The historical events of “Borgo Il Castagno” are part of the great history of an area that has felt the influence of the bordering possessions of Florence, Pisa and Siena.

In ancient times it was certainly a “passage way”: for the Etruscans to the town of Volterra, for the Romans there was the Via Clodia from Siena to Lucca

In the middle-ages travellers like the archbishop Sigerico of Canterbury, who recalls the Church of Santa Maria in Chianni at Gambassi in the book of his travels in Italy before the year 1000, took the Via Francigena.

“Borgo Il Castagno” was recorded as early as 970 as belonging to the Bishop of Volterra. It was badly damaged and sacked by Piccinnino’s troops in 1430 and by the Sienise army which spent the night there on 13 June 1554.

The Villa was built around 1600 by the Senatoria dei Rinuccini family, both as their own country home and to administer the other properties they had acquired in the area.

In around 1815 it was inherited by the Marchesi Capponi of Florence. The Grand Duke of Tuscany visited the house on several occasions.

In 1834 it passed to Marchese Attilio Incontri as part of the dowry brought by his wife, Donna Ortensi, daughter of Marchese Gino Capponi.

The original property extended for thousands of hectares from the river Era to the river Elsa.
Through the centuries “Borgo Il Castagno” became an example for many other farms, but this did not save it from being divided up to what it is today.
In 1998 the present owners` restoration has given back to the farm the original beauty.