Terre di Sacra

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The village of Capalbio

Capalbio’s historical city center has remained almost unchanged since the Aldobrandeschi’s dominion in the eleventh century. That’s why time seems to stand still when you walk in the narrow streets climbing up to the Aldobrandeschi Fortress.

Standing on the village’s highest point, it consists of a square tower and an elegant palace made of local stone. The tower, erected by the Aldobrandi Family, makes the original core of a building that can be viewed from a distance of many kilometers. The square merlons are the same as Buranaccio Tower’s inside WWF’s Nature Reserve

The Fortress and its rooms are open to the public and can be toured every day all summer long and on weekends in winter.

Things to see in Capalbio: the walls, Collacchioni Palace and the church of San Nicola

Worth a visit are certainly the ancient city walls. The first city defensive walls in the Middle-Ages were built by the Aldobrandeschi family between the eleventh and twelfth century to defend the city.

During the 1400’s, while Capalbio was under the dominion of the Republic of Siena, walls were extended and strengthened. Such interventions gave the village double surrounding walls and Porta Senese (the Sienese Gateway), situated on the northern side near the Fortress. Fifteenth-century walls can be still admired today; recent restauration works brought the monument back to its ancient splendor.

You just cannot miss Collacchioni Palace. This ancient palace, near the Aldobrandeschi Fortress, is hidden inside one the Towers in Via Collacchioni. Its three floors are finely painted with frescos and decorated in a Renaissance style. You will love the large stone fireplace and the jaw-dropping terrace overlooking the city and your children will treasure them in their memories.

Another treasure is kept within the Palace: the Conrad Graf fortepiano. It now rests silently in a corner of the fireplace’s room but, apart from being an innovative piece of instrument for its times, it is said to have been played by Giacomo Puccini during his stays at a nearby Fortress.

At the town center of Capalbio, you can visit the church of San Nicola. The church was built during the Romanesque period and furtherly extended and decorated until the fifteenth century. The church’s portal is surmounted by a lancet arch bearing an inscription that testifies a restauration work in 1466. This one-nave church has three small side chapels with frescos painted by Umbrian painters and belonging to the Sienese school. The twelfth-century bell tower is surmounted by a pyramid added in 1919.

Things to see in Capalbio: events, shows and a lot of nature

For those of you who want to learn more about the things to see in Capalbio, we suggest browsing the village’s website. It has an up-to-date calendar of all the events happening in both summer and winter times.

Aside entertainment and music shows, Capalbio organizes food and wine events to promote local products that are really successful. Until October, Maremma’s cowboys (known as Butteri) perform at tournaments and competitions which finish with an end-of-season gathering.

Still, nature plays a key role in the life of the community: at the WWF Oasis, within Terre di Sacra’s estate, you can take part to day and night guided tours led by ornithologists. Watching animals in their own habitat at dawn and dusk is an unforgettable experience for the whole family.