Church in Lecchi in Chianti, Sienna, Tuscany, Italy

Church in Lecchi in Chianti 
Sienna, Tuscany, Italy

"South of Radda, Lecchi in Chianti lies at the foot of a hill surmounted by the tumbledown castle of Monteluco. The quaint hamlet is lined along the main road which rises upto Ama. With its distinctive stone houses and dignified church, this backwater looks much as it did in medieval times. It was then an area of great estates linked to landowners such as the Ricasoli wine barons. Crowning the hill is Monteluco castle, which dates back to 1176. The castle was a Sienese bastion but battered in attacks in the 15th and 16th centuries. The fortifications feature a ruined hilltop fort surveying the Massellone valley, backed by a limestone watchtower below. Local walks link Lecchi to the lovely hamlet of San Sano, complete with home-cooking in a quiet inn. Trails through vineyards fan out from Lecchi, including a walk to Localita Molinaccio for a summer swim in river pools." (Link 1.)

Church Shrine

Church Plaque

Notes by RW:  This town, about 35 miles from Florence, was where Florence sent its undesirables to be exiled.  Specifically they sent them to what was called the Marlboro Ghetto.  The Malborghetto is now a well known restaurant.  The church, now seemingly in active, was the church of the exiled undesirables.

Poster at Malborghetto Restaurant:  "The Restaurant's name, Malboroghetto, comes from the Renaissance Period where the word was used to indicate border outposts where evil doers and politicians too famous to be killed were sent. ...."

Church Wall and Steeple

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Photos: Taken in Sept. 2018 by RW while travelling to Italy for the L'Eroica Classic Bike Race.
Link 1: https://www.to-tuscany.com/travel-guide/towns-villages/central-tuscany/lecchi-in-chianti/
Link 2: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g616196-d1490967-Reviews-Ristorante_Malborghetto-

                                                                          Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)