The community
Living here
A village of stone that in summer fills again with voices, and that all year round waits for someone willing to care for it. Here is what it is like, inside the walls.
The community
The village that gathers
Like many small towns of the Apennines, Castevoli too has seen depopulation: for much of the year the houses stay shut and the streets silent.
Then summer comes, and the village lights up. Those who were born here and moved away come back, children and grandchildren arrive, doors closed for months are opened again. Neighbours fire up the grills, the long shared tables of Ferragosto — the mid-August feast — fill the square in front of the castle, and in spring the cantamaggio singers go from house to house. There is no programme: there is a community that recognises itself and gathers again, as it has for generations.
It is a small, genuine village, with no dressed-up squares or shop signs: those who come from afar — and more arrive every year — find people who keep the place alive out of affection, not for a living. Staying here, even just for a season, means stepping into that circle of faces.
Friends of the village
What we would like to do
The community’s initiatives, all on a voluntary basis, help preserve the beauty of the village and provide a few services for those who live here. These are the projects under way — and every hand, or even just an idea, is welcome.
The bell
Restore the bronze bell of 1461 and place it in a display case.
The Maestà
Restore the relief above the main gate, to bring back its original splendour.
The village church
Save the ancient Oratory of Santa Maria Assunta — the church the Malaspina raised for the village — from ruin.
For those who want to stay
Old houses to bring back to life
In the village and around it, many stone houses remain to be restored: some already liveable, others to be rebuilt stone by stone. They are opportunities for anyone who dreams of restoring a stone house in Tuscany — a refuge away from the crowds — and for those who want to be part of this story, not just visit it.
Anyone who would like to know more can turn to the Tarantola firm, based in the village itself, which has carried out much of the restoration work here: it knows every wall, and which houses are waiting for a new life.
Impresa Tarantola
Come and visit
The village awaits you
Whether for a night, a summer, or forever, there is room for you in Castevoli. Write to us: we’ll tell you about the village and help you find your own corner of stone.
Write to us