Visit to Radda

Radda in Chianti - The locality has a very ancient foundation. The finds from Poggio la Croce testify to the Etruscan settlement dating back to 2000 BC. C. At the time of the fall of the Roman Empire, the small rural agglomerations were already formed and were subsequently governed by feudal officials. The Badia Fiorentina and the Counts Guidi succeeded one another in government, who were mandated by the Emperors Otto III and Frederick II.

Located on the border area and always far from the administrative center, the village was sacked by the Sienese and refused the annexation to Tuscany, remaining faithful to the Habsburg-Lorraine. The feeling of isolation lasted until the second half of the twentieth century, when the locality experienced a consistent depopulation. Thanks to the artistic revaluation of the historic center, the village ensures enchanting stays between the beauty of the Tuscan landscape and the food and wine offer. Walking through the medieval walkway you will reach the Palazzo del Podestà, which was enlarged with cells and salt, when Radda was the capital of the Chianti trade league. Here, among the coats of arms of the successive Podestàs, we study that of Francesco Ferrucci, a brave young leader, who after a strenuous resistance lost his life just outside Florence. From here you reach the Prepositura di San Niccolò, built in 1200 and rebuilt after the world war. Inside, under the wooden trusses of the ceiling, you can admire a polyptych by Daddi, from the sixteenth century, depicting the Madonna and the Saints and the wooden Crucifix, from the fifteenth century, at the high altar, object of worship in the Festa del Perdono, the last Sunday of August. The bell tower was obtained on the base of a tower of the walls and is visible from the small square at the back. The visit ends at the panoramic terrace, where the opening to the ducal icebox below is visible. A wonderful view over the cultivated hills of Chianti, where you can rest in the cool.