Castello della Magione
Castello della Magione is a medieval fortified complex in Poggibonsi, Province of Siena, Tuscany, standing on the Via Francigena pilgrimage route near the ancient Staggia River crossing. Founded in the eleventh century as a pilgrim hospice and Templar commandery, the castle passed to the Knights Hospitaller in 1312 and later served various secular owners before being restored and donated to the Militia Templi in 1979. Its Romanesque church of San Giovanni in Jerusalem, built with Burgundian-Cistercian vault influences, remains one of the best-preserved examples of Templar sacred architecture in central Italy.
At a glance
- Type
- Fortified castle and conventual complex
- Period
- Founded 11th century; donated to the Templars 1140; transferred to the Hospitallers 1312
- Style
- Romanesque with Burgundian-Cistercian vault construction
- Location
- Poggibonsi, Province of Siena, Tuscany, Italy
- Coordinates
- 43.4569° N, 11.1587° E
- Current use
- Headquarters of the Militia Templi; restored complex open to visitors
Overview
Castello della Magione occupies a strategic position along the Via Francigena, the medieval pilgrimage road connecting Canterbury to Rome, near the Bonizio bridge over the Staggia River. The complex takes its name from the Latin mansio, meaning a stopping place or hospitality house, reflecting its original function as a rest station for pilgrims and crusaders travelling between northern Europe and the Holy Land. Today it survives as one of the most complete medieval hospitaller complexes in Tuscany, combining defensive, residential, and religious structures within a single trapezoidal enclosure.
History
The complex was founded in the eleventh century and on 5 September 1140 was donated by the monks of the Abbey of Saint Michael to the Knights Templar, who developed it into a fully functioning commandery with church, guest quarters, offices, and a pilgrim hospital. After Pope Clement V suppressed the Templar Order in 1312, the property was transferred to the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John, who maintained it as a regional administrative centre. In subsequent centuries the castle passed through secular ownership, including the Princes Corsini, and was converted partly to agricultural use before Count Marcello Alberto Cristofani della Magione acquired it in 1979 and donated it to the Militia Templi, a Roman Catholic lay association, which undertook a substantial restoration programme.
What you see
The enclosure follows a trapezoidal plan dictated by the course of the Staggia River and retains clear signs of its Romanesque origins despite later modifications. Within the walls stand the Magistal Church of San Giovanni in Jerusalem, displaying a pure Romanesque nave with pointed vaults constructed under Burgundian-Cistercian influence, alongside the former Grand Master’s residence, offices, convent premises, and a spedale — the pilgrim hotel that gave the site its name. The courtyard retains medieval stonework and conveys the functional layout of a working military-religious commandery.
Cultural significance
As a surviving Templar commandery on the Via Francigena, Castello della Magione is rare evidence of the network of hospitaller stations that made long-distance medieval pilgrimage possible across the Italian peninsula. The church of San Giovanni in Jerusalem is among the few intact Templar oratories in Tuscany and provides direct architectural testimony to the spiritual and logistical reach of the crusading orders in twelfth-century central Italy.
Practical information
The complex is managed by the Militia Templi. Check the official website or contact the Militia Templi directly for current visiting hours, guided tour availability, and admission details, as schedules may vary by season.
Getting there
Poggibonsi is served by regular rail connections on the Siena–Empoli line; the castle lies roughly 2 km from Poggibonsi railway station and is accessible on foot or by local taxi. By car, take the Poggibonsi Nord exit from the Siena–Firenze superstrada (SGC Fi-Si) and follow signs for the town centre and Via Cassia toward Staggia.