A VIEW OF A FEW LITTLE TOWNS: BOLGHERI, PIOMBINO & ROCCASTRADA, ITALY

Hi !!!

The weather this week has been excellent, yesterday we spent our afternoon at the beach reading, napping and enjoying the sun. We still look like “crazy people” to the Italians, Ralph wearing his shorts and I was wearing  a swimsuit.  Italians are still wearing their winter coats saying ” Molto Freddo”.  We showed them the latest  pictures of Canada’s spring   (with the snow).  I am late posting,  as the weather gets nicer and nicer it’s harder to be inside the house.

We took a ride to see a few little towns close to Follonica.  As you can see,  the road to our first one is so beautiful with the famous cypress trees flanking both sides of the road, typical of Tuscany.

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BOLGHERI

It is located in the comune of Castagneto Carducci, Province of Livorno.  Bolgheri is known for their wines, and it became an internationally known region after winning a wine competition in 1974.   Their variety of Bordeaux, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc are excellent as per the wine connoisseurs. .  For the wine lovers, this would be ” wine heaven”.  As you enter the town all of their restaurants offer wine tasting/pairing with their meals.   It is cute and small but really there is not much to do or see. We were invited for dinner that night and we did buy a bottle of wine, and based on the comments it was a success.

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This is the entrance to the town “The Bolgheri Castle”

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The main plaza has a sculpture of the “Nona” .  Of course,  Raffaele and Gigi took a picture with her…

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It seems that “La Nona” is  cuddling with Gigi.

PIOMBINO

On the other hand, Piombino has history attached to it from the time of being an  Etruscan Port on the middle ages, as well as during the  Second World War being the setting for the first episodes of the Italian Resistance , many of the sailors, soldiers and citizens who  fought in the battle of Piombino retreated to the surrounding  woods and formed the first partisan  formations in the area. The town received a Gold Medal for Military Valour.  Piombino is a 20 km ride by car, it takes a little longer by train as you have to transfer trains to get there.   It is  located in the Province of Livorno, and it lies between the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea.  You clearly can see the Elba Island from the Bovio Square.  Their port is heavily used by tourists going to the Elba Island or Sardinia.

Piombino is a 20 km ride by car, it takes a little longer by train as you have to transfer trains to get there.   It is  located in the Province of Livorno, and it lies between the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea.  You clearly can see the Elba Island from the Bovio Square.  Their port is heavily used by tourists going to the Elba Island or Sardinia.

If you decide to visit the Elba Island, famous for their beautiful beaches, a stop in Piombino for an hour or so is worth it.  After visiting the towns, I love doing a little bit more research on them especially the history portion, I am sharing my findings with you.  It is amazing to see how after centuries you still can see some of those buildings being used, how they keep them instead of bringing them down,  and building something modern, don’t take me wrong I don’t have anything against modern architecture, but destroying history that is where I crossed the line.  I prefer to see the old buildings, castles, and walls, they provide so much character to a town, country.

History ( taken from Wikipedia)

The area of modern Piombino was settled since ancient times. During the Etruscan era, the main city in the area was Populonia, now a frazione within the comune of Piombino.

The name Piombino derives almost certainly from Populino, meaning “Small Populonia”,  which the refugees gave to a small village where they had taken refuge after the city had been attacked by Greek pirates (9th century). It is also probable that Piombino had already been founded during the Ostrogoth domination.

In 1022 the Monastery of San Giustiniano was founded in the area, boosting the activity of fishermen, sailors, and workers. In 1115 Piombino submitted to the Republic of Pisa, becoming its second main port: authority was exerted by a Capitano (“Captain”). During the conflicts between the Pisane and the Genoese (12th-13th centuries), the city was sacked various times. In 1248, the Capitano Ugolino Arsopachi built the Channels.

The Castle of Piombino remained a Pisane possession until Gerardo Appiani, ceding Pisa to the Milanese Visconti, carved out the independent state of Piombino, Elba,Pianosa and Montecristo for his family, who held it until 1634. In 1445, through his marriage with Caterina Appiani, Rinaldo Orsini acquired the lordship. In 1501-1503, the principality was under Cesare Borgia. In 1509, the Appiani became princes of the Holy Roman Empire with the title of Piombino.

 Map of Piombino and its fortifications, 18th century.

After Cosimo I de’ Medici had occupied it in the course of the war against Siena, in 1553 and 1555 a French-Ottoman fleet attacked Piombino, but was pushed back. In 1557, the peace treaty reinstated the Appiani, with the exception of Portoferraio, given to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and the area of Orbetello, which became theState of Presidi under Spanish control. In 1594 the Principality of Piombino was created by Emperor Rudolf II of Habsburg, the first prince being Alessandro Appiani d’Aragona. In 1634, the title was acquired by the Ludovisi, whose member Niccolò I had married Polissena Appiani in 1632. In 1708, it went to the Boncompagni withAntonio I. In 1801 Napoleon abolished the principate, Piombino, and its lands being annexed by the Kingdom of Etruria; in 1809, they were given to Napoleon’s sister,Elisa Baciocchi.

After the Napoleon’s final defeat and the congress of Vienna, the state of Piombino was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. It became part of the unified Kingdom of Italy in 1860.

 

 

 

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This is the Town Hall (Palazzo Comune) It was built in the 1439-40, the clock tower was erected in 1598.  The bronze bell dates to 1778.  It was renovated on 1932-35 and its present Neo-Gothic style is quite different from the original building…

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The Castle and the Medicean Fortress.  The castle was built in the 13th century, and the Fortress was added in the 15th Century.

After 1861, they were used as a prison.

 

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Piazza Verdi, which includes the Torrione built in 1212, and the Rivellino main gateway to the town in 1447

 

 

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View from the Bovio Square

 

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Of course, I couldn’t miss to include a decor store that we found on our walk through the city… Check the dresser in this gorgeous cobalt blue, and how about the brocade blue chair and the mid-century one….

 

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ROCCASTRADA

This town or comune as it is called by the Italians is part of the Province of Grosseto, part of Tuscany and 90 Km. south of Florence.  In our way back from visiting one of Raffaele’s aunts we passed by Roccastrada as it is known for having being built on a rock.

As we arrived at the town we saw the rock – and as you walk you can see the houses encrusted on the rock.

 

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IMG_3762 This is a representation of the “Past and the Future” one side of the rock has the image of an old man, separated by a disc done on rock,  the other side has the face of a child.  The artist was Renaux Francois detto Jules.

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And after a day of visiting and getting know new places, we are tired and ready for dinner.

Until next time,

Ciao,

Roxana