Castello di Tornano

Perched on a hilltop in the heart of Chianti stands Castello di Tornano, home to one of the most striking and distinctive keeps among all the medieval castles in the area.
From the early years after 1000 AD, Tornano was the seat of a “curtis” (feudal estate), and its name appears frequently in the deeds and contracts preserved in the nearby Abbazia di Coltibuono.

The castle belonged to Guarnellotto dei Mezzolombardi, a Sienese nobleman, until 1167 when Emperor Frederick I seized it from him as punishment for rebelling against imperial authority, then granted it to Ranieri de’ Firidolfi Ricasoli. On paper, at least—in reality, Guarnellotto, backed by Siena, maintained control of both Tornano and the nearby Castello di Campi, both serving as bases for his bold ventures.
Only when the castle passed into Florentine territory following the award of Poggibonsi was Guarnellotto finally dispossessed, though Siena was reluctant to relinquish Tornano. Its position on a hilltop overlooking the Massellane stream made it a crucial stronghold in the Chianti region’s strategic landscape.

In 1229, after a lengthy siege, Sienese forces captured the castle, yet just six years later they lost control of it for good.
By 1400, the Ricasoli had fortified Tornano most impressively, and during the Aragonese invasions it withstood enemy assault. There was little hope, however, in 1530, when imperial troops overran it.

Today, with most of the walls and other structures long gone, it is the keep—fashioned in stone with its distinctive trapezoidal form—that dominates the Tornano hilltop. The entire complex has undergone recent restoration and now houses an agriturismo (farm-stay accommodation) with working farmland.