A few kilometers from the abbey of San Galgano and the town of Chiusdino stands the Mulino delle Pile, a farmhouse that extends for 12 hectares in the Val di Merse Natural Park, a place full of magic, of which the abbey is the maximum expression.
Testimonial for the Mulino Bianco television advertising, the Mulino delle Pile is now a welcoming farmhouse with excellent hotel service.
Il Mulino Delle Pile History
Over time, the Mulino delle Pile has had three different names: Mulino e gualchiere from the municipality of Chiusdino, Mulino delle Pile and Mulino Bianco. It is not well known when it is built, it is thought in the early 1200s by the monks of the nearby Serena Abbey. For a long time it was owned by the municipality of Chiusdino, as shown by an ancient map of the sixteenth century, which illustrates it briefly and describes how it ensured the milling of the wheat to the population of Chiusdino.
The mill remained active with ups and downs until 1700 and subsequently underwent functional changes in order to continue its peculiar mill activity until the second half of the 1900s. The name "delle Pile" derives from the stone containers where the wooden mechanism operated by a water wheel beat on the fabrics immersed in a special solution to make them firm and consistent.
In the mid-1800s the mill was in full swing. The farmers of the area often gather there even in hours of freedom. Among the guests also the marquesses founders of Luriano, because horses were raised in the mill.
In 1930 in Chiusdino, in the current location of Monte dei Paschi, the Belli family built a new mill, which was subsequently moved out of the inhabited center.
The Mulino delle Pile, however, continues to operate until the 1970s even if with limited activity.
The power plant of which the remains remain in the current new renovation was able to supply electricity to the municipalities of Chiusdino and Monticiano during the Second World War, when public plants were in ruins.
From 1990 to 1995 the mill, hired as a celebrity as the testimonial of the Mulino Bianco, had a short but intense period of fame and received numerous visitors both from Italy and from abroad.
The rooms of the farmhouse, all with bathroom, are furnished in "poor art". At guests' disposal the old kitchen with a large and comfortable fireplace in the style of the old country houses, a place that has maintained the atmosphere of the past when we met in front of the fire to end the day together and share, with a good glass of wine, stories and tales.
The tower, the ancient nucleus of the mill, austere on the outside, has become, inside, a place for relaxation and conviviality. Books in different languages, armchairs and corners for board games, make it a cozy and intimate corner inside the structure.
Il Mulino is located in an area between history and natural wealth and is complete with various services.
A large swimming pool which is architecturally well inserted in the rural environment, aims to satisfy the needs of customers who want to combine the comforts of current life with the tranquility of the chosen place.
Team-building activities and outdoor courses are also possible inside the property, taking advantage of the various rooms in the shade of trees and gazebos.
A reserved hall has been used in an adjacent annex building for business or cultural meetings with a capacity of about 30 people.