Palaces and flavors of the Sforza in Amiata

You can find Villa Sforzesca in Castell'Azzara, in the locality of La Sforzesca, built in 1576 for Cardinal Alessandro Sforza both as a summer residence and as a base for the repression of banditry.
With his death, a long period of decay began which lasted until the last century and which deprived the building of its original beauty. However, despite the irreversible damage done the residence, a restoration has made it visitable again to the public again and it now houses the monuments of Carlo Alberto Torlai as well as the architectural drawings by Fabio Rossi. The villa is opened only upon request, but it remains a majestic representative of the Sforza in Amiata: a destination not to be missed.

Not far from Castell’Azzara is the historic "county" of Santa Fiora, an ideal village for spending a peaceful afternoon away from home. In its historic center is the Palazzo Sforza-Cesarini, built around 1575 in the place where the original Aldobrandesca fortress of Santa Fiora stood.
Near Palazzo Sforza is Palazzo Pretorio, which took shape from the modifications of the fortress. The entire imposing complex is still functioning as the town hall of the Municipality, but on some occasions it opens to the public and organizes guided tours.

Walking through Santa Fiora, you arrive at Peschiera, a luxuriant garden on which the Sforza counts also walked and in which there is a natural lake formed by the spring waters of the Fiora river, a very charming and relaxing site.

Finally, those who are passionate about history and good food cannot miss the opportunity to participate in the "Dinner with the Sforza". The county returns to its golden years and presents a historical re-enactment with a typical medieval dinner in piazza del Suffragio (during the summer season),

The menu offers the food and wine traditionally eaten by the Sforza court, thanks to a study on the typical diet of the powerful Santa Fiora family. The banquet includes a cheese appetizer with honey, fish pie, crépes with ricotta and spices and bruschetta with oil; a first course of hand-made maltagliati with white ragù made with meats reared in the county, and chickpea cream with river shrimps; a second course of porchetta and chicken with herbs (all at Km0); finished off with desserts made with jams. Everything is served with spring water and local wine. During dinner, there are fun shows with jesters and fire eaters to immerse yourself in the lives of the Sforza nobles of Santa Fiora.

The discovery of the Sforza period in Amiata does not end with these villages and activities: visitors, families and enthusiasts can go into the woods and follow the paths of the mountain that have been the told about in the legends about dragons, knights and princesses.