About us

Il Castello del Calcione is an ancient family-owned estate. It is a castle surrounded by untouched woods, lakes, wildlife, farmhouses, olive groves, horses, authenticity and a lot of freedom.

It lies at the heart of Tuscany, away from the beaten track, between the cities of Siena and Arezzo.

Whether you come in search of culture, art, or history, to celebrate a special anniversary, to enjoy a relaxing or adventurous vacation, or to settle down and just experience country life for a while, you will find what you are looking for.

There is truly something special about this place and a sincere wish to share this haven of wilderness and peace with like-minded souls in a creative way, honoring its history, and writing a new chapter of it.

A FAMILY AFFAIR SINCE 1483

Some historical facts have led us to suppose that the Lotteringhi family descends from a captain in a Germanic militia called Lottario or Lottaringo. Apparently, he accompanied the Holy Roman Emperor Otto III by foot down to Italy back in 998 A.D. He (or his direct descendant) then appears to have settled in Florence (obviously, he could not have chosen a better place!) and there founded what may now be considered one of the oldest noble families of that city.

On the 27 september 1483, the estate of Calcione was bought by Luigi della Stufa. From then on for over seventy years the Calcione country was a rampart on the border with Siena. To this day the boundaries of the property follow the same route of the current boundary between the provinces of Arezzo and Siena.

calcione-history-contadini — Calcione’s farmers at the end of XIX century

After the Medici conquered the town of Balzana in 1555, the Calcione county was made into a marquisate less than a century after, in 1632, by Grand Duke Ferdinando II, who bestowed the title upon Pandolfo della Stufa and his direct descendants and confirmed the title of count to all his brothers. The castle lost most of its military characteristics and with time became a country house for hunting and later farming, based on the sharecropping economy. Up to the middle of the 60s, Calcione had more than 300 people living and working on its grounds!

Once the exodus towards cities started and globalization hit, the farmhouses surrounding the castle were slowly abandoned by its inhabitants. Marisa Incontri Lotteringhi della Stufa turned them into carefully renovated holiday rentals in the mid 70s.

The business was then taken over by her niece, Olivella in 1992. She introduced it to the contemporary world, creating the first website in 1994 (long before google even existed !), with awareness and dedication. Calcione became an officially recognized organic farm by the end of the 90’s.
The family today is composed of a bunch of women, from la Marchesa Nicoletta, her two daughters Olivella and Spinella, and nieces Selvaggia and Valentina.

“ Today at the beginning of the third millennium, Calcione is still there with its crenelated towers, overlooking the Chiana Valley to the east and the land of Siena and Mount Amiata to the south. Resting among quiet hills, which regretfully have lost the agricultural activities of an irretrievable epoch, it still enjoys, thank God, its ancient beauty, which has acquired the extraordinary patina of a precious painting with the passing of time. ”

Bernardo Pianetti Lotteringhi della Stufa