Image Gallery
Explore the Site, Artifacts and Visual Materials
Bella vista a mattina
This is the view from the villa, due South
Sunrise with morning fog
The view South from the villa, with the sun rising and the fog settling in the distance
Capella - Maiolica Virgin Mary
There's a small capella on site, and inside you can find this Maiolica showing a scene of the Virgin Mary with child
Detail - floral painted ceiling
19th - 20th century, a beautiful floral design on the ceiling in the living room of the villa
Medieval complex - small stone house
Rebuilt using stone spoila from the site, in the location of an old medieval structure
View of the Castello complex
From the road due South, the villa is in the foreground
Medieval complex: an open door
Looking out from the interior of an ancient stone building attached to the tower core.
Medieval complex: Torre and attachment
These building show medieval stonework; the tower cornice is Renaissance
Medieval Complex: Torre and attachment
Northern wall at dusk, Medieval stonework and Renaissance brickwork
Medieval complex - crenellated wall
A low crenellated wall along the edge of the hilltop. Not sure the period, could be a more modern/romantic flourish
Our beautiful cypress tree
Stands next to the villa, probably 50-60 feet tall. Likely 80-100 years old
Foggy morning on the hilltop
Sometimes the morning fog is so thick you feel like you're in a cloud
Old walnut tree
The tree was overcome by ivy and eventually fell
Torre behind the old medieval house-wall
View of the hilltop complex from the West
Spoila Stones from the Roman period
Medieval castles were often built on ancient ruins, these stones offer evidence of that
Torre under the stars at night
View from the villa down the hill, with the big dipper in the sky above
Torre behind the old gate
The overgrown hedge conceals medieval stone walls
The tower complex under a cloudy sky
Plans to convert the complex into a large villa were initiated but never completed
Torre panoramic
Under a dramatic sky
The torre at dusk
Looking up the South wall towards the cornice above
Torre under a cloudy sky
This photo is from 2021, this overgrowth has since been cleared
The tower complex
The Renaissance brickwork likely dates to the 1460-1495 period, when the tower was occupied by the Chiaravalle
Renaissance cornice
The tower was originally a watchtower, likely with a wooden balcony and a simple roof.
South wall of the tower
The top floor was converted to a dovecot, likely in the late 1400s, the entry holes for the pigeons are concealed in the brickwork
Torre in the hillside
Nestled into the site, viewed from a hilltop to the West
Another shot up the South wall
Note the old postholes for the balcony
The tower stones
The stones are a local, soft sandstone typical of the region
Layers of history in the Western wall of the torre
Here we can see ancient Roman masonry at the bottom of the wall, rougher medieval infill, and renaissance period bricks.
View over the cenellated wall in the Spring
Beautiful view of the valley with the cypress tree dominating the frame