Castello di Spaltenna

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Only in Tuscany does a thousand-year-old building need a job title to keep straight: Castello di Spaltenna was a monastery first, then a castle, and is now a resort — and unlike either Castello di Casole's grand scale or La Certosa di Maggiano's quiet intimacy, its defining feature is a Michelin star earned by the kitchen inside it.

From Pieve to Castle to Resort

The property's origins trace to the 10th century as a fortified monastery — a pieve, the Romanesque parish church still standing at its centre gives the surrounding hamlet its full name, Pieve di Spaltenna. Over the centuries the site was fortified into a castle, and the transformation into a resort hotel preserved rather than erased that layered history: guests sleep inside the actual medieval structure, in rooms furnished with wrought-iron or canopy beds and antique Tuscan pieces, wooden beams and terracotta floors throughout.

Thirty-seven rooms and suites split between the castle itself and surrounding former farmhouses, many with direct views over the Chianti vineyards that surround the property on every side.

The Michelin Star

Il Pievano, the estate's fine-dining restaurant, received its Michelin star in the Guida Michelin 2017 (announced November 2016) and continues to hold it in the current (2026) guide — a source of genuine local pride in Gaiole in Chianti. The kitchen's reputation rests on reinterpreting traditional Tuscan dishes with modern technique rather than abandoning tradition for novelty, paired with a cellar list running to hundreds of labels, several produced on the estate itself. Il Pievano serves dinner only, and reservations are essential — book directly at ristorante@spaltenna.it or +39 0577 749483.

Two further dining options round out the offering: La Terrazza, a stone-vaulted lunch restaurant overlooking the Sangiovese vineyards, and L'Osteria, a seasonal pop-up open for five months of the year inside the castle's original tavern space, serving hand-pulled pasta and other regional staples in a more informal register than Il Pievano.

Wellness and Grounds

La Pieve, the estate's spa, includes a heated indoor pool, sauna, and Turkish bath alongside a full treatment menu; a separate outdoor infinity pool looks directly over the valley below, unheated but arguably the better spot for the view alone. Beyond the pools, tennis courts, hiking and mountain-biking trails through the surrounding woods and vineyards, and a billiard room fill out a property built for a multi-day stay rather than a single overnight.

Why Gaiole Specifically

Gaiole in Chianti sits roughly 28 kilometres northeast of Siena — about a 35-minute drive through the heart of the Chianti Classico zone — putting Castello di Spaltenna closer to the region's most respected wine producers than almost any hotel covered in our other guides. For a stay built around wine touring specifically, rather than Siena itself, this is arguably the strongest single base in the province: a short walk from Gaiole's own medieval Barbischio Tower, and within easy reach of Radda and Castellina.

Practical Information

Location: Via di Spaltenna 13, Loc. Pieve di Spaltenna, Gaiole in Chianti — roughly 28km (35 minutes) from Siena.

Category: 5-star, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, 37 rooms, Michelin-starred restaurant (Il Pievano, since 2017).

Amenities: two pools (one heated indoor, one outdoor infinity), spa, tennis court, hiking and mountain-biking trails, three distinct dining venues.

Best for: wine-focused stays based specifically in Chianti Classico rather than Siena.

Getting there: nearest train station is Montevarchi, roughly 30 minutes away; a car or arranged transfer is effectively necessary.

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Continue Reading

• Chianti Classico Wine Route
• Best Luxury Hotels in Siena & Tuscany
• Castello di Casole, A Belmond Hotel

By the Siena & Toscana editors