Holiday apartment in Rocchette: cliffs, trails and history

Rocchette combines an impressive cliffside setting with medieval history and a variety of trails. When choosing your holiday apartment in Rocchette, you can therefore consider whether you would like your holiday to be shaped primarily by fortress walls, views of the landscape, walks or bike tours.

Cliffs, fortress and medieval traces

Rocchette di Fazio lies on a rocky spur above the Albegna River and was considered an important fortress because of its strategically defensible position. The stone houses stand on the ridge of high limestone cliffs above the Albegna. This setting gives the village a distinctive character defined by rock and history.

The defensive walls of Rocchette di Fazio were built in the 13th century by the Aldobrandeschi to protect the old Aldobrandeschi castle. The ring of walls is hexagonal and has two round-arched entrances, one of which is called Porta del Castello. Five towers are still preserved along the walls; the highest forms part of the Rocca Aldobrandesca. In the 15th century, the Rocca Aldobrandesca was completely rebuilt by Siena.

The religious buildings also preserve distinctive details. A Templar cross can be seen above the portal of the Pieve di Santa Cristina, while a rose window is located in the upper part of the façade. The church of Santa Cristina contains frescoes dating from 1400. As a historical addition, Rocchette di Fazio was first mentioned in 1216 as a “castrum” under the name Rocchetta.

A lively cultural accent takes place in April: every year in Rocchette, a popular tradition of improvised singing competitions associated with the poet Tribuno Tonini is renewed. In this way, architectural testimonies and a local tradition exist side by side, without reducing the village to a single historical period.

Walking trails with different profiles

Two differently designed trails are available for active days out. The Sentiero del Parco is a moderately difficult walking trail 3 kilometres long, with an elevation gain of around 200 metres. The Bellafreddi Trail begins in Rocchette di Fazio and passes a fountain that Leopold of Lorraine had restored in the 18th century.

The Bellafreddi Trail is a moderately difficult circular route approximately 3 kilometres long, with an elevation gain of 270 metres. It also includes a preserved section of the old road paving of the Strada del Sale and is marked in red. From the Pozzo Diavolo, you can reach the entrance to the Sentiero del Parco along the Albegna and thus create a longer circular route. The different distances and elevation gains help you assess your preferred daily itinerary more precisely.

Rocchette is also accessible to gravel and mountain-bike riders: a 40-kilometre route reaches the village after an ascent of approximately 3 kilometres. The choice of accommodation in Rocchette therefore depends not only on an interest in culture, but can also be influenced by your preferred combination of walk, circular route and bike tour.

Landscape and destinations in the surrounding area

From the Rocca Aldobrandesca, on a clear day, the view extends from Monte Amiata to Argentario. The mountains Monte Faete, Poggio Brunorio, Poggi Alti and Monte Labbro are also located around Rocchette. In the wider region are the ancient site of Vitozza, the ruins of San Bruzio and the Abbazia di San Salvatore, a monastery. These destinations broaden the historical and scenic context around Rocchette.

More places for planning your trip

If you would like to include other places in your selection alongside Rocchette, you can find Frassine, Montieri, Isola Del Giglio, Suvereto, Orbetello, Cinigiano, La Torba and Scansano here.

For the main travel overview: Grosseto.