Piancastagnaio and the Siele mine

Located on the eastern coast of Monte Amiata on a small plain planted with chestnut trees, the small town Piancastagnaio extends. The name of the city derives from Planacastagnaio, a toponym that originates from the plain of chestnut trees that have been the main source of food for the place for centuries. The Rocca aldobrandesca is located in the historic center of the town, whose buildings are linked to the Orsini family; the building has lava stone walls. Currently the fortress is used as a museum. The district of Voltaia is the emblem of the importance of water; the ancient sources of Voltaia were a large complex with spouts, drinking troughs, wash-houses and tubs where the meat was macerated, the fabrics painted and the wine fermented. Walking through the district one cannot fail to notice the picturesque alleys with coats of arms and arches. Piancastagnaio is rich in monuments that outline the history of the city; the church of the Madonna delle Grazie is located outside the walls, inside there are frescoes of the Orvieto school. The sanctuary of the Madonna di San Pietro became an important place after 1583 following miraculous events that occurred in correlation with an image of the Virgin preserved on the high altar. Inside there is a sort of gallery with frescoes by Nasini. Another sacred building is the church of San Francesco consecrated in 1278 with a Franciscan scheme with a single nave, inside there are frescoes of the fourteenth century. On the left side of the church are the remains of the cloister of the convent of San Bartolomeo. The economy was initially based on the mercury mine, the first in Italy to be activated, which ceased its activity in 1861. Today it is part of a project to renovate the route to make visitors aware of the history of the miners and the mine. It is possible to visit the various levels of the mine, and it is possible to see the objects that each individual miner used to start working. The Siele has kept the appearance of a mining village such as palaces, industrial plants, houses, a small primary school and a small church. Of the ancient site remain the tunnels of the Galleria Emilia, which can be visited in all its splendor, in the houses there is a representation of the mine, objects of use and pieces of history and life of the inhabitants of the town of the mine. The event of the Palio is a festival of ancient origins, it consists in competing with horses and the coats of arms of the participating districts are paraded. On November 1st, the chestnut festival is celebrated, also of ancient origins, in which the typical dishes of the tradition are produced.