Castelvecchi is a village which dates back to the early Middle Ages; in some documents it is mentioned as “;castello et curtis”. The word “curtis” means that Castelvecchi was defended by surrounding walls. Still today part of this walls can be recognised in the round external boundary of our cottages.


In the early Middle Ages Castelvecchi should be one of the most important settlement of this area. A proof of this is the fact that the Parish Church of Santa Maria Novella was built right to satisfy the spiritual needs of the inhabitants of the village. As we can see still today Castelvecchi is in an higher position than the church to be defended more easily. Both Castelvecchi and Santa Maria Novella were on the way which led to the Via Francigena (the ancient road of Rome).


The main activity of the Farm was agriculture as you can read in a document dated 1043 in which Castelvecchi was mentioned as “novella, judicaria fiorentina”. “Ager novellus” is a medieval word that was referred to a virgin piece of land to be hoed for new wine-yards.

Castelvecchi was under the rule of the Monterinaldi family until the end of the 11 century. Then towards the end of the 13 century the nobles began to attack the village first of all to take possession of the great richness of Santa Maria Novella.
More or less at the end of the 17. century the village once called Castela de la Pieve took the name of Castel de'Vecchi from the name of the noble family who owned it. Today the place is known as Castelvecchi.