Chronicle

The centuries-old farmhouse "Podere Colle All’Asino" was, for a long time—along with several other dwellings in the immediate vicinity—part of the nearby former Medici villa, "Spedaletto." Founded by a Christian religious order, "Spedaletto" originally served as a hospital and lodging for travelers on the "Via Francigena," the pilgrimage route leading from Germany and France to Rome. In the 15th century, Lorenzo de’ Medici ("Il Magnifico") acquired the Spedaletto complex, along with its associated lands and farmsteads, such as "Podere Colle All’Asino." He commissioned the most renowned architects and artists of the era—including Domenico Ghirlandaio (Michelangelo’s teacher)—to extensively renovate "Spedaletto" into a hunting lodge. Through his presence there, he also solidified his influence over the city of Volterra, which had only recently been conquered under his rule. About two centuries later, "Spedaletto" passed into the possession of the Corsini, a wealthy Florentine princely family (whose coat of arms still adorns the roof ridge of our house today). To this day, "Spedaletto" remains an impressive complex, consisting of three main buildings surrounded by smaller structures. From our house, one can see "Spedaletto" to the east, nestled within a small grove of trees. From an early period, farmers dependent on "Spedaletto" lived at "Colle All’Asino." As sharecroppers (*mezzadri*), they were required to surrender a large portion of their agricultural produce—such as grain, vegetables, fruit, and wine—to the Spedaletto estate. In exchange, they were granted the right to reside in the farmhouse. "Podere Colle All’Asino" has existed in its current form since 1933/1934. Prior to that, the "Donkey Hill" had undergone centuries of alterations and expansions across several generations. The site must have been inhabited since at least the mid-15th century—if not earlier; during drainage work in 2000, we discovered foundations that provide clues as to the likely age of the settlement. The southern exterior walls of the present-day house (facing Volterra) are the oldest surviving remnants of this early settlement, dating back an estimated 400 to 500 years. By the mid-15th century at the latest, the first settlement stood on the "Donkey Hill." At that time, the small homestead had a completely different layout than it does today. A small dwelling must have stood at what is now the southern corner of the house—coincidentally, a mimosa tree now blooms in February on that very spot, while beneath the surface, the original foundation walls—complete with traces of interior plaster—still remain. Diagonally opposite this dwelling, there would have been a small stable (perhaps for several donkeys—hence the name "Donkey Hill"?). In 2006, during our renovation work, we uncovered the floor of this approximately 40-square-meter stable, located beneath the floor of a later stable dating from the 1930s. Constructed from rough river stones, this original floor still exists today, lying beneath the northern half of our dining room and the restroom in our seminar room. Around the mid-16th century, the small dwelling was likely demolished, and the central, lower section of the house—which still stands today—was built as an extension next to the existing stable. On the ground floor, an arched gateway—still visible today within the seminar room—was installed to allow for the entry of carts, while the second floor served as a living space. The building’s entrance can still be seen today in the wall on the courtyard side. Around 1650, the building’s footprint may have been expanded via an addition toward the southwest. This extension likely housed a new kitchen, complete with an open hearth and an "earth refrigerator"—a square, cubic-meter-sized pit with an opening that tapers toward the top. It still exists today beneath the floor of the seminar room, on the southwestern side of the courtyard (positioned, as it happens, beneath the foosball table). From the outside, one can still see the back of what was once the open hearth (at the southwestern corner), as well as three windows added at that time (in the seminar room, facing toward Orciatico, and next to the arched gateway). The base of the structure from that period lay approximately one meter below the current ground level. Around the same time—or perhaps no later than this period—a new, separate small barn was built toward the northeast, near the site of the present-day utility pole. We have learned of this barn through accounts from contemporary witnesses. Two to three generations later—presumably in the early to mid-18th century—the existing residential building underwent its first expansion toward the northeast. The kitchen, including an open hearth, was then relocated to the center of what is now the dining room. From our current eat-in kitchen, one can still clearly discern the construction of the new exterior wall and its windows from that era. In the room known as "Giallo," the former, significantly lower roof ridge line remains visible, and some of the natural stones still bear the soot from the kitchen chimney. The area that previously served as the kitchen was likely converted into a stable, thereby increasing the size of the latter. In the early 1930s, all the farmsteads belonging to the Spedaletto estate underwent further expansion or renovation. The barn associated with the old farmstead was presumably demolished, and the original house was rebuilt on its existing foundations—this time with a greater height. "Podere Colle All’Asino" acquired its definitive, architecturally distinct form through a further expansion toward the northeast (now the eat-in kitchen), the addition of a large cowshed on the southern side (now a seminar room), and a stable for other livestock—along with storage and utility space—in the center of the building (now the dining room). A new, larger barn was constructed centrally opposite the main house; both it—save for a modern roof—and the original drinking-water cistern remain intact to this day. At that time, several families lived at "Colle All’Asino." Rainwater from the roof was collected in a large cistern in front of the house, serving as the primary supply of drinking water. Two large ponds, replenished by winter rainfall, provided water for the livestock. Naturally, there was no electricity. The new, larger ground-floor stable could accommodate approximately a dozen cows. Their urine was channeled via an underground drainage system to a manure heap located below the house to the south. During the winter, the only source of heat was the large hearth in the eat-in kitchen, which shared a wall with the stable. The heat radiating from the cows below helped the residents in the rooms above endure the winter, with its frigid northern winds. According to accounts from one of the last inhabitants of "Colle All’Asino," despite the proximity to the warmth-generating cattle, an immense quantity of firewood—painstakingly hauled to the property throughout the year and stacked in front of the house—was consumed by the open kitchen fireplace (which still exists today, though without its original large hood). In the evenings, all the residents would gather beneath this expansive chimney hood—the only place in the house where one could find warmth. Following the Second World War, the *mezzadria* (sharecropping) system was abolished. By the mid-to-late 1950s, the industrialization of agriculture triggered an exodus from the countryside: fewer and fewer people were needed to work the land. Eventually, only one family remained at "Colle All’Asino"—Amadeo, his wife, his grandfather, and their five children. As the need arose to keep more livestock and store larger quantities of hay and straw, some of the rooms in the house—no longer required for living—were repurposed for these needs; humans and animals increasingly shared the same space. By the end of the 1960s, the young adults had moved away, and in the 1970s, the *podere* (farmstead) "Colle All’Asino" was abandoned entirely. The property then served as a storage area for agricultural machinery and equipment. Meanwhile, the surrounding fields were consolidated into larger plots, taking on the layout we see today. However, due to neglect and the ravages of the elements—which caused two-thirds of the roof to collapse—the "Podere Colle All’Asino" fell into an increasing state of disrepair over the years. Sergio—our eyewitness, who shared vivid accounts of his memories and the hardships of that era—now lives in Orciatico; he was the last of the five children to leave the family home, in 1970. His sister, Silvana, who now resides in La Sterza, eventually became the owner of the house. In 1998, we discovered "Podere Colle All’Asino."