Trequanda, a place where man lives in balance with nature
Trequanda is a town in the province of Siena located in a hilly position between the val di Chiana and the Crete Senesi. Traditionally based on agricultural production, this small village has discovered in recent years a tourist vocation and it was awarded with the prestigious Bandiera Arancione by the Touring Club Italiano. As we said, Trequanda has a considerable agricultural tradition, in particular in these parts it is easy to come across fields cultivated with olive trees; it is no coincidence then that this minicipality is part of the Associazione Nazionale Città dell’Olio (National Association of Oil Town).
The first one to live here were the Etruscan. The presence of this ancient people is documented both by the archaeological remains and by the toponyms of the area as Cennano, Petroio, Sicille and perhaps also the name Trequanda derives from an Etruscan word.
The hamlet borgo developed in medieval times in relation to the castle of the Cacciaconti, who held control of Trequanda between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Subsequently, the fortress and the village entered the orbit of Siena until, in 1552, the whole area became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
Things to do in Trequanda
Trequanda is a pleasant medieval village organized around its central square, Piazza Garibaldi, and still partially enclosed by its defensive walls. Once the village was equipped with three city gates of which only two are preserved, Porta del Sole, facing south west, and Porta al Leccio in the northern part of the historical center.
Let’s see now which are the main monuments of Trequanda:
- Chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Andrea
- Rocca di Trequanda
- Torre del Molino a vento
Chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Andrea
Located in piazza Garibaldi, the beutiful chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Andrea is the main church of this hamlet. Probably erected in place of a previous church, the current building was built starting from 1327 and subsequently renewed many times. Its exterior is interesting for the particular “checkerboard” wall cladding on the façade, obtained alternating tuff and travertine blocks.
Inside there are some works of great value: along the right wall we find Madonna col Bambino tra i Santi Caterina d’Alessandria, Maria Maddalena, Giovanni Battista e Bernardino da Siena by Bartolomeo da Miranda and a Sodoma’s Ascensione; on the main altar we can admire the Giovanni di Paolo’s triptych Madonna col Bambino e san Bernardino di Siena fra i santi Sebastiano e Clemente. A precious carved urn preserves the remains of the blessed Bonizella Cacciatoni, while on the left in a niche there is a terracotta Madonna col Bambino, attributed to Andrea Sansovino.
Rocca di Trequanda
From Piazza Garibaldi passing next to the chiesa dell’Immacolata Concezione, you can get to the Rocca di Trequanda also known as the Castello Cacciaconti. Of this imposing fortress, extensively restored, remain part of the crenellated walls, the keep and an impressive cylindrical tower (rebuilt) placed to guard the entrance to the village. The complex also contains a small and well-kept Italian garden.
Torre del Molino a Vento
Places to visit around Trequanda
Near Trequanda are worth a visit the village of Petroio, where there is an interesting museum on terracotta, and Castelmuzio where you can visit a museum of scared art. Another nice medieval village, Montisi, is located along the road that connects Trequanda to Castlemuzio. Not far from Castelmuzio, you need to visit the beautiful pieve di Santo Stefano a Cennano,an extraordinary example of Romanesque architecture dating back to the 13th century.
Finally, from Trequanda, you can easily travel to discover the Crete Senesi, in direction of Asciano and the magnificent Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore, or to the Val di Chiana, where are places like Torrita di Siena and Montepulciano.
