Comune: | San Casciano Val di Pesa |
Località: | Mercatale |
Via: | Campoli, 124 |
Earliest records of this castle, found in manuscripts in the nearby abbey church of Passignano, date back to the first half of the 13th century, when Mercatale was a town of great importance to the Florentine Chianti economy. This fortress suffered various attacks down the centuries, without ever succumbing. In 1320 the castle was expanded and was larger than its current size. At the end of the 17th century it was sold to the Miniati barons, who turned it into a villa graced with works of art. What we see today is the result of restoration work carried out on the palagio in the early 19th century, a scheme that was heavily influenced by the Romantic cult of the Middle Ages in vogue at the time. This renovation process also revived the farming activities on the estate: new farm buildings were constructed including an oil-press, wine cellars and storerooms: 200 years on, these spaces are still used to make wine using traditional production methods.