Tenuta il Pozzo appears for the first time in the historical notarial registers of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany on March 4, 1590, when the Florentine notary Bernardo Masini signed the sale of the “Podere con casa da Signore e Lavoratore e con terre lavorative, vitate, olivate, fruttate e boscate, situato in località detta “il Pozzo” a San Lazzaro in Valdelsa, Vicariato di Certaldo”.
Tenuta il Pozzo is located in Località Pino a Certaldo (FI) along the ancient “Via Volterrana”, which connected Florence with Volterra. This artery crossed the “Via Francigena” in Certaldo, which connected Rome with the rest of Europe. It is a magical place, close to equally magical places and villages such as Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, Volterra, Lucca and Pisa.
We are at the beginning of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany (from 1569 to 1859) and at the height of the Italian Renaissance. We are at the centre of a unique genius loci in the history of mankind. Geniuses of the calibre of Michelangelo, Leonardo, Brunelleschi, Galileo, were born a few kilometres away from Villa il Pozzo.
It was during this period that noble Florentine families bought land and built villas in the Florentine Valdelsa. Villa il Pozzo was purchased by the noble Galluzzi family and donated to the Certosa del Galluzzo of Florence. The succession in the management by various noble Florentine families, has allowed the estate to hand down over the years the traditions of the place and the locals, strongly linked to the production of wine, oil and cereals.
The villa was built in those years next to the pre-existing medieval tower dating back to 1.100 which served as a lookout post to protect the nearby city of Semifonte, a city razed to the ground in 1202 by the Republic of Florence as punishment for its expansionist aims (“Fiorenza fatti in là che Semifon si fa città”).
To honor the fallen of the city of Semifonte, on its ashes in 1597 was built the small chapel with an octagonal plan, the Chapel of St. Michael the Archangel (called the Dome of San Donnino), which reproduces exactly in a ratio of 1:8 Brunelleschi’s Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. In fact, the real purpose of the construction of the Dome of San Donnino was to reaffirm the power of the Republic of Florence, a mark on those who had rebelled against its rule.
The Chapel of San Francesco, which is part of the Tenuta il Pozzo estate, also had the same purpose. According to some historical documents, the chapel belonged to the Pitti family, one of the most important families in Florence. The chapel has recently undergone a major restoration and represents a unique heritage of the property.
Three hundred metres from Villa il Pozzo, along the typical Tuscan dirt road shaded by centuries-old cypress trees, is the beautiful Romanesque parish church of San Lazzaro in Lucardo (FI), built at the end of the 10th century, where religious services are still held today and where all members of the Gori family celebrated their wedding. It is one of the most significant Romanesque examples in Valdelsa. The parish church was renovated in 1589 on the occasion of the visit of Duke Alessandro de’ Medici, governor of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
Tenuta il Pozzo covers an area of 60 hectares in the heart of Chianti, in the Chianti Colli Fiorentini area and on the border with Chianti Classico. Starting from the villa, which dominates the valley from its 250 meters of altitude, the estate descends and develops southeast and southwest in soft hills up to about 150 meters of altitude. The soil is partly sandstone and partly loamy-clayey, with a rich presence of beautiful fossil shells. […]
The Cellar of Villa il Pozzo is adjacent to the villa, camouflaged among olive trees, cypresses and sea pines, which frame a spectacular view towards the hills of San Gimignano.
Built in the 70’s, in the style of a typical Italian winery, the value of tradition is combined with innovation to guarantee quality.
Every step is entrusted to the wise care of Duccio Gori. […]
Tenuta Villa il Pozzo is a beautiful estate in Tuscany, in the heart of Chianti, composed of an 18th century manor house next to an imposing medieval watchtower and about 60 hectares of land.
Tenuta Villa il Pozzo became part of the history of the Gori family in 1966, when it was purchased by Nello Gori. Always a passionate and refined wine connoisseur, Nello Gori began his career as a mediator between local producers and the best wineries in Tuscany […]