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Tignano

Tignano, possibly deriving from the Roman “Antinianus”, property of Antinius, is mentioned as a castle and “corte”, in a document dated 1009. In the 14th century it was owned by the Florence Commune, which in 1381 undertook the repair of its walls, damaged in the wars against Siena. Tignano has an almost circular plan with a short road bisecting the village. There is only one gate, flanked by a truncated tower, probably the ancient garrison tower. Facing the piazza is the small 14th century Palazzo of the Begliuomini and an oratory dedicated to the Virgin. Its altarpiece is a Visitation with Four Male Saints and Four Female Saints, bearing the date 1517, the same year in which Stefano d’Andrea Bonini commissioned the small church, following the design of his cousin, Ser Niccolò. Until the 12th century, the church of Tignano, dedicated to Saint Thomas by its patrons the Bonini family, stood on a site called Uliveto under the castle. Today the site is occupied by a group of houses. The new church, dedicated to San Romolo, was built during the 13th century. It was radically transformed during a 1926 restoration, financed partly by the Marquis Torrigiani, owner of Villa di Spicciano. The Romanesque structure was lengthened and a hemispheric dome was added. The two Gothic windows on the facade replaced a 13th century circular window and a new bell-tower wad built. Inside, on the right, is a Crucifixion with Saint John and Saint Mary Magdalene from the first half of 17th century in a pietra serena frame dated 1619. The High Altar was built using a monolithic slab with spiral motifs along its borders, designs datable to the High Middle Ages, but very similar to Etruscan decorations from the 5th or 6th century BC. A glazed terracotta tabernacle with the Serragli coat-of-arms is encased in the left wall, possibly commissioned from Giovanni della Robbia during the last years of the 15th century. Above the left altar is an Annunciation by Francesco Mati, a late 16th century painter.

Prumiano

The small village of Prumiano surrounds the Church of San Bartolomeo. The exterior walls and the bell-gable date the building to the Romanesque period. The facade and pediment seem to date to the 18th century, as does the main building which boasts ashlar doors and windows framed in pietra serena. Established in 1984, La Chiara di Prumiano has become an almost obligatory destination for anyone planning a Chianti holiday. Its informal atmosphere, warm hospitality, and the tantalizing tastes and aromas of its mostly vegetarian cuisine, have won it international fame, inspiring its many guests from Europe, America and even Australia, with this authentic Tuscan experience. At La Chiara guests can simply relax and recharge, or participate in one of the number of activities which are renewed each year; La Chiara also organizes courses and seminars.
Address: Strada di Cortine, 12 Barberino Val d’Elsa Phone: +39 055 8075727 email: info@prumiano.it website: www.prumiano.it

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