Casale di Pari - detail

The church

The well

Casale di Pari - detail

Casale, also known as Casal di Pari because of its proximity to the older village of Pari, is located on a hill at 470 metres. It was another of the small centres of the Ardengheschi family that later came under the control of Siena.

Very little remains of the twelfth-century construction but there is a small square overlooked by terraces and arches.

The original Casale consisted of only a few houses for those who worked in the fields, as well as the building which is still today called La Residenza del Vescovo (the Bishop's residence). This residence was built by Fabio De Vais, a Sienese nobleman in 1573. His coat of arms can be seen on the entranceway off Via Costeggio. However, little remains today of a once noble edifice with distinct and clean architectural lines.

The fifteenth-century church of San Donato was completely restructured in 1700. It is characterized by great simplicity both within and without. Of particular interest is the stone inserted sideways above the jams that support the side door, the Porta degli Uomini. The remains of an inscription can be seen on the stone which appears to read "S. Monachi De Ecclesis Vaecto" ("This was taken from the Church of Santo Monaco"). This stone may therefore have come from the ancient convent in Val d'Aspra that was dedicated to Saint Antony, little of which remains today except part of the ruins of an outer wall.

Today Casale, that ancient village hidden within the woods, is a place where one can breath the clean and healthy fresh air of its antique past. The hill of Monteacuto can be seen from the village. At one time its peak was the seat of a small garrison and a defensive tower but today its ancient ruins are hidden by dense vegetation.