Discover Celle Sul Rigo

Celle sul Rigo combines medieval village history, local cuisine and trails through the landscape. Those looking for more than just major art cities on a trip through Tuscany, but also for a distinctive place with its own traditions, will find a variety of reasons here for a peaceful and diverse stay.

Medieval traces in the village

The regular layout of Celle sul Rigo stands out: The streets run parallel and at right angles, which is unusual for a medieval village. This led to the assumption that the village was laid out according to the model of a Roman castrum. The medieval tower stands in the upper part and is considered the only significant surviving part of the fortified Castrum Cellis. This developed approximately between the 9th and 16th centuries. The caves beneath Celle sul Rigo are also part of the village’s history. They served as places of refuge in wartime and are now used as cellars. The cistern and the associated piazza were central elements of village life for a long time; references to them date back to 1610. A commemorative plaque on a façade also identifies the house where the poet Giosuè Carducci lived. Carducci stayed in Celle sul Rigo from 1851 to 1855 and dedicated the sonnet “Sopra Celle” to the village.

Church art and historic buildings

Today’s Church of San Paolo Converso contains a 15th-century travertine portal. It previously belonged to the old Church of Santa Elisabetta. Inside, murals depict the “Mysteries of the Rosary.” Two other paintings show the marriage of Mary and Joseph and the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. La Fattoria was added to Celle sul Rigo’s old walls between the 14th and 15th centuries. The building was originally the Palazzo Pretorio. Later, the Bocchi Bianchi family converted it into an agricultural enterprise. This brings together fortified village history, religious art and later agricultural use in one place.

Pici, festivals and local traditions

The village’s culinary identity is particularly evident in its pici. In Celle sul Rigo, they are made exclusively by hand, using a technique passed down from generation to generation. Traditionally, they are served with sugo all’aglione, prepared with local garlic, olive oil, chili pepper, tomato preserve and very little fresh tomato. The Sagra dei Pici takes place every year on the last weekend of May in Piazza Garibaldi. It began in 1969 and continues to be organized by the Società Filarmonica di Celle sul Rigo to support the local music band. Another unusual tradition is the Palio del cacio: Two or more players traditionally roll aged Pecorino cheese weighing approximately 1 kg through the village streets. The Palio traditionally takes place in the morning of the last day of Carnival and is repeated on the second Sunday in August.

Trails around Celle sul Rigo

The San Casciano Active trail network reaches Celle sul Rigo as well as the Via Francigena at Ponte a Rigo. The routes of San Casciano Active were planned according to the standards of the Rete Escursionistica Toscana and are intended to be signposted accordingly. The Il Rigo route begins just outside the historic center at Piazza Risorgimento. It offers views of the Rigo stream valley and toward Radicofani. Its route includes a crossing of the Rigo stream, which may not be passable in winter or after heavy rainfall. This specific seasonal caveat is important when planning a hike or bicycle tour. From Il Poggetto, the view opens southward over the Val di Paglia. The river valley has served as an important north-south connection since antiquity. You will also find Palazzone Palazzone and Fighine Fighine.

For the main travel overview: San Casciano Dei Bagni.