Argiano Castle

Argiano rises in the heart of the Brunello Vineyards area. It is reachable from Montalcino, following the indications for Grosseto first and those for the castle then. The last kilometres are on country roads. The area is private, and the castle is visible only from the outside.

At the south of Montalcino, the castle of Argiano dominates from the top of a hill the valleys of the lower Val of Orcia and Val d'Ombrone, with the slopes of Mount Amiata set as picturesque scenery on the horizon. Not far away rises the powerful castle of Poggio alle Mura. The fortification, also known as Argianaccio, was in a state of abandonment until a few years ago; today it is fully restored and privately owned by the Sesti family, Argiano is at the center of the endless vineyards that produce their famous Brunello di Montalcino.

On the Argiano hill, there was originally an Etruscan and then Roman settlement, hence the name (Ara Jani means Altar of Janus, the ancient two-faced god who looks in opposite directions, symbolizing the past and the future). The castle dates back to the 12th century; the earliest written records are from 1208. The square-shaped tower, or keep, is now partially damaged but still imposing, endowed with some beautiful windows and an arched vault, and equipped with a strong stone basement on the side toward the outer ward and the underlying valley. A small inner courtyard separates it from the residential area, used as a palace [in recent times as a rural house until]. On the eastern curtain walls that connect it to the keep is the main gate, with an arched vault of worked stone.

On the opposite side, a postern gave access to the greater outer courtyard, which reached the margins of the hill. Today, only a little part of its surrounding walls survive, starting from the north-west angle of the keep. Around the castle rises the restored little church, in former times known as S. Pancrazio, that was part of the castle buildings.

The abandonment of the castle started in 1583, when nearby, on a design by Giovanni de' Pecci, the new Renaissance Villa of Argiano was constructed. It belonged to several powerful families like the Montanini, the Tolomei, the Sozzini, the Ugurgieri and the Chigi.