepi, thus changing the sword into a cross. The Sword in the stone of San Galgano can still be seen at the Rotonda at Montesiepi, near the ruins of San Galgano Abbey
The abbey of Saint Galgano with the Montesiepi hermitage rise in the valley of the river Merse, between the medieval villages of Chiusdino and Monticiano, in the province of Siena. Both sites are easily reachable from Florence following the motorway FI-SI until the exit towards 'San Lorenzo a Merse', then following the indications for Monticiano. You can also exit the motorway at Siena and then drive on the road SS73 that leads to the ruins of Saint Galgano.
The original nucleus of the monastic complex Cistercian of Saint Galgano (Galgano Guidotti 1148-1181) is constituted by the hermitage of Montesiepi, built in Roman style as mausoleum of the Saint between the 1182 and the 1185. Its greater particularity is the so-called 'the Rotunda of Saint Galgano' with a unique, for the constructions of that time, plan. It encloses, beyond to the tomb of the saint, the famous rock with the sword. Although at a first look it can seem an emulation of ancient Etruscan tombs of Populonia, Vetulonia and Volterra, the architect responsible of its construction inspired itself to Castel S.Angelo and the Pantheon of Rome. In the following centuries the Rotunda was strongly manumitted, but the perfect restoration of the year 1924 brought it back to the original aspect. The dome is constructed using alternated rows of white stone and bricks. With the growth of the interest in the cult of Saint Galgano many rich nobles wanted to contribute to the embellishment of the Rotunda, in the year 1340 was begun the construction of a Chapel on the north side, then frescoed by the great artist Ambrogio Lorenzetti, he's paintings are still today in part visible thanks to a careful restoration work that has arrested their degrade.
The hermitage began too small to contain the monks and the pilgrims, so in 1218 was decided to begin the construction of a new imposing Abbey in the plain below. The works were encouraged also by the Bishop of Volterra. The community of Saint Galgano began the point of reference for all the territory and for the interest of the Senese Republic. The Abbey was built in the classic gothic forms of all the other Cistercian constructions, with plan at Latin cross with three aisles, rich of carved capitals and rose-windows, cloister, halls, bell tower.
The richness of S.Galgano and the good relationships with Siena attracted on it the incursions of the Florentine armies that, together with other political events, carried to a rapid decadence of the abbey since from the first half of 15th century: in the 1550 only five monks were in the abbey and at the beginning of 17th century only one old and poor monk still lived between its walls, already in ruin. On the 6 of January 1786 the bell tower, with its 36 meters high, collapsed sweeping up great part of the roof of the church.
In the 1789 the great Abbey was definitively abandoned and become an enormous quarry of stones and columns for all the buildings of the zone. Fortunately, from the beginning of this century, many jobs of restoration and maintenance have been undertaken, so that today the ruins of Saint Galgano, by now without more traces of the roof, are one of the most visited medieval monuments in Tuscany.
The monumental complex of Saint Galgano rises approximately 30 km to the West of Siena, to the border with the province of Grosseto, between the villages of Monticiano and Chiusdino, in a wild and unspoilt landscape, rich in nature beauties.
Two roads of great historical and economic importance pass here, the “Massetana” that connects Siena with the Sea, crossing Massa Marittima and the Metalliferous Hills and the ancient “Maremmana Road” that joints the center of Tuscany with Grosseto.
The Abbey of Saint Galgano has represented throughout the centuries an important stop and point of reference for travelers, pilgrims and people of every kind in the Val di Merse area, which was densely populated, rich in parish churches, castles, villages, churches and monasteries and that extends among the municipalities of Monticiano, Chiusdino, Murlo and Sovicille.
Monuments and Places of Interest:
Abbey of San Galgano
Church of Madonna del Buon Consiglio a Frosini
Nativity house of San Galgano
Church of San Martino
Church of San Sebastiano
Hermitage of Santa Lucia a Rosia
Propositura di San Michele Arcangelo
Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Ciciano
Pieve di Santa Maria in Luriano
Church di San Magno in Montalcinello
Chapter of San Galgano in Montesiepi
Santuary of Madonna delle Grazie
The "Mulino Bianco", an old four mill become famous as site of a television spot during the '90s.
show less
source: Azienda Agricola Belli Clara
Photos of the town
1 / 4: Chiusdino
2 / 4: San Galgano Abbey
3 / 4: San Galgano Abbey
4 / 4: San Galgano Eremo
