historical village on Crete Senesi hilly landscape

Serre di Rapolano’s village is located on top of a hill in the magnificent Crete Senesi area about thirty minutes from Siena.

Serre di Rapolano on Crete Senesi hilly landscape was born in the Byzantine era as a castle and maintained this function until the Middle Ages. The defense system consisted of walls, a “Cassero”, towers and fortified gates. Many of these are visible today too.

Villages’s gates

There are three access gates to the village: the perfectly preserved Sant’Andrea’s gate to the south; Porta Serraia’s gate to the East;  Porta di San Lorenzo also called “dell’Apparita” to the West.

From Porta Sant’Andrea we arrive at a square where is located the Cappella di Piazza, a small brick loggia dating back to the Middle Ages. The building is characterized by four arches and the remains of some fifteenth-century frescoes are still visible.

Crossing Porta Serraia we find the Palazzo Gori Martini with the travertine facade. Beside the palace there’s the Church of Santi Lorenzo e Andrea. It’s documented since 1252, but its current appearance is the result of extensive restoration in the 20th century.

The Grancia and Oil Museum is worth a visit, documenting the history of the ancient fortified farms (the Grance) and a journey through the oil production cycle and its processing.

Relax time

Thanks to the presence of thermal springs, Rapolano Terme, few km from Serre di Rapolano, is the ideal place for a day of complete relax. Here there’re two spa with water that flows at a temperature of 39°: Terme di San Giovanni and the Antica Querciolaia.