Civitella in Val di Chiana
Civitella in Val di Chiana is a small village overlooking the Val di Chiana and offers a breathtaking view of the entire valley. Civitella still retains its medieval origins: the ruined tower, the main square, the remains of the walls that surround it.
In more recent times Civitella is also remembered for the sad massacre of a large part of the population that occurred during the Second World War.
You enter the village through the Sienese gate, the only one left. After the gate you enter the network of streets, among which Via Martiri di Civitella stands out. The street overlooks the Palazzo Pretorio renovated in the fourteenth century, characterized by a portico. The other buildings also have arcades that characterize the whole street. One is also housed here Hall of Memory, in memory of the Nazi massacre of '44.
To the north you reach the beautiful piazza Alcide Lazzeri with the medieval cistern and the Church of Santa Maria Assunta erected in 1252. To its left we find the monument to the massacre. To the south, crossing Piazza Beccattini with the palace of the same name, you reach the castle, built in the 11th century and surrounded by a solid wall with a mighty keep.
The castle, transformed by the Wehrmacht into a headquarters during the Nazi occupation, was half-destroyed during an Allied bombing in 1944. From its battlements and from recently renovated tower, you can enjoy sweeping views over the Val di Chiana and the Val d'Ambra.
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