Location and itineraries

Villa Marcellini is located very close to Mercatale. Its address is 60 Via Campoli, San Casciano Val di Pesa (Florence - Italy). GPS coordinates:

43° 37’ 34” North

11° 14’ 29” East

In Mercatale there are a lot of different shops, including a post office, banks, chemists’, etc. It is 18 km away from Florence, 19 km from San Giminiano and 50 km from Siena. It is in the heart of the Chianti region with its renowned farms and medieval hamlets.

Beautiful view, quiet location.

San Casciano Val di Pesa is just 5 km away from the Villa. It’s a beautiful town on a crest between the Pesa and the Greve streams. Florence is just 20 km away.

Between 1355 and 1356 a massive boundary wall was built around San Casciano and a castle was also erected. These fortifications were further developed by Cosimo I de Medici in the 16th century. Meanwhile, the ancient feudal castles located nearby were turned into rich manor houses and farms owned by the wealthiest citizens of Florence, who spent there the warmest months of the year.

This town has always had a strong agricultural tradition, especially concerning the olive farming and viticulture. With more than 16,000 residents, it is the highest populated town in the Chianti Classico region.

Around 1,500 hectares of land are dedicated to viticulture and 50,000 hectolitres of wine are produced annually.

Both the ruins of the defensive wall and of the castle are well maintained, including the last door left, which is next to the Santa Maria al Prato Church (also known as the Mercy Church). This church – built in 1355 and renovated in many occasions – features lots of important art works, such as a pulpit designed by Giovanni Balducci and various pictures by Ugolino di Nerio, Simone Martini, Matteo Rosselli, Lodovico Carati and lacopo Vignali.

Santa Maria del Gesù is another important church, inside which there is a Museum of Sacred Art with many works coming from the surrounding parishes (e.g. an altar reredos, ascribed to Coppo di Marcovaldo, that represents Saint Michael the Archangel and some of his legends and the “Madonna with Child” by Ambrogio Lorenzetti). In the town centre there is also the Collegiata, an ancient collegiate church renovated in the 18th century, and the San Francesco church, built at the end of the 15th century.

In Florence, the city of the Renaissance, tourists can admire, among others, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery, Santa Maria del Fiore, Pitti Palace, Galleria degli Uffizi, Galleria dell’Accademia, Casa Buonarroti, Palazzo Vecchio, the Museum of history and science, the Salvatore Ferravamo Museum, the Basilica of St Lawrence and Piazzale Michelangelo.

The main industrial activities are related to commerce and handicraft. Florence is famous for its handmade jewellery, a tradition that local goldsmiths have been following for hundreds of years. Tourists are particularly fascinated by the golden and silver watches, rings and bracelets sold in the small shops on the Ponte Vecchio.

But Florence is not just a city of art and museums – entertainment plays a big role, too. There are hundreds of clubs and restaurants where both young and adult people from all over the world can spend unforgettable nights.

Of course, there are also many theatres and cinemas. Worldwide, Florence is very famous for its excellent wine varieties – walking along the streets, tourists can have a taste of them in the typical wine bars and shops. In one of the picturesque squares of the city, they can also enjoy a good happy hour or have a fine coffee.

The Tuscan cuisine is famous for its simple recipes prepared with great care and for its fine wines known all over the world.

Siena

Just 50 km away from the Villa, Siena offers a magic medieval atmosphere with the traditional Palio Horse Race in the Piazza del Campo, one of the most famous horse race in the world.

Don’t miss San Gimignano and the other itineraries on the traces of the typical Tuscan tradition – have a taste of the best Tuscan red wines in the characteristic wine cellars of the Chianti region.

Distances

• From San Casciano, (train station, police, shops etc.) etc. Km 5.
• From Florence airport km 37.
• From Pisa airport km 106.
• From Roma airport (Fiumicino) km 312.
• From Siena km 56
• From San Gimignano km 36
• From Versilia beach and seaside Km 127.
• From motorway A1 exit Firenze Impruneta km 16.