Castello Di Tocchi: Frescoes, Churches and Trails

For your trip to Castello Di Tocchi, you can choose from different areas of focus: sacred art, architectural history, or nature-oriented trails. Specific points of interest include a fresco composition featuring named saints and the T1, which passes the La Pigna waterfall.

Tocchi Protected Area

The biogenetic section of the Tocchi Nature Reserve covers 575 hectares. This section lies entirely within the IT5190006 “Alta Val di Merse” ZSC area; the figure refers to the biogenetic section, not to the full extent of the nature reserve.

Frescoes and Church Architecture

The Chiesa della Natività di Maria contains a lunette fresco depicting the Madonna and Child between Saint Lucia and a crowned king. Saint Roch and Saint Anthony the Great are also shown. A lunette is an arched wall panel; the term therefore also describes the shape in which the motif appears. The frescoes are provisionally dated to between the end of the 16th century and the second quarter of the 17th century. Their compositional quality is associated with the work of the Sienese painter Francesco Bartalini; this art-historical connection is expressed cautiously.

The Pieve di Tocchi may have been built in the 11th century. The Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta dates back to the 11th century; the present building was constructed in the 16th century. The Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta has a single nave, and its interior reflects the appearance created by a 1911 restoration. When considering its chronology, its origins, the construction of the present building, and the interior design should therefore be distinguished.

Trail Network and Waterfall

The Monticiano trail network is divided into four thematic areas, including the Tocchi area. The T1 Iesa-Palazzo–Tocchi trail connects Iesa-Palazzo with Tocchi and passes the La Pigna waterfall. The T1 is considered an exploratory trail of natural and scenic interest. La Pigna is a karst waterfall fed by a small spring that flows all year round. It flows into the Fosso Migliorina below. Tocchi refers both to one of the thematic areas and to the T1’s destination.

Castello and Borgo Tocchi

Castello Di Tocchi is near Borgo Tocchi and can be reached by an unpaved road. As road conditions can change, check the state of the access road before setting out. At the entrance to Borgo Castello di Tocchi, the gate is still almost completely intact; a flanking tower protected the entrance. The gate’s state of preservation and the tower’s protective function describe two different features of this entrance.

There are different topics to choose from: the frescoes and the architectural history of the pievi focus on art and architecture, while the T1 brings the trail connection and La Pigna to the fore. This lets you shape your stay around either cultural history or nature.

Discover more destinations: San Lorenzo A Merse, Tocchi

Return to the main travel overview: Monticiano.