Chiarentana

From the Middle Age to present times

Chiarentana has been deeply rooted in rural history throughout its existence. The first references in the 10th century mention a small castle where pilgrims on their way to Rome to visit the Pope would be given shelter. A few centuries later it became one of the first Communes in Tuscany, leaving us with a singular set of by-laws. Many centuries of decline, degradation and misery followed, during which Chiarentana was lived in by share-croppers desperately trying to live off the arid land surrounding it, and their livestock.

Chiarentana’s History

A centuries-old voyage

Then, almost miraculously, in the early 20s a young idealistic and philanthropic couple, Antonio and Iris Origo, visited the Val d’Orcia, fell in love with it and decided to settle there, dreaming of transforming a profoundly destitute area into a green and productive valley. A lifelong project…The fortified castle of Chiarentana was one of the first structures to be renovated into healthy living quarters for the sharecroppers living there.



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Experience the Val d’Orcia

Discover your haven in Tuscany

Fifty years ago as the mezzadria system was coming to an end Antonio and Iris’s daughter Donata carried out an extraordinary transformation. Chiarentana has become a cheerful and welcoming place, surrounded by a beautiful garden, full of lavender, rosemary, irises and roses, that blends into the surrounding landscape. It is now her home, and welcomes guests from all over the world in charmingly equipped apartments.



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