Rocca San Silvestro

The fortified village of Rocca San Silvestro, known throughout the Middle Ages with the name of Rocca a Palmento, owes its importance to the great mining activity that took place there, in fact most of the area of the village was destined for the transformation of copper and lead argentiferous since the time of the Etruscans. The castle originated between the 10th and 11th centuries when the counts of the Gherardesca decided to take full advantage of the mineral resources of the area and the first traces of fortifications date back to this period. The Department of Archeology and History of Fine Arts of the University of Siena has conducted important excavations and has created a mining and archaeological museum park open to visitors.