What’s on in the Village

The nearby medieval village of San Donato in Poggio is just a ten-minute walk from the holiday farmhouse La Papessa. In addition to admiring the beauty of the village, you can also find all the main amenities, places to buy basic goods and a number of pleasant stores, restaurants and pizzerias!

A SPOT OF HISTORY

The name San Donato in Poggio derives from the name of the Roman church, which was documented from the 10th century AD with the name “in loco pocie”. “Pocie” – and later “Poci” – was the name given to the small village which is thought to have sprung up in Roman times on a ridge between Val d’Elsa e Val di Pesa.
The name later became “Poggio” – meaning small hill – after the natural characteristics of the location of the village.
The village became a fortified castle in 1033.
In the early 1300s, San Donato in Poggio was made the headquarters of the Lega del Chianti, which was run by a Podestà sent by the Republic of Florence.
It is easy to see the remains of the castle from the village, which is enclosed by stone walls dating back to the 1200s. You can still visit the walled village from the north, via the imposing Porta Fiorentina, or from the south, via the Porta Senese.
The historic center features a series of narrow alleys lined by buildings from the 13th and 14th centuries, including the Torre Campanaria, which dates back to the 12th century. The main square is home to a hexagonal well, under which sits a cistern equal in size to the square. In the past, this cistern was the village’s only water reserve.

DON’T MISS

Here are some of the most interesting places to visit in San Donato in Poggio!

PIEVE DI SAN DONATO IN POGGIO

The Pieve di San Donato (the earliest records of which date back to 989 DC, when it was cited in a donation document) is a basilica with three naves which culminate in three semi-circular apses. The church is part of a fortified complex which also includes a bell tower, which almost certainly predates the church itself.
Inside, visitors can admire a stunning wooden cross on a table, a baptismal font attributed to Giovanni Della Robbia and a triptych by Giovanni del Biondo.

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PALAZZO MALASPINA

This prestigious palazzo – which dates back to the 10th century AD – still maintains its late-Reconnaissance structure, thanks in part to works undertaken recently by the Tavarnelle Val di Pesa municipal administration.
The former home of the local Ticci family, it became the residence of the Marchesi Malaspina during the 18th century – hence the name.
It is now a cultural center which hosts exhibitions, competitions and events which attract visitors from across Tuscany, as well as being a place where tourists can get information on attractions in the surrounding area from the San Donato in Poggio Pro Loco organization.

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SHRINE OF SANTA MARIA DELLE GRAZIE IN PIETRACUPA

Located a short distance from the village, in Pietracupa, stands the Shrine to the Virgin Mary of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
The shrine was built at the end of the 16th century, on the site of a tabernacle featuring an acclaimed 15th-century fresco by Paolo Schiavo depicting “The Madonna with Child”.
The sacred image is still stored in the church to this day, inserted in the center of a Passignano canvas dating back to the 1600s and depicting Saints Peter, Donatus, Lawrence and the Angel Gabriel.

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SANTA MARIA DELLA NEVE

Located in the center of the village, this church was – according to some – founded as a chapel for use by the castle in San Donato in Poggio. It is thought to have been originally dedicated to Saint Thomas Aquinas, who – according to local legend – once stayed in the village.
Built in the Gothic style, it is home to a fresco hung on the left side of the choir depicting the Madonna with Child between Saints Simon and Jude the Apostle, dating back to 1413; there are fragments of a second fresco, with the image of the Madonna situated over the main altar.

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Useful addresses in San Donato in Poggio: