Discovering Tuscan Hospitality: A Visit to Castiglioni Alto

I hope your week is going well. Today, I wanted to share what will probably be my last post of the week, because unfortunately, due to work, I haven’t had much time to write here. Still, I really wanted to share with you one of the last villages I had the chance to discover. I must say, I liked it quite a lot because I found it much more rustic than other villages I’ve visited in the past.

Today, I’d like to talk to you about Castiglioni Alto, a village located near Castellina Scalo in Tuscany, which is also quite close to the more famous village of Monteriggioni, which I’m sure many of you have visited or at least heard of.

I went to this area because I was visiting some friends who, among other things, have a beautiful olive field. I joined them for the olive harvest, which is always done by hand; there’s no technology to help with this process. My friends told me that this year was a good one compared to last year, when the harvest was poor due to the drought. So, if you have the chance to come to Tuscany during this time of year, you could be here during olive harvest season and see how this tradition is carried on.

In this village, there once stood a beautiful castle. Over time, though, various other buildings were constructed, so it has been somewhat altered. However, the small church remains. You should know that this spot is along the Via Francigena, so it was a place often used by pilgrims who came from all over the world.

My friends live in one of these homes, which they purchased many years ago. They completely renovated it, and now that they’re retired, they live here almost all the time—just as I would like to do in the future.

My friends were also kind enough to prepare a delicious barbecue for me. These are the kinds of moments I truly enjoy—spending time with friends and sharing a meal together. I think these are some of the simplest yet most meaningful moments; even though they may seem ordinary, simple things are never to be taken for granted.

I must say that Tuscan people have a natural way of making you feel like family. They are very friendly and also very charming.

In this post, more than anything, I wanted to convey how hospitable the Tuscan people are. In addition to having beautiful villages and many natural spots, they truly know how to open their doors and make you feel at home. And as I mentioned before, that’s not something to take for granted.

I hope this post has been interesting from the point of view of hospitality. See you in my next post, and as always, I wish you all a wonderful day!