Via Lauretana Sud
53045
Valiano di Montepulciano (SI)
By rolling on through the “Strade del Vino Nobile” (Nobile Wine routes) that wind through the lands of the Commune of Montepulciano, you reach the Castle of Valiano. The are of that ancient Medieval Feud, cast between Montepulciano, Cortona and the Trasimeno lake, is featured by sweet and winding hills rich in vineyards, olive trees and woods and it is passed through by the homonymous Reglia and by the Chiana Master Channel.
The historical core of Valiano lays 330 mt above sea level at the centre of the ancient Commune land that since 1774 has been annexed to the one of Montepulciano. The village of the ancient castle still nowadays preserves the fundamental features of the typical medieval architecture with its own walls, the fortresses the angle towers and the tight small streets that are called “rughe” and are to underline the past history dated of thousand years.
A historical and very impressive place to visit for its particolar wine and food tradition that plounges its roots in far medieval times where still voices resound of the actions of ancient Florentine, Senese, Perugian feudatarians belonging to the families of Monta Santa Marias and the Del Pecoras. (historical news comes from the Fair of Valiano Register books).
The Castle of Valiano in the 13th century
Valiano, the historical castle dated of 1100, lays above a greeny hill, merged in a pitoresque Tuscan landscape made of vineyards and olive trees. Still nowadays the ruins of Etruscan and Roman civilization are preserved in the archaeological rests and in its name left by the latin folks “gens valia”.
It has been arosen over the strategic passage between Senese and Aretina Valdichiana area, for the whole Middle Age it was contended by the close feudal towns of Perugia, Cortona, Siena, Firenze and Montepulciano.
In 1427 it accepted the annexion to Firenze under Montepulciano egemony by always enjoying the special autonomy of the Commune until the Leopold reformation in 1774.
The important and remunerative works of reclamation in Chiana Valley enterprised since 1500, let Valiano grow by both an anagraphical and economical point of view by making it famous for the historical work of hydraulic engineering of “Callone” and the mythic “Bridge” over the Chiana Master Channel.
Hannibal was told to go down from Valdarno with his own army and passed over it to go and defeat the roman legions in the legendary and historical battle of Trasimeno Lake.
How to get there
