The Farm: the history of Casalino18
“Casalino” is a place name that has meant “a piece of buildable land” since the Middle Ages. From the first glance at the walls of the farmhouse, a temporal stratification emerges, which has been preserved through the renovation of the building.
At the time of purchase by the current company Urpflanze in the autumn of 2019, Podere Casalino was overgrown with brambles and had been abandoned for several decades.
The renovation work was carried out following a restoration-conservation approach, with a focus on minimal intervention and the use of environmentally friendly materials, aiming to enhance what was already there and, in some cases, opting for contemporary choices.
Even in the distribution of spaces, the original structure was maintained as much as possible.
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Podere Casalino18 appears on the maps of the Leopoldine Cadastre of 1765, commissioned by Pietro Leopoldo, Grand Duke of Tuscany, the same person who completed the reclamation canal project of Pian del Lago, initiated by the nobleman from Siena, Bindi Sergardi. The canal project is closely associated with the Pyramid, hence its name “Pyramid of the Grand Duke.” Pyramid of the Grand Duke.
This monument is located less than ten minutes’ walk from Podere Casalino, along the Via Francigena.
The Pyramid is a stele placed at the entrance of the Grand Duke’s Canal, a 2,173-meter-longengineering feat designed to drain the waters of Pian del Lago, which covered an area of approximately 156 hectares and had a depth of 3 meters, forming a perennial lake of 93 hectares during periods of drought, giving the entire plain its name.
The construction of the canal took place in the second half of the 1700s, mostly by Francesco Bindi Sergardi, and was perfected by Grand Duke Leopold of Lorraine.
Its main architectural features include brick construction with a “barrel vault” and a slightly sloping floor paved with stone. The name “Pyramid” comes from a stele placed at the entrance of the canal.
Podere Casalino18 has been included among the financially supported structures under the Project of the Region for the Protection and Enhancement of Rural Architecture and Landscape.
The renovation of the Podere’s threshing floor is currently underway, which will become a rest area for the public, serving pilgrims of the Via Francigena.
The farm
The farmhouse is part of an organic farm covering a total of 32 hectares, half of which are cultivated fields.
The farm planted an olive grove in the spring of 2022 and a second olive grove in the spring of 2023. It also has a small representative vineyard and an equally small vegetable garden.
It is an ongoing construction project for the farm. We hope to have excellent organic products available for sale starting next year.
