Barberino Val d'Elsa is a middle aged town ideally situated half-way between Florence (32km) and Siena (35km), amongst vineyards and olive groves, in the heart of the famous Chianti area, at 400 metres above sea level. The town has a population of 4000 inhabitants and a surface of 65,83 square kilometers.

Barberino Val D'Elsa is an ancient and very well preserved medieval town, the landscape is beautiful and typical of the Tuscan countryside, once a time a strategic military base to separate the two powers of the Florentine League and the Senese one. The first historical mention of the town (it was originally a castle and then it became a town) name of Barberino goes back to 1054, but the community draws its official origins from the 1202, the period when Semifonte, Florence's rival town, was destroyed. In the following century the town was already under the jurisdiction of the city of Florence, that surrounded it with walls and defended it with a military garrison. Later the town became officially part of the Florentinian Republic and was seat of a jurisdiction of the Podesta.

On the main square you can still admire the coat of the arms on the praetorian palace that goes back to the 14th century and also the Palace of the Barberinis. During the siecles the town has no changed and you can still appreciate the original architecture of the middle aged time, and he is still encircled by its old fortified walls. The Chapel of San Michele, stands today on the site of Semifonte (4km from the town) and is interesting because its cupola is a replica in miniature of that of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. Church of Sant'Appiano, a real and proper feast of Romanesque style, the clearing and the development of the remains of Cepparello, the old fortified town from the 11th and 15th centuries, provides the public with a remarkable testimony to the legendary confrontation between Florence and Sienna. The territory of Barberino has all the ingredients of such countryside with its castles, churches, scattered houses and villas, and the shapes of the fields in a backdrop in which the gentle hills seem to be painted.

Agricultural land covers more than half of the town's surface area; the numerous castles and farms produce olive oil and the internationally renowned "Chianti" and "Chianti Classico" wines. The Chianti wine with the typical bottle, the so called "Fiasco" and the black cock ("gallo nero") have been for years the symbols that represent Tuscany in the whole world.The origins of the Chianti Wine are already in the Etruscan times. In the Etruscan language "clante" meant water, which became later on "chianti". Famous for its wines - the Chianti Classico - this area of Tuscany has more than just world-class oenological pleasures to offer. The curious visitor will come accross many delightful villages, each of them with a history of its own.

Now Barberino is a touristic attraction for the beauty of its church and the splendid panorama you can have from its walls. Barberino’s exclusivity is formed by the many small medieval boroughs on the hills all around the main town, tangible testimonies of a past still alive in these places full of history and legends.

It is hard to describe the beauty and the enchanting atmosphere you experience walking through the ancient farmhouses and barns recently restored following the classical Tuscan architectural canons and a particular attention for the environment. This is a timeless place where serenity overcomes the stress of the city, and with the characteristic beauty of the surroundings: especially little villages and more often castles and Villa.

For more information visit

• Barberino Val d'Elsa