Oliveto Castle
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The main front view from inside the outer
ward. |
From the A1 motorway towards Florence exit at the "Firenze-Signa" sign. Then take the FI-PI-LI motorway towards Livorno and leave it at the "Empoli-Ovest" exit sign. Then take the 429 provincial road towards Castelfiorentino-Certaldo-Siena. After crossing Castelfiorentino, follow the 429 provincial road up to the industrial area where you will find a narrow road on your left and a signpost with "Castello d'Oliveto" written on it. The Castle is about 4 km from there.
The
Oliveto castle, really more a fortified villa than a castle, was built
in 1424 on the top of a hill dominating the inner
valley of the Pescaiola stream, tributary of the river Elsa, by the
Florentine nobleman Puccio Pucci, to protect his properties
and to be used as country residence or refuge in case of politic bitterness
in Florence.
The castle is, beyond the real necessities of the time, endowed by
moats, stone walls and towers, so it can look like
a building of the previous century and not of the Renaissance.
As
a matter of fact the aspect of the castle, almost entirely
built in red bricks, is of a classic rectangular shaped
medieval fortified enclosure.
Many
architectonic elements make this look stronger: the Guelph's
battlements of
the walled curtains (with a wall walk from which is
possible to dominate the surroundings), the four imposing crenellated
angle towers, (among them stand out the torre dell’orologio
- clock tower), the outer ward from which, passing through
a beautiful arched portal, we can access the inner ward of the Villa
enriched by an open gallery and the chapel.
The
inner ward contains a well that in origin was a secret way to escape
from the castle: it is joined with a underground gallery that takes
at the bottom of the valley.
Still under construction, Oliveto was besieged from some unleashed soldier
of fortune squads. It was also sacked and occupied during
the war between Florence and Siena (until 1480).
During the war of
the Florentine Republic against the Imperial troops, 1529-1530, Oliveto
was a stronghold of the Emperor party.
In 1850 the property of the castle passed from the Pucci to the Guicciardini family.
Oliveto was still in the heat of a battle in July 1944. During withdrawal of the Wehrmacht toward the river Arno, the castle was defended by the 29. Panzer Grenadier Division and seat of 71° Regiment. Today the castle play the central role in an important farm holiday, wine and oil production estate.
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