Radicofani, fortress and town

Still in the years after the Second World War, to go from Rome to Florence the coaches going along Via Cassia passed by Radicofani, and it was an arduous  journey because, even if there weren't any more bandits in ambush like in  centuries past, the uphill journey had numerous sharp turns, and many of the passengers felt sick, so much so that the drivers were obligated to stop for a bit. For centuries it was among the most important fortresses controlling the border between Lazio, Umbria, and Tuscany. The tower seen today is a modern refacing in medieval form of the original which was destroyed and reconstructed many times, demolished in the 1700's. It is still very mighty, and today it is home to a small but well-structured museum; from above there is a 360° view extending towards Lazio all the way to Bolsena Lake, towards Val di Chiana and Umbria, dominating the twon of Rodicofani. To the east the panorama is closed by the Amiata Mountains.
The town is a beautiful, small old town, with some building of lovely decor, where, however, the most important monument is the Romanesque Church of San Pietro, with a bare but harmonious gabled façade in local stone. Inside there are lovely groups of 15th-century ceramics by Robbia. Against the bare walls inside of the austere church, the small, precious ceramic figures stand out, framed by small angels and festoons of fruit and leaves, so perfect that they seem newly completed. Only these ceramics alone make it worth the visit.