INDEX
1. SIENA - MUSEUMS AND PALAZZI
2. SIENA - CHURCHES
3. PLACES WITHIN HALF AN HOUR OF BARONTOLI
6. SIENESE PAINTERS
7. SAINTS IN ART
THE CUNA GRANARY
A large, rare and well-preserved fortified medieval granary, little visited by tourists.
Cuna is off the via Cassia (the Siena-Rome road) just north of Monterone d’Arbia. Coming from Siena, after Isola d’Arbia, Ponte a Tressa and Le More, keep right on the old road towards Monterone. Cuna is up a little road to the right; you will see the huge brick-built granary on the hill above.
For an alternative route making for a really spectacular drive from Barontoli (with some untarred stretches), go through San Rocco and onto the Grosseto road. Turn left where signed to Grotti. Go on through Grotti to Le Ville di Corsano. At the entrance to the village, turn right towards Radi ‘Pieve di San Giovanni Battista di Corsano’ (an attractice Romanesque church, rarely open). Go on down this road, ignoring the turn-off to Radi, until signs to ‘Cassia SS2’ start appearing. Follow these across fantastic countryside until you reach the Via Cassia, north of Monterone d’Arbia, and then follow the instructions above.
The granary (‘Grancia di Cuna’) was built by the Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala in Siena – see the Hospital’s symbol of a ladder (scala) surmounted by a cross on the wall. The hospital – a massive undertaking – originally acquired land here in the 1100s. They built the original granary and the neighbouring church of Sts James and Christopher (Giacomo e Cristoforo) in 1314, a period of military instability, in order to safeguard their supplies of grain. Over the centuries, various changes and additions were made, including the construction of a ramp in the 18th century so that mules could carry grain up to the upper chambers of the granary. It has survived reasonably intact since then. This may be partly because, after it ceased being used as a granary, local families took up residence in many of its various chambers and remain there to this day – glimpses of washing lines and smells of cooking greet those mounting the ramp. The authorities have made the best of the situation by classifying the whole building as a street, with official street numbers outside the dwellings. They have named the street ‘vicolo Beato Sorore’ after the legendary founder of the Hospital.
Entrance to the Cuna Granary
One enters the complex through gates in the double line of defences and can then wander up the ramp. Unfortunately, the old granary chambers that have not been taken over as dwellings are closed because of structural dangers, but one can nevertheless obtain a good impression of the hugeness of the complex and the sophistication of the defences.
The church just outside the gateway (the key of which can be obtained at the house No.13 to the right of it) has the usual remains of 14th century frescoes, white-washed over and then rediscovered, some as recently as the 1990s. The most interesting are the ones on the left of the entrance. The large painting of two saints represents St Ansano (an obscure saint who wsas an early patron of Siena) and St James. Below are two tiny scenes showing the “Miracle of the hanged man”. On the left some pilgrims are having a meal and a man is making off with a loaf of bread. The wrong person was arrested and hanged and the right hand scene shows St James rushing in, superman style, to save him by holding up his feet. Originally, the whole church would have been covered in frescoes.
(2005)
Closed for restoration in 2013.