 |
CASTELLO DI CACCHIANO |
|
CHIANTI, ITALY
|
|
|
|
Stacked on a hilltop in the mountainous south-west of Chianti, the Castello di Cacchiano dates back to the 10th century when the Ricasoli Firidolfi family built
it as a fort to protect Florence and its territories from the marauding Sienese. At the end of a long, cypress-lined avenue, Cacchiano is a silent and secluded place. Unless, of course, you visit in autumn when Baron Giovanni Ricasoli is only too happy for guests to help with the grape and olive harvests. The stone-and-stucco castle frames a
courtyard adorned with antique terracotta urns, a garden with a table under a vine pergola and a swimming pool created from an old sunken water cistern. The castle's airy three-storey watchtower, with its whitewashed walls and exposed beams, is available for rent. Known as the Bindaccio apartment, its most dramatic features are two huge roof terraces, one opening from the living room, the other from a bedroom, both with views across southern Chianti and from the Val d''Orcia to Monte Amiata.
SUITABLE FOR
Families, anyone wanting to escape the crowds, and wine buffs wanting a taste of wine making
ACCOMMODATION
Bindaccio sleeps seven (€1,808-€2,170 per week)
LOCATION
Take the S408 north-west of Siena; take the turn off for Monti. Cacchiano is about 1km north of Monti
CONTACT
Castello di Cacchiano, loc Monti in Chianti, 53010 Siena (00 39 0577 747018);
email: info@stagionidelchianti.com; www.stagionidelchianti.com)
|
|
|
|
|
|
