Marsiliana

Marsiliana combines an expansive, fertile plain with lush Mediterranean maquis. At the same time, the history of the place stretches far back into the Etruscan period. If you would like to combine landscape and culture on your trip to Tuscany, you will find a place here with an unusually rich past and clearly distinct sightseeing options.

A tour of Tenuta Marsiliana

A private tour with tasting can be booked at Tenuta Marsiliana. As part of a tour, you can also visit the castle. This means that, alongside the landscape, there is a specific visitor experience available in which the tour is combined with a tasting. For your planning, it is important to view the castle visit in connection with a tour, rather than as an independently documented, freely accessible offering.

Etruscan traces in Marsiliana

Archaeological excavations uncovered a large Paleo-Etruscan necropolis in Marsiliana in 1908. It contained rich grave goods from the Orientalizing period. During this era, Marsiliana society had an aristocratic and warlike character. Marsiliana was probably the Etruscan settlement of Caletra. Among the well-known finds from the necropolis is the Fibula Corsini, which is described as a significant find. The Tavoletta di Marsiliana is also part of the town’s cultural heritage; it is kept in the Archaeological Museum of Florence. The Museo della Fattoria also contains a reconstruction of the Etruscan tomb “Tomba dipinta del Cancellone”. In this way, you encounter the archaeological themes both through individual artifacts and through a reconstructed tomb complex.

Castles, ruins, and historical orientation

The first construction phase of Castello Orsini in Marsiliana is attributed to the Middle Ages and the Lombards. Castello Orsini was destroyed in 1384. Another historical reference point is the ruins of Castello di Stachilagi, also known as La Castellaccia. They lie east of Marsiliana on a hilltop above the valley of the Torrente Elsa. Special conditions apply to this site: Castello di Stachilagi is on private property and can only be reached via unpaved roads, paths, and a final section through the maquis. This information is part of a realistic assessment of the historic site. It clearly distinguishes the ruins from the documented museum and tour offerings.

Trails and the local festival calendar

Trail no. 9 on the Montemerano–Marsiliana route ends below Marsiliana, near the remains of the old Fonte Leopoldina. The Festa Patronale of Marsiliana takes place on the last Sunday in May together with the Sagra della Fragola. This date combines the local festival with the strawberry festival and complements the historical themes with a recurring event in the annual calendar. If you would like to include further destinations in your travel selection, you can also consider Montemerano, Poggio Murella, Saturnia and Capanne.

For the overarching travel overview: Manciano.