The castle of Staggia Senese or French is located in the homonymous hamlet of Poggibonsi in the province of Siena. The first news of this fortified village are from 994. The Lords of Staggia (the Soarzi) later became one of the most powerful feudal gangs of Valdelsa, being several times in battles between Florence and Siena, cause their territory was located on the border between the two rivals. The period of greatest splendour of the castle was the twelfth century, while in the next century, when the village began to develop at the foot of the Castle thanks to the variations of the Francigena (streets leading from Central Europe, notably from France, to Rome); this splendour declined gradually. At the end of the century the French, family that had enriched with trade especially with France (that’s the reason of their name), bought the castle, enlarging and restructuring it. Some centuries later, with the introduction of fire arms and with the conquest of Siena (1555), fortresses became unused. The walls are well preserved today and are interspersed with towers of various shapes (rectangular, polygonal). We can also see some of them reinforced by stone arches. Only two doors remain of the three original ones. Now the castle is private and is managed by the “Rocca di Staggia Foundation”. The castle of Staggia is open to the public 365 days a year.
Tips
The visit of the castle can be done individually, there is a guide and the visit lasts about one hour. The cost is 5.00 euro. There is no need to book and you do not have to be in a group.
The castle is used for making different events. It is possible to rent it for personal events (wedding, birthday, etc.) or with commercial purpose.
If you want to make other excursions in the region of Tuscany, it is possible to do it with the help of the Rocca di Staggia Foundation. Its office is located at the entrance of the castle.
