It is so particular, rare, even intriguing and unbelievably fascinating at the same time that a small area, a limited space, can turn out to be a priceless gem, of an inestimable value, frozen both in space and in time such as a music box that, once opened, plays a delicate melody coming from an enchanted world. It is the case of Bolgheri, a small village belonging to the municipality of Castegnato Carducci, in the Tuscan province of Livorno (Leghorn). A medieval hamlet with a unique charm waiting only to be discovered.
Location and Origins
The Viale dei Cipressi (the Cypress Boulevard) is a wonderful road almost five kilometres long, bordered by about 2000 cypresses, that has become a true icon all over the world thanks to the colours and nuances it takes during the different times of the day. It is the main road leading, as in a fairytale, to the doors of the Castello dei Conti della Gherardesca, a majestic castle once belonged to the homonymous important family of the area, who ruled over the hamlet.
Built in the Middle Ages, its control was taken by the family during the 13th century, being renovated later, during the 18th century. It remains perfectly untouched still today, along with its splendidly crenelated tower, being the main access road to the hamlet that, as if by magic, opens its doors to the eyes of its visitors.
Bolgheri’s history started as an Etruscan-Roman settlement in a basically swampy area, remaining like that for a lot of centuries. Its rebirth is due to the Langobard king Liutprand who fortified the hamlet in the 8th century to face the frequent invasions from the sea the area was suffering from back then. The hamlet had been founded in the first place right for strategic and defensive reasons on the very hill it still stands today.
Walfrid, who bound its name inseparably to the history of the hamlet, was considered the first member of the della Gherardesca family. He was born a Langobard too, being first a nobleman and then turning into a Roman Catholic monk, later sainted by the Church.
The name Bolgheri has to be brought back to those times too. Some soldiers from Bulgaria were allied to the Langobards indeed and settled down in the hamlet that was later named after their country of origin.
Later on in history, starting from the 17th century, Bolgheri started developing from an economic point of view mainly thanks to the reclamation of the areas nearby, with the consequent opportunity to improve the agriculture, especially viticulture, which became the focus business in town.
A Really Poetic Place
Taking a walk along the streets of the historic centre is an all-round healer for your mood, basking in total relaxation and tranquillity among the traditional stone buildings and the numerous shops and boutiques selling a huge variety of local products. Once arrived in Piazza Alberto, Bolgheri’s main square, everyone can enjoy the atmosphere of complete calm inspired by the hamlet, having the chance to admire the Chiesa dei Santi Giacomo e Cristoforo (the Saint James and Saint Christopher’s Cathedral), which is the most ancient building in all of Bolgheri. It displays a very peculiar hut-shaped facade, built in stone and with medieval-style interiors where some wall paintings giving a sight effect similar to marble mirrors clearly stand out among other decorations.
Like every hamlet in Tuscany, Bolgheri is soaked with historical magic and inseparably bound to the life and deeds of a great Italian personality of the past. When it comes to Bolgheri, and to Castegnato Carducci, the municipality it administratively belongs to, the reference is undoubtedly to Giosué Carducci, a poet who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1906, author of several poems such as the moving Pianto Antico (Ancient Cry), written in 1871, the unforgettable San Martino (Saint Martin) completed in 1883 and Davanti San Guido (In Front of San Guido), written in 1874 and dedicated to the Oratorio di San Guido, a little religious hexagon-based temple built by the della Gherardesca family in honor of their ancestor Guido.
Carducci spent part of his childhood and youth in Bolgheri, which today still holds the house he lived in and a statue in memory of his grandmother Lucia. Both can be seen in Piazza Alberto.
Bolgheri, surrounded by the extraordinary natural elements typical of the Tuscan countryside, also has a wonderful animal and plant life sanctuary that covers an area of 500 square hectares. Opened in the second half of the 19th century, the sanctuary is a true oasis of peace and calm for the local plant and animal life, recognised as a WWF Oasis since 1968, where it is possible to admire cranes, mallards, roe deers, squirrels, and the amazing peregrine falcons among all species.
Sip & Taste Too!
Italy is the home par excellence to good wines. Excellence is typical of Tuscan wines too, in Bolgheri’s area as well, which also has a particular aspect other areas do not have. It is the presence of grapes the so-called Super Tuscan wines can be produced from.
These wines are produced in Tuscan vineyards where non-local grapes grow, so they come from grapes which are different from the traditional ones, which mainly belong to the Sangiovese variety.
Among the vinery products of the area, due to the renowned Bolgheri DOC consortium, the Ornellaia, the Bolgheri Rosso and Bolgheri Bianco wines find their own place but it is the famous Sassicaia to stand out as the greatest delicacy of all and as a precursor of all Super Tuscan wines. It is a ruby red wine with maroon shades, refined and elegant, renowned and sought-after all over the world because of its exclusive selection. It has been available on the market since 1968 only, at the end of a long experimental phase lasted more than a century (from 1848 to 1967) in order to refine its taste and quality.
Thanks to its full-bodied character and persisting flavour it is a true explosion of aromas with scents going from soft fruits to chocolate, leather and tobacco, perfect in combination with typical dishes such as grilled T-bone steaks cooked according to the traditional Tuscan cuisine.
Is there anything better than sipping a glass of an excellent Sassicaia wine while enjoying the mystical, fabled landscape that this little chest of wonders can show? Bolgheri is like a small secret passage to be explored anew every time you cross the threshold of a door leading to another world, made of quietness and tranquillity, hanging halfway between reality and fairytales, ready to be visited every time you want. A villa next to this little treasure is the best thing ever to relax your mind and spirit!
