Santa Maria a Antella

The village of Antella is one of the most appealing in the Bagno a Ripoli municipality — a cluster of old stone buildings on a hillside south of the Arno, surrounded by terraced olive groves and Chianti vineyards. The centrepiece is the Romanesque church of Santa Maria, which has served the community since the medieval period.

Inside, the church preserves frescoes from the late 14th century, painted in the style of the Florentine-Aretine school. The square in front of the church offers views over the surrounding countryside, and the village lanes are quiet enough to feel genuinely off the tourist circuit. Antella is also on the edge of the Chianti Classico production zone, and a few local producers sell direct from their farms.

things to do sight church
A story
The church of Santa Maria a Antella contains a fresco cycle attributed to the school of Spinello Aretino, painted in the late 14th century. Antella itself sits on a gentle hillside above the Arno valley and was a favoured retreat for Florentine families during the Renaissance — the landscape of olive groves and villas visible from the church square has changed little.