ColleMassari Castle

The Colle Massari Castle is a building located in the municipality of Cinigiano, in the province of Grosseto.

Its location is on the top of a hill, just south-east of the hamlet of Poggi del Sasso.

The complex was built as a castle in medieval times and was originally a possession of the abbey of San Galgano near Siena, which also controlled the nearby castle of Sabatina at the same time.

Later, the structure was transformed into a convent, which developed in an ancient parish church that remained in operation at least until the end of the fourteenth century.

Subsequently, the structure became private property and, in the late 17th century, it was renovated by the Patrizi marquises who transformed it into a characteristic fortified farm.

The Colle Massari castle, which is currently the seat of a renowned and prestigious farm, looks like a fortified rural structure, whose appearance was mainly conferred by the restoration work that took place during the seventeenth century.

The complex is spread over three buildings arranged on as many sides around an internal quadrangular courtyard, which is accessed through a characteristic arched door that opens along the curtain wall that closes the side without buildings.

At each corner there is a tower, which in the past served as a sighting function. Of the four towers, two are well preserved, while the other two have undergone alterations: of the south-eastern tower, which collapsed during the nineteenth century due to a landslide, only traces remain.

The chapel of Santa Marta constitutes the noble chapel and is located inside the castle; its construction took place in the seventeenth century, replacing the oldest and disappeared parish church of Sant'Ippolito in Martura.

Map: ColleMassari Castle