A village of rare beauty

It’s not easy to find words to describe a place whose beauty is of another time...

We could say... that Rigomagno is a little Tuscan village of rare beauty, nestled amongst olive trees in an enchanted landscape situated on the summit of a 400 m limestone and sandstone hill...
that it’s surrounded by ancient walls said to be of Roman origin...
that its origins are lost in the mists of time and that its historical significance is well documented in writings that describe Rigomagno as a defensive stronghold on the frontiers of the Republic of Siena during the epic clashes between the Florentines and Sienese...

Titolo prima parteThe hill of Olives

But in reality, there are no words to adequately capture the beauty of this little gem, with its splendid panoramic position and its unspoiled, medieval Tuscan village structure, set apart from the usual tourist circuit and the chaos of modern life. Rigomagno is a small village where everything is cared for with attention, where even today one can have an authentic Tuscan experience in the colours of its streets, in the rush of water in the old, village washing troughs, in the taste of its oil, which is of such renown that Rigomagno is also known as the “Hill of Olives”, or of its “ciambellino”, a traditional sweet that’s celebrated in the “Village Festival of the Ciambellino” and that is strictly homemade by the village women, who pass the recipe on from generation to generation.

What is certain is that even the least perceptive visitor cannot fail to notice that everything in this village is in harmony and that silence is still a value to be respected: one doesn’t come here to bellow but to listen to the wise counsel of the village residents, the sound of the wind in the trees, the chirping of the birds...

and other, more ancient sounds, virtually lost today... .such as the tolling of village bells that still signal the passing of time.