Holiday apartment in Ville di Corsano – History, Art and Panoramas

Today, Ville di Corsano presents itself as a small village of villas and farmhouses. When choosing a holiday apartment in Ville di Corsano, you can match the character of the area with your interests in history, art, landscapes and routes. This makes the choice of holiday destination more specific without narrowing the focus to a single experience.

Holiday apartment in Ville di Corsano and the history of the area

In the Middle Ages, the present-day hamlet of Ville di Corsano was divided into several autonomous communities belonging to individual “comunelli”. From the early years of the second millennium onwards, the Pieve di Corsano served as an ecclesiastical point of reference for the churches and communities in the surrounding area. A defensive tower has been preserved from the historic Villa al Piano, today’s Ville di Corsano.

Panoramic views between Radi and Monteroni d’Arbia

The Strada provinciale delle Ville di Corsano – the “Strada delle Ville di Corsano” – offers travellers between Monteroni d’Arbia and Radi panoramic views of the Crete Senesi. The road is paved and can be travelled by car, on foot or by bicycle. The particularly scenic stretch from Radi to Monteroni d’Arbia is 5 kilometres long. Together with the paved surface and the possible means of transport, the five kilometres provide concrete parameters for planning a personal day with views of the landscape and exercise at your own pace.

Gravel bike route to the Pieve and Castello

The “Siena at the horizon” gravel bike route leads from Ville di Corsano via a short detour to the Pieve di San Giovanni Battista in Corsano. It also leads from Ville di Corsano along gravel roads to Castello di Grotti. This allows you to set different priorities when planning: sacred architecture on the one hand and a castle complex on the other.

Architecture and art in Corsano

The Pieve di San Giovanni Battista a Corsano has a two-storey façade with arcades and small columns in the upper section, as well as broad blind arcades in the base section. It follows Pisan models interpreted in a Lombard style. The Pieve therefore combines architectural form and visual art: inside are two paintings by Alessandro Casolani, currently undergoing restoration, depicting the Annunciation and the Adoration of the Shepherds. There is also a polychrome terracotta sculpture of Saint Agatha attributed to Carlo di Andrea Galletti.

Castello di Grotti has two towers, a U-shaped floor plan and a massive, battered base. Since 1997, part of Castello di Grotti has housed the Fondazione Sergio Vacchi. If you would like to structure your days around landscapes, churches and castle complexes, the church and Castello di Grotti offer different points of interest for planning your trip.

Further exploration of the area

Also explore Ponte D'arbia.

To the overarching travel overview: Monteroni D'arbia.