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Profile
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 History:
A series of struggles and occupations, fought in order to the conquer the territory and the castle itself, characterize its history. At the end of the 10th century Strove and Staggia were under the rule of the Franzesi, a noble family of the Salic law, who is thought by several genealogists to be descended from the Countess Ava Zenovi whose sarcophagus is still on view in the right aisle of the abbey in Abbadia a Isola |
In the 12th century the Castle was under the rule of the Soarzi. In the 13th century it belonged to Ginibaldo Saracini, Sapia Salvani's husband. She was the daughter of a noble and powerful Sienese family and she was also quoted in Dante Alighieri's Purgatory. |
 In the 15th century it was under the rule of the Capacci, a noble Sienese family coming from Monteagutolo del Bosco, who chose as their own coat of arms a boar's head, carved as ornament on the stones of the floors and of the portals of the castle, and which is still in part visible. |
 The most ancient part of Castel Pietraio is its high tower with its particular Guelph battlement. The next buildings were built later (from 1300 to 1500) and now they form the present quadrangular plan of the complex with the inside cloister, where a well for the collection of the rainwater provided for the water supply of that time; and the outside stone staircase which connected the tower to the most recent buildings. The construction of the church dedicated to the Saints Peter and Paul is of the same period. |
 The buildings of the little village completing Castel Pietraio date from 1700. The restoration under present conditions is due to the Baron Massimo Neri - Del Nero who devoted much of his life to Castel Pietraio. He achieved refined and wise restoration and maintenance without any violent interventions; he adapted the room to the present needs but he always respected the architectural and decorative elements and characteristics. In order to get a deeper penetration of historical, stylistic and landscape elements; and to respect, from an ecoenvironmental point of view, the traditions and the places, the aim 5B of the Law about biological agriculture has been pursued for many years: biological cultivation, low environmental impact and organic manuring. The olive-trees and the vineyards have been and are still being replaced in order to get a better and better quality. The shortage of factories, the typical traditional Tuscan cultivations such as olive-trees, vines, wheat and sunflowers, the woods of the Park in the Sienese Montagnola, make this Tuscan area a natural oasis. |
 Today in the castle, accurately restored, some comfortably furnished flats in the most ancient part are reserved to important guests. It has also got halls for exhibitions, meetings and ceremonies, and a park with swimming-pool which extends as far as the woods, so giving the impression of a total immersion in the greeness. |
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