Alessandro Sebastiani

Collaborating closely with local communities facilitates access to sites and locations otherwise inaccessible to the public. A pertinent example is the Castle of Casenovole, situated a few kilometers from Casal di Pari and Castellaraccio di Monteverdi.

Documented as a fief of the Ardengheschi family in the early 13th century, Casenovole’s existence is recorded as early as 988 AD in a deed of sale currently housed in the Abbey of San Salvatore on Mount Amiata. Similar to Castellaraccio, Casenovole underwent a series of ownership exchanges between the Bonsignori family and the medieval Commune of Siena before becoming private property. Throughout the centuries, it has experienced numerous architectural transformations, and today, the medieval tower—potentially established by the Ardengheschi—along with the parish church of San Giovanni, remains intact.

While definitive information is lacking, it is plausible that the castle was constructed atop an Etruscan-era settlement, as indicated by the nearby Hellenistic necropolis, which is presently the focus of systematic archaeological excavations.