Castiglione d'Orcia's Rocca Aldobrandesca reopens after restoration and excavation campaign

The Rocca Aldobrandesca in Castiglione d’Orcia has reopened to the public, after a conservative restoration project aimed at securing the entire structure, recovering the city walls, a conservative consolidation of the tower and a tour route. And after an excavation campaign conducted along with the restoration thanks to which a huge amount of archaeological finds were unearthed. The project was carried out by the Municipality of Castiglione d’Orcia, under the High Supervision of the Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio for the Provinces of Siena, Grosseto and Arezzo.

The Rocca stands on the hills overlooking Mount Amiata; it was built by the Aldobrandeschi family in the early medieval age to defend the Via Francigena. The fortress still preserves visible the wall traces that characterized it until the mid-sixteenth century, both in the structures of the keep and in the underlying wall perimeter of the Sienese quarterdeck, with the remains of the three access gates from the valley, of which the one toward the northeast is intact in its thirteenth-century forms and restored to allow visiting access to the complex. Little remains, however, of the Palazzo Riario: part of the outer wall of the access ramp, internal traces of partition walls, a cistern and little else.

Archaeological excavations have returned the remains of a church datable between the 11th and 12th centuries, probably built by the Aldobrandeschi family itself. Similarly, thanks to the discovery of a large number of artifacts, it has been possible to reconstruct the fortunes and life of the fortress over the centuries: specimens of Sienese, Derutese and upper Lazio ceramic pottery, bronze objects, jewelry and rings have been found, including a wedding ring that probably belonged to the wife of the last castellan, Agostino del Vescovo, and dates back to the mid-sixteenth century. This jewel is now on display in the small Castiglione d’Orcia Art Room, set up in the former Oratory of San Giovanni.

Following the conservative restoration work, the Municipality of Castiglione d’Orcia developed a plan to enhance the Aldobrandesque fortress, organizing a tour route that directly connects the historic center with the ancient keep, as it did in medieval times. The first section takes place inside low-medieval architecture, and then exits, climbs outside onto the scenic cliff of the fortress, and finally enters it through the 13th-century gate. It continues through corten steel footbridges, built into the restored fortress, which allow visitors to stroll through the keep and visit it until they discover the remains of the small Romanesque church and the high medieval traces below. Particularly striking is the nighttime visit, made possible by the lighting integrated into the metal path, which allows the masonry of the fortress to be appreciated in a deconstructivist and changing play of light and shadow.

“This is a very important moment for the Municipality of Castiglione d’Orcia because through the conservation restoration, the archaeological excavations and the enhancement project, we are once again delivering the Aldobrandesque fortress to the citizens of Castiglione and visitors from all over the world, adding important new information to the history of Castiglione and the fortress itself,” Mayor Claudio Galletti stressed. “The excavations have in fact unearthed important finds: first and foremost, the intact apse of a Romanesque church dating from around the year 1,000 and a huge amount of archaeological finds from various historical periods. These have all been duly catalogued and are protected within publicly owned premises. We will set up at the premises of the old municipality an archaeological laboratory where these will be studied and treated by experts and will find their place in the museum and documentation center that we will build in the premises at the entrance to the tower. For this we already have a project and requests for funding underway. It has certainly been a very challenging intervention for the whole Municipal Administration and for all the professionals who have designed, directed the works and followed the excavations, I thank each of them for their commitment and professionalism put into the project. We are convinced that this recovery and being able to enjoy this asset, which has been long awaited by our fellow citizens, represents a value not only for the Castiglionese community, but also for the entire Val d’Orcia, a World Heritage Site.”

“The fortress overlooking the medieval village of Castiglione is the symbol and identity of our community,” added Culture Councillor Alice Rossi. On the various floors of the tower, before the excavations began, it was all a pile of debris and all an embankment; with the excavations, settlement walls from various historical periods and a real wealth of archaeological finds have emerged. The treasure that generations of Castiglionese had imagined has indeed emerged, and today being able to visit it, on an all-secure walkway, is truly something exciting. From the top of the Rocca, the view of the town appears unprecedented and very impressive, and the Val d’Orcia conveys to you all its extraordinary beauty. The loop trail that overlooks the most striking landscape cutaways of the valley also shows all the grandeur of our Amiata mountains."

Photo by Stefano Consoli.

Castiglione d'Orcia's Rocca Aldobrandesca reopens after restoration and excavation campaign

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