Piancastagnaio combines history with chestnut traditions, festivals and varied routes. Historical discoveries, regional cuisine, events and paths through the Amiata landscape shape diverse days on holiday.
History between the fortress and mining
The second construction phase of the Rocca Aldobrandesca di Piancastagnaio dates from 1471 to 1478. Another historical focal point is “La Miniera del Siele”. It extracted the richest cinnabar deposit in the Amiata area; the ore contained up to 38 percent mercury. Visits to “La Miniera del Siele” are possible by prior appointment. Prior registration for a visit to the mine is therefore an organisational step in the travel itinerary.
The Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta has a door lintel bearing the year 1617. The Santuario della Madonna di San Pietro stands on the site of an earlier Romanesque church. The year 1617 on the door lintel provides an additional historical reference. On Piazza Matteotti, you can also discover a historic square that was formerly called Piazza del Comune. The restored washhouses of Piancastagnaio are places of tourist interest. The former name Piazza del Comune is part of the history of the present-day square.
Chestnuts, cuisine and living tradition
In Piancastagnaio, the chestnut shapes not only the cuisine but also the events calendar. Crastatone is an annual roasted-chestnut festival that has been celebrated since 1967 in the week of All Saints’ Day in the historic centre of Piancastagnaio. Its timing in the week of All Saints’ Day gives the festival a fixed place in the annual calendar. Local cuisine includes Brodolese, a chestnut soup typical of Piancastagnaio, refined with wild fennel. Brodolese combines chestnuts in the form of a soup with wild fennel as a seasoning. On 18 August, the Palio delle Contrade takes place in Piancastagnaio, involving the four contrade of Borgo, Castello, Coro and Voltaia. For travel planning, 18 August and the week of All Saints’ Day fall within two separate time windows.
Routes for active discovery
Several routes connect Piancastagnaio with other points in the Amiata area. The route from Piancastagnaio to Poggio della Guardia is approximately 14 kilometres long. The route from Abbadia San Salvatore to Piancastagnaio connects the two most important villages on the Sienese mountain slope of Amiata. The circular route from Piancastagnaio to Poggio della Guardia starts and ends near the Santuario della Madonna di San Pietro on the outskirts of Piancastagnaio. For planning purposes, the approximately 14-kilometre route is therefore clearly distinct from the circular route, which starts and ends near the Santuario.
The Pigelleto nature reserve lies south of Piancastagnaio and preserves traces of former cinnabar mining. South of Piancastagnaio, the nature reserve thus adds a distinct landscape area to the town’s history.
