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 Set amidst woods, vineyards, olive groves and majestic rows of cypress trees, Rocca di Castagnoli looks out from a hilltop across this magical, generous land. Rocca di Castagnoli is not only a highly prestigious wine estate, but also a place where you can relax, enjoy yourself and eat fine food. Our restaurant and farm-holiday facilities make an excellent complement to Rocca's cellars and vineyards. |
 The little village, or borgo, of Castagnoli has existed since the Early Middle Ages and now it has been transformed in a luxurious Resort with rooms and suite-apartments. The first reliable documentation regarding it dates as far back as the year 900 ad and concerns the sale of a holding called Stielle, which today is one of the best known vineyards on the Rocca di Castagnoli estate. |
 Three centuries later, in 1203, Castagnoli was incorporated into the territory of Florence and became part of the League of Chianti under the municipality of Gaiole. During those turbulent years this area, which today is an oasis of peace, was the scene of violent conflict. During the 1478-79 war, in which Aragonese troops from Naples were also involved, the Sienese army lay siege to the fortified village of Castagnoli. |
 The stronghold resisted and later, after the fall of Siena, it became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. This was the start of a period of peace, during which a succession of illustrious families like the Piccolominis, the Tempis and the Ricasolis owned the villa and surrounding holdings and dedicated themselves heart and soul to the vineyards and wine-making. |
 In the 1700s, under the management of the Tempi family, it became one of the most celebrated estates in the area.While visiting Chianti in 1773, Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo praised the family's enlightened management methods and called attention to the excellent state of the holdings and peasants' living conditions. |
 Much has changed since then: the villa and the borgo have undergone extensive renovations in recent years and modern wine-making practices have been introduced in the vineyards and cellars. But nothing has changed the deep bond that people feel for this land where they live and work. Nothing has changed in the patient art of producing quality wines. |
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