History of Santolina
Our History
For over eight centuries, Santolina has provided shelter to its guests.
For more than 800 years, Borgo Santolina has stood in the quiet heart of southern Tuscany, between the Merse and Farma rivers. Here, life has always moved with the rhythm of the seasons—oak forests turning gold, rivers running clear, and stone walls holding the memory of those who came before.
The Etruscans were the first to call this valley home, drawn by its fertile soil, forests, and flowing water. They built roads and raised stone walls, connecting their settlements to the wider Mediterranean world. Rome followed, drawing the valley into its empire and leaving its own traces on the land.
In the Middle Ages, blacksmiths, shepherds, and farmers built a small hamlet which would become Borgo Santolina, working the earth and forging iron in the nearby forests. Wars came and went, borders shifted, yet Santolina endured. Families tended vineyards, raised sheep, and gathered in the chapel. Even when the 20th century left it abandoned and overgrown, the spirit of the place remained.
Decades later, a local family discovered the ruins on horseback. With patience and care, they restored the walls, rebuilt roofs, and wove modern comforts into the old stones.
Today, with renewed stewardship, Borgo Santolina is again a place of welcome where you can swim in the Tuscan sun, walk ancient paths, and rest beneath beams that have sheltered generations.