Fortress of Cerreto Guidi

Meglio conosciuta come 'Castello della famiglia Guidi'

You will have to use some of your imagination to visualize the 'Rocca', or Castle of the Conti Guidi. It was once located in the city center, literally formed by concentric rings, still visible today, but the castle, dating back to the 14th century, no longer exists. The ancient building, in fact, which also included several towers that were part of the defense system, was destroyed and dismantled and the material obtained was often reused to build several of the Medici villas scattered throughout Tuscany.

In reality, already at the time of Cosimo I (about 1500), the castle must have looked like a ruin, considering the fact that Count Guido Selvatico of the Guidi family had sold the castle of Cerreto to Florence in 1273 to pay off his debts and, since then, what remained of it was completely abandoned.

However, while walking around the streets of the center, you can still imagine the walls that surrounded the castle of the Counts Guidi, located on top of the hill where the Medici villa proudly stands today. The excellent position was not chosen by chance, since steep slopes were used as protection.

Today the surrounding area, partly urbanized, is full of olive groves that allow a good harvest and then a delicious oil is produced every November.