Castello di Sassoforte
Medieval Castles in Maremma
The hill - monte di Sassoforte - upon which the ruins of Castello di Sassoforte now reside was inhabited in Etruscan and Roman times and marked the limit of the territory of opposing nearby cities. The first castle was constructed by the end of the 11th century and at its height of importance would have dominated the landscape to the north-west of the medieval town of Sassofortino in the territory of Roccastrada.
It belonged to the influencial medieval Aldobrandeschi family who leased it to their vassals until the first half of the 14th century, when it was sold to the city of Siena. During the course of the 15th century it fell into rack and ruin.
The wonderfully evocative photograph above is by kind courtesy Tommaso Zannerini.
Today it sits within a Maremman forest of beech and chestnut trees dominating the plain of the River Bruna and makes for a great trekking exploration. From the top of the hill there is a panaoramic view of the metalliferous hills of Maremma, Siena, the Tyrrhenian sea, and the islands of Giglio, Elba and Corsica.
The quality and aspects of the architecture of this fortification is particularly impressive for a Maremman middle ages castle and is only found again in the castles of Montemassi and Roccatederighi.
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