La Grancia di Cuna, a farm-fortress in the Crete Senesi

A fraction of Monteroni d'Arbia hosts one of the most beautiful and important grance of the Crete Senesi: the Grancia di Cuna. It is a fortified farm dating back to medieval times and whose main function was the collection and defense of stocks of wheat and cereals. It is no coincidence that the grancia dominates the landscape, a fascinating Tuscan postcard panorama where we admire a profusion of green and gold. The structure resembles a castle for its grandeur and solidity: the quadrilateral plan is defended by two towers and two walls. The first defensive circle protected the farm-fortress, the second embraced the village built around the fortress. The complex houses the remains of the old warehouses, the well and the rainwater basin. The profile of the defenses recalls the typical style of the Sienese fortresses, with protruding galleries and loopholes. At the entrance to the grancia we also find the Romanesque church dedicated to Saints Giacomo and Cristoforo, consisting of a single nave and adorned with frescoes of fourteenth-century origin.