Bolgheri & surroundings

Bolgheri is a fraction of the municipality of Castagneto Carducci in the province of Livorno in Tuscany; less than 10 kilometres from the sea, on a hillock rising above the Aurelia highway, it is a destination of tourist interest both for what nature has to offer and for the important wineries located in its surroundings.

The name derives from a military settlement of Bulgarians allied with the Lombards, who settled here in a defensive position against a possible landing of Byzantine troops from Sardinia. This area is rich in history as well as in excellent wines, multiple international awards and gastronomic delights.

Places to visit

The castle of Bolgheri, of medieval origin, has been owned by the Della Gherardesca family since 1200. In the second half of the 1700s it was restored and the cellars were built. In 1895, the façade was modified, with the construction of the tower and battlements, and it is still like this today.

The characteristic village developed around the medieval castle that stands on a modest rise that can be reached through the charming Viale dei Cipressi, a road almost five kilometres long that begins in the valley, right in front of the 18th-century Oratory of San Guido: the place was made famous by the verses of Giosuè Carducci in his poem Davanti San Guido (1874).

The Wildlife Refuge Padule di Bolgheri, covers about 500 hectares and was, in 1959, the first private nature oasis in Italy (thanks to Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who was also president of the WWF), and since 1968 has been recognised as a WWF Oasis.

In addition to the marshland with dense reeds, it is rich in junipers, domestic pines, holm oaks and ash trees. There is no shortage of animals: roe deer, rabbits, squirrels, starlings, peregrine falcons, owls, cranes, mallards, porcupines, terrestrial tortoises, etc.

The visit to the Oasis involves crossing an avenue lined with elms and ash trees, followed by all the other habitats present. At the end of the avenue, you take a loop path through a flat forest, equipped with no less than 6 wildlife observatories. The refuge is open to the public from October to April, by reservation only.