Between Italy and France there may be four castles that host Michelin-starred restaurants, but it is in the Siena province that the only one inhabits an entire medieval hamlet, complete with ramparts and fortified towers. We are in Fighine, a hamlet of S. Casciano dei Bagni, in the heart of Val d'Orcia.
The story
It was in 1266 when with an edict, Frederick II of Swabia granted Tancredi Campiglia possession of the castle of Fighine, a fortified medieval structure protecting a small lookout hamlet among the hills of the Sienese Republic. A land disputed by armies, brigands and commanders, it finally found peace in 1463, under the protection of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and Grand Duke Cosimo dei Medici.
In 2024, its peace is the same as on that day. As logistical interest in the disputed Tuscan lands faded, the hamlet gradually lost its inhabitants until it became (almost) uninhabited, only to be bought, expertly restored and returned to become today a welcoming place of unmatched beauty.
The facility
In addition to the private castle of the new owners, which according to one legend houses a garden with six hundred white roses, the hamlet is spread between alleys and stone steps in the walls of five villas, two of which have private swimming pools, two apartments, a church consecrated to St. Michael the Archangel with paintings from the 1700s, and an old barn used as an event hall.
With a total of 34 beds, the conservative interior style was followed by international designers David Mlinaric and Hugh Henry. The result? To experience the authenticity of a country home with extreme elegance. Functionality, and essentiality in the luxury of intimate and natural privacy, characterize the beauty of each room and kitchen, that go into the splendid and colorful cement floors. Private swimming pools, set in flourishing gardens, of exclusive enjoyment of the villas to which they belong, represent yet another vision of harmonious beauty, expressed in marble infinity over the valley.
The restaurant
Almost as if it were an inn, always among those alleys, we find the restaurant that bears the name Castello di Fighine. A villa with vegetable garden capable of welcoming you in a familiar way. The gourmet menu is endorsed by three-starred chef Heinz Back of Rome's La Pergola, and it was awarded a Michelin Star in the 2024 edition, with head and hands of chef Francesco Nunziata in the kitchen.
This last is a native of Campania, and after nearly 15 years at Heinz's lieutenancy, he proves to be a talented chef, who sees the hamlet as his chance for a future and personal affirmation. The dining and kitchen staff is made up of youngsters, who, inside two-meter stone defensive walls of a borgo surrounded by greenery, is a surprise that exudes confidence. Marta Baldelli, maître and sommelier, curates every exact geometry of hospitality with flair.
Open for lunch and dinner, except Mondays, the restaurant offers an intimate dining experience. The internal rooms are knotted to a stone staircase on two staggered levels, with well-spaced tables and windows to the greenery. The dehors is a reservoir space under a reed patio, surrounded by wild rosemary plants. Sitting at the table is like entering a hamlet within a hamlet, the feeling is one of being embraced in a safe place, at the mercy only of a brisk grecale blowing in the evening.
On the menu there are two tasting routes of 5 (€130) and 7 courses (€150), with twelve dishes a la carte except desserts, for an offering centered on the value of short supply chain. Internal, too, considering that the kitchen can count on an organic vegetable garden and a large estate, which is fertile harvesting ground for wild herbs.
The dishes
Foie gras with peaches, almonds, and basil is an enveloping fatty explosion, closing with incredible cleanliness on the palate, no excess, and great balance in the aromatic components of peach and Turkish rose.
The Veal Tongue with horseradish and oxidized celeriac base surprises with its balsamicity, while the Seared Scallop with chickpeas and citrus finds dimension in the latency of spiciness, which involves also bell peppers.
Risotto with nettles, pistachio and glazed sweetbreads turns out to be a complex dish, with a delicate drift of bitterness that deserves to be pushed. The Cappelletti alla Genovese, with balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano fondue, come out of Tuscany to join Emilia and Campania, with a first course that gets under your skin like techno music listened to on headphones. Intense, vibrant, sweet and pungent, never to stop calling for another bite.
The Lucioperca is once again an exercise in style in combining flavor components. Balanced between green olives, carrots, and passion fruit, with a savory note of sun-dried tomatoes in the stock in the cooking stew. The Pigeon with chard and kumquat is another gem of surprising intensity. The hint of bitterness sought in the base also deserves to be pushed here, but it remains enveloping in the boost of mountain pine and the use of red turnip and Balsamic Vinegar to round it out. Truly a complex dish, but simple and direct in flavor.
The desserts are well-executed in their control of sugars, a talent in the lab taken to the extreme even in the pre-dessert, which, in fact, would make an excellent dessert by the spoon instead. Selection of seven coffees and fancy petit fours, where there is no shortage of impeccable baba. Feeling welcomed and never lost, even if you're eating alone in a place far from everything, is a gift that must be credited to Marta Baldelli, a master of hospitality as well as Francesco's solid sidekick in getting the point across in his cooking. Fats managed in balance, with persistences played on the vegetable, and great technique and cleanliness of flavors, characterize Chef Nunziata's good cuisine today and a table not to be missed, with the personal wish to dare more and more, because he can. Which is a rare thing.
If you go around the Siena area, the hamlet and Castello di Fighine are a great story to see, live and tell. If, on the other hand, you don't happen to be passing through these areas, be aware, however, that this experience is worth the trip, even if only as a single destination. Don't be frightened by a bit of gravel road and get to the gateway arch, it is still from the year 1000, and that is where another journey begins.
Contacts
Ristorante Castello di Fighine
Localita Fighine 123, 53040 San Casciano dei Bagni SI
Phone: +39 0578 56158
Email:ristorante@fighine.it
Monday: closed
Tuesday: open for dinner
Wednesday-Sunday: open for lunch and dinner
Lunch: 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30-9:30 p.m.
