| | 
Profile
|
 Built in the age of the war between Florence and Siena as a defensive sentinel, the Castle of Lamole overlooks since 1200 a striking view of chestnut and oak woods, and offers hospitality in its apartments for an extraordinary stay in Tuscany's history and art. Our appartments have been made out of the village's houses with careful restore which has been guided by the passion for the recovery of the ancient environment and the taste for the atmosphere of the past time life. |
 Aim of our hospitality is to offer the guests the Castle's suggestive atmosphere, by increasing the value of the medieval past and by bearing witness of the peasants' tradition. The "lawn" terraced garden turns towards the view and the small paths, the stone stairs, the walls with Mediterranean plants lead to the panoramic viewed swimming pool placed among the ancient stones and the castle traditional "a secco" walls. The Castle of Lamole tourist business began thanks to the Marasco family's passion and activity. Driven by the desire to search and protect the past tradition, they decided to transform the farm inside a medieval suburb into a peaceful place which might offer its guests a holiday made of nature, history and art. |
 The Marascos come from a tradition of high levelled hotelling family in Florence; Riccardo and Virginia were the owners of the Hotel "Pensione Quisisana e Pontevecchio", become famous thanks to the film "A room with a view" by James Ivory, produced by Ismail Merchant, now close friends to the Marascos (Merchant tells about this friendship in his book "Florence - filming and feasting in Tuscany", best-seller in 1995). Riccardo Marasco, singer-songwriter, Tuscan chansonnier by definition, was one of the first Italian folksingers, always looking in the Italian repertoire for Italian and Tuscan folk songs from the Middle Age and the baroque music till nowadays . Marasco is nowadays the most valuable seeker and interpreter of the Tuscan folk-music. In the little shop "La Bottega del Castello" (The Castle's Little Store) you can find the products of the farm: its well known wines, the extra vergine olive oil, grappa (spirit made from distillation of the residue of a wine press), honey and other bees' products. In the little and suggestive Castle's Restaurant "Aia dei Canti" the guests can have their breakfast, lunch and dinner and taste the dishes of the ancient tradition of Tuscany. |
 In it you can taste the Tuscan tradition dishes prepared as the ancient used to, the peasants' recipes made with simple ingredients and the most refined and selected Chianti and Tuscany wines, among which of course the famous wines of the Castle of Lamole together with its grappa, its extra virgin olive oil and its honey. Here the singer Riccardo Marasco has recreated a place where the Tuscan convivial tradition finds new interest also showing his guests the ancient Tuscan cooking and cultural traditions. That's why Aia dei Canti is not just a restaurant, but also a place of research and study of the Tuscan tradition, where you can taste the real historical cuisine of the tradition, listening to folk songs and being told the stories and experiences of the great Tuscany culture. The Castle of Lamole is an ideal base to visit the most important Tuscan art cities, the Chianti places full with art and culture and the towns famous for their wines. Medieval suburbs, castles, churches, abbeys, monasteries, cottages and villas follow one another gently laid down on the hills. |
 The Castle of Lamole is one of the last Florentine rural area defences you meet when entering northwards to the Valdarno territory across the Mount San Michele (892 s.l.m.), and eastwards in the Radda region and then, to the Senese territory. Therefore its position overlooks the Chianti hills at the sluice of the high Greve valley and is nowadays surrounded by the "Chianti Classico" vineyards, by the olive, chestnut and oak trees. |
| |
|
