Discover
Lucignano

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Discover Lucignano in Val di Chiana:

Enter through the medieval arches of Lucignano and you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time. Built on a Tuscan hilltop in a series of elliptical concentric rings, its urban fabric remains virtually unchanged from the Middle Ages.

For centuries this miniature town was fought over by the bullying powers of Florence, Siena, Arezzo and Perugia due to its strategic position, and their legacies can be seen in the monuments and artworks left behind. Ancient towers and winding alleyways create the sense of a treasure trail, opening unexpectedly onto terraced gardens and hidden churches, richly decorated with early Renaissance frescoes.

Lucignano is known as the ‘pearl of the Val di Chiana’, a tiny jewelbox filled with artistic and culinary riches. Its crowning glory is the Albero d’Oro, or ‘Golden Tree’, a 2.7-metre masterpiece of intricate goldsmith art that was begun in 1350 and took another 120 years to complete. Locals call it the ‘Tree of Love’, named for the tradition of couples gathering before it to pledge their eternal love to one another.

Surrounded by rolling vineyards and olive groves, Lucignano offers gastronomy lovers delectable local fare, from excellent wine and extra-virgin olive oil to handmade pici pasta and Chianina steak, derived from the legendary white Chianina bull.

Perhaps the most striking fact about this magical place is the palpable sense of community that lives between these medieval walls. It’s felt most clearly each spring at Lucignano’s famous Maggiolata, when the town’s four rioni (historic quarters) compete to build enormous floats, hand-threaded with a mind-boggling 19,000 fresh flowers. These are paraded through the streets to rousing music and drums, a modern homage to an ancient pastoral tradition of calling in the spring after a long cold winter.