Scenes of Civitella in Val di Chiana, Arezzo, Italy

Civitella in Val di Chiana is a small, picturesque comune in the hills of Arezzo in Tuscany with a grim war history. It has as its main attraction the ruins of a castle built in 1048. Civitella itself is a fortress town, built even before that castle, in the 7th century, as part of a series of fortresses around the territory. During World War II, 244 people, most from Civitella, along with dozens more from nearby towns of Cornia and San Pancrazio, were massacred by German forces for the death of two of their own soldiers. The castle itself was used by Germans as headquarters during the war and it was eventually bombed by Allied forces.

If you walk around the town, you'll find stark reminders of that awful act from long ago. But nowadays, it's mostly a quaint and quiet community where nothing much happens. If you stay in the town's B&B, Antico Borgo, below is what you wake up to when you first open your windows. (Helpful traveler tip: if you plan on staying at the B&B, the owner says her rates are lower than those online if you call her. She doesn't have to charge transaction fees.)

Or, if you're like my friend who got the rooftop room, you can wake up to the view below. We had a small picnic on the roof one evening and this is what it looked like before the sun set. If you're here, do yourself a favor and buy some wine at the vineria down the block. It's owned by very warm and helpful locals, though if you only speak English, ask to talk to the young member of the family (I think he might be the son), who'll help you pick out a bottle or two from the impressive list. Then get a wine glass, pour youself some, and toast this fantasy come true.

I'm no sucker for super rich breakfasts anymore, having confined myself to a banana or two and coffee in the morning. But during my stay here, I took advantage daily of the Italian breakfast pictured below: various salumis and cheeses, jams, tarts, fruits, cereals and coffee brewed in a Bialetti coffeemaker. Coffee in Italy is just deliriously good, but I found the Bialetti method, a coffee pot that pushes the water up through the coffee grounds when it boils, to be to my taste: black, muddy, concentrated, almost like chocolate mocha. I have since been spoiled and have been making my coffee the same way since. I also tasted one of the most glorious pear tarts, prepared by the proprietor of the place herself, in this place; just for that, it will always hold a special place in my food memory.

This sign below pretty much contains all the major sights and stores of the comune. On the right, the newer church where most of the community gathers on Sundays.

I was obsessed with how ancient the town was, which was in evidence in its walls and doors. I have a zillion pictures of old thick doors with huge knockers here (and eventually, in other places in Florence and Rome). Previously, I had only known churches from where I grew up in the Philippines as old as 500-plus years  from the Spanish occupation. But the quality of the masonry here is so good, it's impressive and at the same time makes it look eerily like it's been frozen in time.

Via Martiri di Civitella commemorates the onerous death of much of the town in 1944.

Below, the stairs to the castle ruins. Also note the various art work that peppers the stroll to the top.

 Below, a view from within the ruins.

Two views of the outside of Civitella. On the left, as you approach the town, you'll sense the imposing toughness the builders of the fortress tried to impart: the thick and massive walls seemed to hold the town together by sheer brute strength through calamities and vicissitudes. One of the parking areas is at the foot of this wall, from which you then walk up to the town through narrow stairs. On the right, a view of the hills from the top of that wall. For me, quite exotic and relaxing.

Ah, little doggy, I'd love to stay and play in your beautiful Civitella, but I fear the wonders of Florence and Rome await. Nonetheless, grazie mille, particularly for that surprisingly good meal from your fabulous restaurant.

View Larger Map