Castelnuovo Berardenga

Castelnuovo Berardenga is a charming town located 50 km. from Florence and just about 14 km. east of Siena. It was named after the Berardo lordship and the castle that Siena built during its many wars with Florence in the 14th century. The town enjoys a high altitude and is a nice stopover from a long drive and to engage in a quiet vacation in a rural setting.

Like other towns included in our Chianti driving tour, Castelnuovo Berardenga's main products are wine and olive oil. It is also an industrial town known for beautifully crafted wrought iron products and some of the beautiful gardens and parks in Chianti.

Villa Chigi Saracini

At the entrance to the town, the Villa Chigi Saracini has a park that is postcard perfect. It boasts of a man-made lake, a three-arched bridge, fountains, and a beautiful Italian garden and a Neoclassical building called the Kaffeehaus. It also has statues especially dedicated to musicians and boasts of a variety of trees and shrubs planted according to their different shades of green producing an effect that is similar to a painting.

This villa was designed in the early 19th century by its owner, Galgano Saracini.

The Garden of the Villa di Geggiano

The main attraction of this garden is the long avenue lined with cypresses and holm oaks leading all the way to the entrance gate of this villa, a beautiful open-air theater, the Teatro di Verzura, and terracotta statues by the sculptor, Bosio.

The family crests of the Bianchi Bandinelli and Chigi Zondadari families are displayed in the pediments of the open-air theater.

Villa di Monaciano

This villa is not as old as many Tuscan villas, with an architecture and style that is more Florentine than Siennese.

The park of this villa, almost three hectares of it, has a lovely garden designed in true English style.

One of the features that characterises the garden is the use of water fountains and a nymphaeum, known also as the Laghetto della Venere, or Lake of Venus, consisting of two sponge stone grottoes and a rocky section in the centre with a sculpture of a bather, from whose feet water issues forth.

The park also hosts a fully functioning antique hothouse, a large brick and cast-iron aviary, and a greenhouse where exotic plants are grown.

San Gusmè and Campi

On your way to Castello di Brolio, is the ancient village of San Gusmè.

San Gusmè is an example of a Chianti village that has managed to keep much of its ancient structures intact, with coat of arms placed above the arches, and its narrow houses and steeply winding streets.

Nearby is the village of Campi and the ruins of the castle of Sesta and Cetamura.

To the east of San Gusmè, we can also find what is left of what probably was once a castle, known as the Palazzaccio.

Certosa di Pontignano

Used to be owned by the Carthusian monks, this monastery has always been a oasis of peace and refuge. It is now owned by the Sienna University.

The complex houses works of art by Bernardino Potetti, Francesco Vanni, Nicola Nasini, and Cristofano Rustici.

Things to Do in Castelnuovo Berardenga

If you have time, stay awhile in Castelnuovo Berardenga and join a guided tour scheduled during specific Sundays of each month. For a minimal fee of €7.00, you can join the tours that take you to nearby farms and attractions, including product tasting in the destination estates/farms.

Departure - by bus from Piazza Marconi is 9:15 a.m. and returning 1:30 p.m. Reservations should be made before 12 o'clock Fridays. Guided visits have space for a minimum of 10 persons. The schedules (in Italian) for 2007:

For Information and reservations, contact: Service tourism tel. 0577,351302 - 351335 Tourist office tel. 0577.355500 E-mail: info@domenicainchianti.it

This Chianti driving tour would be incomplete if we don't take the road from Castelnuovo Berardenga to Siena.

Siena is a very different world. This town that has remained unchanged for ages has its own rustic charm that would make you wish you could stay longer.

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