Tuscany, Siena, Sovicille, Italy

From the main road, Traversa Maremmana, a dirt road leads up to the Village of Gallena, spanning approximately 4,500 to 5,000 square meters. This picturesque hamlet, composed of various stone buildings, is surrounded by 60 hectares of forest and situated in the enchanting Montagnola Senese.

At first glance, the buildings, nestled in their natural green setting, vary in height and structure, creating a truly unique and special place. Upon arrival at the central square, one is immediately struck by the evocative and enchanting atmosphere of an ancient place, rich in history and seemingly untouched by the so-called "progress of civilization." It proudly displays its prestigious qualities.

The majestic palace, with its imposing exterior, the two slender towers, the church with its simple yet true "house of the Lord" design, and the varied houses around it form a splendid example of an ancient village. Its urban layout, appearing spontaneously developed over centuries, actually follows a precise hierarchy of relationships between the internal parts and the surrounding territory.

The original terrain's unevenness characterizes the whole ensemble, creating a dynamic interplay among the buildings. This enhances the village's overall value and forms a series of extraordinary "gateways" between the village and its surrounding landscape, featuring stone walls, slopes, cypress trees, and natural cliffs.

Below are some historical details from Emanuele Repetti's "Geographic Physical Historical Dictionary of Tuscany," published in Florence, which describes the Village of Gallena as follows:

"Gallena, or Galena, in the Montagnola of Siena in Val-d’Elsa, is a noble villa that gave its name to an ancient hamlet and a parish church (S. Pietro) in the parish of Scuola, Com. Giur., about 5 miles east of Casole, Diocese of Colle, formerly of Volterra, Comp. of Siena. It is situated on the western slope of the Montagnola, on the left bank of the Rio di Mezzo, a tributary of the Elsa, forming a small valley, of which the Gallena Plain is a part. Along it, white-yellowish marble is quarried for decorative use, and mineral sulfurous acid water springs can be seen bubbling from its slopes.

The villa of Gallena, now belonging to the Mignanelli family of Siena, once belonged to the noble Staggia family of French origin, one branch of which took the name of Franzesi della Foresta. This villa was mentioned under the term 'court of Piscina nera, called Gallena,' in a contract dated April 29, 994, in which Tegrimo, known as Teuzzo, son of Ildebrando d’Igelfredo and Countess Ava of Monte Maggio, for marriage purposes, donated to his bride Sindrada, daughter of Guido Visconte, a quarter of the property he owned in the counties of Volterra, Florence, Siena, and Fiesole, including the court, the fortress, and the church of Elsa, the court of Piscina nigra, called Gallena.

On August 18, 1297, an exchange instrument for a piece of land in a place called Rigo or Rivo was drawn up in Gallena between an inhabitant of the village and one from Radi Montano. (Arch. Dipl. Fior. Carte di S. Eugenio, and the Monastery of Trafisse of Siena.)

In 1833, the parish of S. Pietro in Gallena had 113 inhabitants, increasing to 143 by 1845."

This information confirmed for me that I was standing before a precious piece of our millennial history.