Meleto Castle
The ancient fort in Gaiole in Chianti used to belong to Benedictine monks
The Meleto Castle stands tall in the enchanting landscape of Gaiole in Chianti, at the end of a lovely lane lined with cypress trees and juniper bushes. The building rises above fields and vineyards, not far from the border between the ancient republics of Siena and Florence.
The castle belonged to the Benedictine monks of Badia in Coltibuono and the name “Meleto in Chianti” was written for the first time in 1269, in the Libro degli Estimi of the Florentine Guelphs, as property of the Rainerii de Ricasolis family.
Over the years, the Ricasoli family expanded and embellished the building: on one side of the castle there are huge 15th-century fortifications, with the majestic cylindrical tower, built to escape artillery, and on the other side, there is the graceful noble villa with its 18th-century furnishings and décor and an incomparable 18th-century theatre.
Info: castellomeleto.it
