Castiglion Fiorentino. A balcony on the Val di Chiana
Castiglion Fiorentino has a very ancient history, it was an Etruscan and Roman city and today it preserves almost intact the medieval walls dominated by the Cassero tower. Located on top of a hill in the Val di Chiana area, it has many strategic points where you can admire a breathtaking view, such as the sixteenth-century loggia in front of the Palazzo Comunale: a real architectural balcony from where you can admire the landscape of the Val di Chio, between the Valdichiana and Valtiberina.
Castiglion Fiorentino is rich in archaeological and museum sites where you can discover the treasures and history of this land. Like the Municipal Art Gallery in the church of Sant’Angelo, where you can find Etruscan and medieval jewels and some paintings by Giorgio Vasari and Bartolomeo della Gatta. Also worth visiting is the Civic Archaeological and Archaeological Excavation Museum with its underground path: inside Palazzo Pretorio, the museum collects archaeological finds found in the Castiglionese and in the Cassero area and tells us about the origins of Castiglioni from prehistoric times. For people interested in sacred art there is the magnificent Collegiate Church of San Giuliano with the Museo d’Arte Sacra della Pieve.
Castiglion Fiorentino is beautiful in every season of the year, specially in spring when take placethe Maggio Castiglionese, a month of events, music, shows and celebrations. Every third Sunday in June the Palio dei Rioni Castiglionesi where the horse race and historical re-enactment takes place outside the walls, in Piazza Garibaldi where compete the jockeys of the three “rioni” of Castiglion Fiorentino: Porta Romana, il Cassero, Porta Fiorentina.
