Chiocchio: Circular Walk, Church Art and History

Chiocchio in Tuscany combines a clearly defined hiking option with several traces of local and church history. The Anello di Chiocchio circular walk provides an active focus; Santa Maria a Chiocchio and the Pieve di San Donato a Mugnana represent different histories of art and architecture. Other points of interest include Castello di Mugnana, historic routes and the annual Sagra del cinghiale. If you are planning a trip around different interests, you can give these themes separate weight and plan your daily rhythm accordingly.

Hiking the Anello di Chiocchio

The Anello di Chiocchio is a 13-kilometre easy hike along side roads and paths. The route includes a total of 280 metres of ascent and descent; it starts at the car park of Circolo ARCI Chiocchio. The distance, elevation profile and surface offer different points to consider when planning: the kilometres indicate the overall distance, the elevation gain and loss describe the ups and downs, and the mix of side roads and paths gives the route its character. If outdoor activity is to be an important part of your trip, you can make the circular walk a focus in its own right, alongside the cultural interests.

The classification as an easy hike is just as much a part of the route as its specific length. Consider what role you want the walk to play in your stay: a central active outing or one of several interests spread across your days. This keeps hiking as a distinct focus rather than letting it get lost in the itinerary alongside the historical sites.

Churches and art history

Santa Maria a Chiocchio is considered the younger of Chiocchio’s two churches. It was formerly known as Chiesa della Madonna del Buon Viaggio. The church houses the painting “Riposo dalla fuga in Egitto” (Rest During the Flight into Egypt), from the Tuscan school and dated to 1616. The title refers to the rest during the flight into Egypt; the year of its creation and its attribution to the Tuscan school place the work in an art-historical context. Here, the history of the church’s name meets that of a specific painting.

The Pieve di San Donato a Mugnana was built around the year 1000. It houses a censer and a naviculum from the Abbey of San Cassiano a Montescalari. There is also a displaced capital featuring figures of he-goats damaged at the corners, as well as symbolic motifs such as star-shaped flowers and palmettes. The building’s age provides a point of reference in time; the origins of the two objects open up a story of their own, while the figures and ornaments describe the capital’s design in detail. Several different themes in art and architectural history are represented here.

Place names, routes and an annual event

Castello di Mugnana is a privately owned single-family residence. In the 14th century, it was converted from a fortified village into this residential form. Chiocchio itself was formerly known as Fonte al Brocco. These two names offer a different perspective on the area’s history than its church buildings: they tell of changes in use and naming.

The historic routes also have their own distinctions. In the 13th century, near Chiocchio, the via publicana, which ran along the ridge, branched off from the via pubblica; the via pubblica was later called Strata de Chianti. The two names therefore refer to different historic routes, not interchangeable names for the same road.

The Sagra del cinghiale is an annual event at Circolo ARCI Chiocchio. If the festival is important to your trip, check the exact event date in advance. When choosing your accommodation, you can base your plans on your preferred focus: the circular walk, time for church art and architectural history, or a stay timed to coincide with the festival. This lets you shape the rhythm of your trip around your group’s interests instead of giving every theme equal weight.

Discover more destinations: Gavena, San Godenzo, Florence, Signa, Fontanella, Gigliola, Romita, Le Quattro Strade.

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