Fri 10/3 Castagneto Carducci
Thursday, November 27th, 2008Our last day as we fly out of Pisa for home tomorrow morning. Off to Castagneto Carducci. We had tried to find this place about a week ago but couldn’t find it. A beautiful drive up, up, up into the hills – upon arrival we realized we had actually been here but didn’t know it; so today we head out walking to take it all in. Easy place to walk as it is quite a small village, also easy to get lost as it goes in circles but you can’t really get lost because it does go in circles.
Castagneto Carducci is of medieval origins it is about 70 km north up in the hills; it was once surrounded by walls, but today only a section remains, which faces the sea. It was formerly called Castagneto Della Gherardesca from the name of the oldest Italian family whose origins go back to Barbarian invasions. The castle on Piazzale Belvedere (the views of the valley from here are incredible) built in the XIth Century, is still inhabited today by the family’s descendants. The name of the village was changed in 1907 from Castagneto Marittimo to that of Castagneto Carducci after the poet Giosue Carducci who lived here as an adolescent.
Hardly anyone on the streets so we don’t get too many pictures of people but we take a number of pictures of everything here as it is very picturesque. There is only one ristorante but it is not open yet so we wander around taking in all the tremendous views as you can see for miles from up here. The castle turns out to be most interesting as is the whole town so we spend a couple of hours just wandering.
We are hungry though, finally come across a little bar (as they call it) which has food, liquor, gelato etc. – these places you can get most anything in the way of a repast. We order a carpoletto which is kind of a biscotti and wine and sit out front where there are two little tables. When we are finished we get talking (more or less) to Michela and Annalisa who are the propietors – there is a kind of pie shaped thing sitting on the counter – something like a huge tart with berries on top called a Crostata marmalada di more, – we decide to try it. It is most delicious – kind of a hard crusty pastry with the cooked berries on top. We have a lot of fun trying to communicate with these two young people.
Now that we are fed it’s time to take in this little village. Meandering around these curvy lanes we discover the Gherardesca family castle which dominates this whole medieval village – see through the gate into their lovely garden, also the outside of the castle itself; and part of the ancient wall with its sentry post on the corner. The bell tower was rebuilt in 1930 by using stones from Donoratico (just down the road). Comune – the Town Hall is an old building near an arch that belonged to the old Medieval walls. From the piazza we get a circular view of the valleys below, you can even see the sea. Tuscany is truly beautiful country. What a lovely way to spend a day.
This village has such character, we take a myriad of pictures and now that we’re at home I am able to bring up all the history on it – I also get so involved reading up on all the places we’ve been that my pictures are going to have to wait until the lst of the year to do my dvd’s.
The drive back to San Vincenzo is just as lovely as the one up – we went back a little different route – but when we arrived in S. V. the sea was roiling and boiling, waves crashing in. We had only known this sea calm and peaceful so this was exciting to observe it in another form – took a few pics of this difference.
sylviaknight