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Scrofiano

Sacred temple between art and nature in the Valdichiana Senese

Scrofiano is a village in the municipality of Sinalunga located in the northern part of the Valdichiana Senese.

Like the other villages in the area, it was initially identified as a single castle on the top of a hill, but as time went on it became a fortified village. This place was linked to the Cacciaconti family, one of the most illustrious Sienese families, from the mid-12th century to the mid-13th century, given the territorial expansionist policy implemented by the Republic of Siena in those years. Given its strategic location, the construction of a watchtower and the strengthening of the walls were deliberated. Towards the end of the 1200s, several towns in the Sienese Valdichiana, such as Sinalunga, Farnetella and Rigomagno, suffered severe punitive actions by Siena for alleged treason, a fate that did not, however, befall Scrofiano. Moreover, the village was not subject to swamping during the Middle Ages as was the case with neighboring towns, as it was far from waterways.

Although the present village is the result of countless interventions that have taken place since the 15th century, including the almost total disappearance of the city walls, the layout retains fairly precise traces of the ancient arrangement: the Collegiate Church of San Biagio and the Cassero Tower at the top, the Porta del Sole, that is, a pointed arch belonging to the ancient circle of walls, the Church of the Compagnia di San Salvatore and the Cassero dei Cacciaconti at the base. Lying on the slope of the Colle Alto and surrounded by olive trees and vines, Scrofiano is set between three small chapels, San Giovanni, Santa Cristina and San Rocco to the east and the Church of the Madonna del Soccorso to the west, which can be reached by exiting the Porta Fontebranda and walking down a forest road for about 15 minutes.

Scrofiano is also known for the "Festa di San Biagio", in honor of the hamlet's patron of Sinalunga of the same name, also known as the "Festa della Mazza". This celebration, which takes place on February 3 each year, consists of a procession in which the people of Scrofiano, dressed in traditional clothes, parade and hold up an octagonal trophy made of salt dough surmounted by a dome where the statue of the saint is placed on top.

The composed harmoniousness between the ancient structures, the strong presence of places of worship and a typically Tuscan vegetation make Scrofiano one of the many small pearls of the Valdichiana Senese  to discover and visit.

Valdichiana Senese