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Starting on Friday, June 10, the park of Villa Chigi Saracini will begin opening to visitors, giving them the chance to discover its historical, artistic and naturalistic patrimony.
The initiative, promoted by the Township of Castelnuovo Berardenga in collaboration with the Villa’s owner, will continue until October 31 with guided tours in program every Friday, starting at 5:30pm; every Saturday, at 10 and 11:30am, and 4 and 5:30pm, and a double appointment on Sundays which propose free entrance in the morning and guided tours in the afternoon, at 4 and 5:30pm.
Starting this year, the itinerary of the park will be enriched by the stop at the Torre dell’Orologio (watchtower) and by the wine tasting of local Castelnuovo wineries’ products. Extra visits and openings are forecast in occasion of the Ecomaratona of Chianti and the Eroica races.
Villa Chigi Saracini was desired by Galgano Saracini and brought to completion by count Guido Saracini, great appreciator of music and founder of the Chigiana Musical Academy of Siena.
The structure is surrounded by an Italian garden and an English park inspired by romanticism and projected with different types of plans by Agostino Fantastici, who also followed the architectural furnishings,the coffee house and the accessible three arched bridge that connects the villa to the San Quirico hill.
The park was then modified thanks to the initiative of the same count Guido Saracini, who added a series of statues dedicated to great musicians.
In the circular piazza was added a monumental column dedicated to Michelangelo Buonarroti, crafted by the Sienese sculptor, Tito Sarrocchi, who also signed the grand marble fountain and two basins in another piazza. The park is very accessible, made up of roads and paths that wind up and down.