GARGONZA - CODE: TEDGRG

Dante stayed here in 1303 after his exile, and attended the meeting between the Ghibellines and the White Guelphs who had been chased out of Florence, with the vain hope that a new attack on the Black Guelphs--the new rulers of the city and supporters of Papal rule--would have a positive outcome. Over time, Dante will become painfully aware that he will no longer be able to set foot in his city.

 

"Che se in Fiorenza per via onorata non s'entra, io non entrerovvi giammai. E che? non potrò io da qualunque angolo della terra mirare il sole e le stelle? non potrò io sotto ogni plaga del cielo meditare le dolcissime verità, se pria non mi renda uom senza gloria, anzi d'ignominia, in faccia al popolo e alla città di Fiorenza?"

(Dante, epistola XII)

 

The Gargonza Castle is located on the hills that dominate the Val di Chiana, between Arezzo and Siena, in the town of Monte Savino, about 50 km far from Florence. It is  encircled by a small, oval-shaped town, with about twenty houses, surrounded by walls on a prominent rock formation, with a gate to defend the entrance, a tower that dominates the inner square and a Romanesque Church that dates from the 13th century.

From its long history, we should note that Dante came through here in 1303. Here the poet was a guest for a few days after he was sentenced to exile, and here he attended a meeting between the White Guelphs and the Ghibellines, who tried to join forces to fight the Black Guelphs, the new rulers of Florence. The battle that followed from this meeting did not have a good outcome.

Currently, the castle belongs to Roberto Guicciardini Corsi Salvati and it is an elegant residence, with a pool and a restaurant offering typical local cuisine, nestled in the beauty and peace of Tuscan greenery, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.