Meleto Castle
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The northern front with the two cylindrical towers. |
The gate around which are visible the rests of the bastionated
reinforcements of the walls. |
Meleto rises in the council of Gaiole in Chianti along the
road SS408 that brings from the Valdarno toward Siena.
The origin of Meleto was in the 11th century, as a possession of the monks
of the near Coltibuono Abbey. The first vassal of the castle results to have
been a certain Guardellotto. This was stripped of all his possessions for some
contrasts born with the emperor Federico Barbarossa that entrusted Meleto to
the local family of the Firidolfi, already installed in the other castles of
the zone. From here had origin the branch of the Firidolfi known as 'from Meleto'
while another division of the family, known as Ricasoli Fibindacci, will strongly
tie their name to the history of these zones of the Chianti.
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One of the southern angles endowed with machicoulis.
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The strategic position, on a hill to direct control of the underlying road
of connection between the Valdarno and the Chianti, plus the proximity with
the border between the territories checked by the senesis and those Florentines,
of which the castle was the last rampart, made of Meleto one of the principal
fortifications of the Terziere (one of the three parts in which these Florentine
military organization was organized) of the 'Chianti League' headed by Gaiole.
For these reason the castle was for centuries theater of wars, however without
suffering serious destruction. The essentially 'military' destination of the
installation can still be found today, despite to the transformations suffered
in the 18th century: the form of irregular quadrate, almost a trapeze, with
the presence at the center of the keep, although notably lowered, show us a
classical example of castle-enclosure.
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The original keep as it looks today englobed in the reconstruction of
the XVIII° century. |
In 1478 the castle was occupied by the Aragonese army allied with Siena,
two years later it was quickly regained by the Florentine that started great
works of reinforcement of the structures. The 1480's addition is today practically
still intact and consist in the two mighty cylindrical bastionated towers, gifted
of machicolulis (opening between corbels of a parapet through which the defenders
can drop rocks or fire projectiles against an enemy directly below them) posted
at the two southern angles (the more exposed); of two hoarding in bricks at
the northern angles overlooking the border of the crag, so already naturally
defended; the reinforcement of the walls curtains toward the only road of access
and the insertion of loopholes and gun holes, partly disappeared, along the
perimeter of the enclosure. Thanks to this in the 1529 Meleto victoriously
withstand to the siege of the imperial troops.
Never destroyed through disputes, sieges and battles the castle was transformed
in villa during the 18th century and its defenses were partly dismantled. The
interior, visible by a fee, has still today the aspect of this period,
with decorated halls and a particular little theater of the year 1742 still
provided of its seven original scenographies. Meleto remained ownership of the
Ricasoli family until about thirty years ago, today is center of an agricultural
firm for wines production.
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