The castle of Brolio has a Longobard
origin, although today nothing, except the location, of the ancient original small
fortress remain. Its role in the history began to be remarkable from the beginning of the
12th century, when the powerful feudal family of the Ricasoli from Cacchiano took office
on it, and still today the castle belongs to their descendants. Its position was always
strategical for the control of this area of Chianti, edge of the Florentine influence at
the borders with the Senese territory. For this reason, since the 13th up to the mid 16th
century, the castle was often interested in the frontier wars. We are in fact in the heart
of the Florentine territory of the 'Chianti League' - formed by the 'terzieri' (terzieris)
of Radda, Castellina and Gaiole - rich of feudal presence and strongly contended between
the two big cities of Florence and Siena. All the castles of the zone, either Florentine
that Senese, were aside always strengthened, so much that two real contrasting defensive
lines were created. The castle was always in the hands of Florence, to the exception of a
temporary Senese occupation after the second Aragonese invasion of the Chianti in 1472.
Consequently at this event, from 1484 when the castle returned Florentine, began a great
work of restructuring and expansion of the fortification to adeguate the walls at the new
fire weapons, so we can consider Brolio one of the first 'Italian bastioned fortresses'.
Its ramparts, in stone and still today in perfect state, have an irregular pentagonal plan
with a primitive structure if comparated with the development that this new form of
fortification had in the following years. It is not certain, but it seems that the
architect responsible of the work was been Giuliano da Sangallo, that will sharpen his
fortificatory art to the service of the Medici. This bastioned walls enclose the rests of
the original medieval castle, above all the Keep and the Roman Chapel, over that a
neo-gothic building was build to the place of the preexisting one from the Baron Bettino
Ricasoli, 1809-1880, famous political man of last century, known also as the 'Iron Baron'.
The castle rises to the center of boundless vineyards, from which since 1141 the Ricasoli
distilled their famous wine, place to grow old in the cellars inside the mighty walls of
the fortress. The castle is private property but it is visible with the exception of the
baronial building by a fee. Is still possible to complete the turn of the ramparts, from
which we can have a splendid sights on the Chianti region.
The castle of Brolio has a Longobard
origin, although today nothing, except the location, of the ancient original small
fortress remain. Its role in the history began to be remarkable from the beginning of the
12th century, when the powerful feudal family of the Ricasoli from Cacchiano took office
on it, and still today the castle belongs to their descendants. Its position was always
strategical for the control of this area of Chianti, edge of the Florentine influence at
the borders with the Senese territory. For this reason, since the 13th up to the mid 16th
century, the castle was often interested in the frontier wars. We are in fact in the heart
of the Florentine territory of the 'Chianti League' - formed by the 'terzieri' (terzieris)
of Radda, Castellina and Gaiole - rich of feudal presence and strongly contended between
the two big cities of Florence and Siena. All the castles of the zone, either Florentine
that Senese, were aside always strengthened, so much that two real contrasting defensive
lines were created. The castle was always in the hands of Florence, to the exception of a
temporary Senese occupation after the second Aragonese invasion of the Chianti in 1472.
Consequently at this event, from 1484 when the castle returned Florentine, began a great
work of restructuring and expansion of the fortification to adeguate the walls at the new
fire weapons, so we can consider Brolio one of the first 'Italian bastioned fortresses'.
Its ramparts, in stone and still today in perfect state, have an irregular pentagonal plan
with a primitive structure if comparated with the development that this new form of
fortification had in the following years. It is not certain, but it seems that the
architect responsible of the work was been Giuliano da Sangallo, that will sharpen his
fortificatory art to the service of the Medici. This bastioned walls enclose the rests of
the original medieval castle, above all the Keep and the Roman Chapel, over that a
neo-gothic building was build to the place of the preexisting one from the Baron Bettino
Ricasoli, 1809-1880, famous political man of last century, known also as the 'Iron Baron'.
The castle rises to the center of boundless vineyards, from which since 1141 the Ricasoli
distilled their famous wine, place to grow old in the cellars inside the mighty walls of
the fortress. The castle is private property but it is visible with the exception of the
baronial building by a fee. Is still possible to complete the turn of the ramparts, from
which we can have a splendid sights on the Chianti region.