| What is it? |
Collodi Castle is a medieval fortress high on the hills over modern Collodi! |
| What makes it historical? |
Founded in the 12th century by the Garzoni family, Collodi began as a fortress against attack. See, the Garzoni family belonged to the Ghibelline sect, who supported the political authority of the Holy Roman Emperor over the Pope. They got chased out of Pescia by the rival Guelphs and set up their mountain fortress right at the border of the ancient kingdoms of Lucca and Florence! Folks still live here, climbing up and down the steep streets, under the gaze of the ancient watchtower called La Rocca Antica! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? |
HERE’S HOW:
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
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| Where is this place? |
Via di Fori Castello, 6
51017 Collodi, PT
Italy
From Firenze: ~40mi (65km) — 0.7hrs
From Napoli: ~334mi (538km) — 5.6hrs
From Roma: ~210mi (338km) — 3.5hrs
From Venezia: ~182mi (293km) — 3.1hrs |
| When should I go? |
You can wander the castle any time you like, but the watchtower, La Rocca Antica, isn’t open for visitors! |
My father was in Collodi during WWII. His unit spent the night in the villa, where he slept in a huge bed canopied in red silk. He said he slept on top of the covers so he wouldn’t mess it up. He said the villa’s hallways were filled with beautiful artworks that had been taken off the walls for safety and had just recently been brought back. One of the men went up into the castle tower to sleep but came back down at midnight, saying it was haunted! My dad didn’t even remember the name of the town until an article about the villa appeared in an American magazine years later.
What a great story! Thanks so much for sharing, Julia!