Villa di Murlo

The first turning on the left leads to Villa Murlo, which once belonged to the Cavalcanti.
During the Renaissance period it passed on to the Malegonnelle, a Florentine family of great influence in the city’s political life. The beautiful 18th century villa was created by renovating a group of older buildings. Their varying heights enliven the facade, which is patterned by pilaster strips and crowned by a stone balustrade and terracotta vases. Next to the villa is a small 18th century chapel. The lovely building has an unusual volute crowning with terracotta vases.

San Vito

To the right of via della Romita begins via di San Vito di Sopra, leading to the Church of San Vito. The precise date of its construction is uncertain, but it was probably built to replace the old church of the Castle of Montecalvi, further down the hill. Indeed, 14th century records mention a church dedicated to Santa Maria either inside or just outside the castle walls, which disappeared when the Florentines dismantled the fortress. Beyond San Vito, the road continues to the Corzano farmhouse on which you can still see traces of Medieval fortifications.

Salivolpe

Via della Romita passes besides the Church of Salivolpe. By 1164 there was a castle documented in Salivolpe which was transformed into a stately home in the 13th century. The present Church of Santa Cristina is a 19th century style a reconstruction. Inside is a panel of a Madonna and Child with Saints Peter and Christina, dating to the end of 15th century, by a painter close to Francesco Granacci.
In front of the church, a ring of cypresses marks the beginning of the avenue which leads to Villa di Sorbigliano. In Roman times it belonged to Servilius and was still known as Surbillianus in a document dating 1092. The villa was one of the residences chosen by the Pitti family when they were forced to abandon Semifonte in the 13th century. It was rebuilt in the 19h century.

A Note on Cheese Making in Chianti
Many areas of Chianti were pastures in the past. Grassy fields with no tall trees were called “sodi”. These “sodi’ fell in disuse when sheep rearing in Chianti, which once significantly contributed to peasant families’ subsistence, came to an end. The spread of vineyards spelt the almost complete disappearance of sheep from the landscape. In the 1960s, Sardinian shepherds were the first to bring sheep back to Chianti, buying or renting the land abandoned by farmers to use as pastures.
Fattoria di Paterno raises over 500 sheep of Sardinian stock which produce the milk for their exceptional cheeses. The sheep are milked from November to August, after which follows a period of rest until the beginning of autumn to allow the sheep to feed the lambs. Using only this milk, Paterno hand-crafts cheeses whose tastes are tied to the flavors of the land. The mature Pecorino cheese is only produced in spring, to exploit the characteristics of the milk in this period, and is then aged in a cellar for approximately one year. Garlic, parsley and Chili-peppers are added to a fresh Pecorino to make the “Erbolino”. “Blu del Chianti” is produced like gorgonzola, roquefort and stilton, by adding a mould to the rennet. By far the most famous of their cheeses, the “Buccia di Rospo”, or Toad Skin, was invented by mistake: a creamy Pecorino, exposed to humidity for too long, characterized by a strong flavor, a sharp smell and a wrinkly skin, just like toad-skin

Via della Romita
When the uphill road that passes Pergolato reaches the ridge of the hills it meets via della Romita.To the left it eventually joins the via Cassia before Tavarnelle; turning right towards San Pancrazio, the road runs on the plateau that lies between the valley of the Virginio stream and that of the Pesa river. Carrying on towards San Quirico, not far from San Pancrazio, the road reaches Lucignano; while, the road that goes down towards the river eventually gets back to San Casciano.

-

Return to Mercatale Val di Pesa