Roughly halfway between Florence and Rome, Radicofani lies in the Tuscan province of Siena. The attractive location makes it well worth seeking out, and it has some wonderful architecture to discover.
Chief among Radicofani’s sights is the majestic Rocca di Radicofani, the ancient castle with a 37m tower which sits high above the village. It’s quite a trek to reach it, but the castle certainly rewards the effort with some magnificent views of the Val d’Orcia park and volcanic Monte Amiata. Double walls surround the fortress, a pentagon on the outside, then a triangle within. You can learn more about this once strategically important landmark with a guided tour. Be aware that if you do make the ascent right to the top of the tower, the heights can be genuinely dizzying!
The San Pietro church is another building of note, where frescoes, oil paintings and terracotta sculptures remain. You will probably also become familiar with Radicofani’s most famous son, 13th-century ‘gentleman bandit’, Messer Ghino di Tacco. Intriguing stories of this Italian Robin Hood’s dastardly deeds for noble purposes abound in Radicofani.
The village hosts regular festivals too, including October’s ‘Harvest and Chestnut Festival’ and there are regular antique markets to potter around throughout the summer.
Another attraction is the ancient pilgrim’s route, the Via Francigena, leading from Rome to France, which passes through Radicofani. The Tuscan section of the route is made easier to follow by regular signposts. Said to be a spiritual experience even for the non-religious, it is certainly an appealing way to be at one with nature in this particularly beautiful region of western Italy.