THE VILLAGE OF PIERLE

Pierle is not only made up of a medieval castle, but has a very active community. In fact, around the walls there are many inhabited houses which give the place the characteristic aspect of a small medieval village

The fortress of Pierle is a medieval fortress that has dominated the valley for almost 10 centuries. Those who travel along the Provincial road to Cortona meet it along the ascent to Mount Maestrino in the western territory of the municipality. The fortress is in a state of ruin, but the restoration works have begun a few years ago with the aim of recovering the tower and making it usable again for parties and events.

At the third kilometer of the provincial road SP35 you will find the junction for Pierle. The fortress is a few hundred meters away and is clearly visible in the background.

Photograph of the uphill road that from the junction with the state road leads to Pierle.

Continuing along the stadina you arrive at Pierle. The Castle in this photograph is covered with ivy. Photograph of 2007. We are located right under the church and from here you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the fortress.

Next to the church of San Biagio, which dates back to the 11th century, there is a parking space from which the pedestrian entrance to the fortress is easily accessible.

In this photo you can see the apse of the church with the Rocca di Pierle in the background. This hole is from 2013 after the scaffolding was placed to protect the tower.

View of the fortress from the municipal road just before entering the party square.

In this image taken in 2007, the pedestrian entrance to the fortress on the north side of the Castle has been taken. The ivy that protrudes from all the tops of the turrets and the enclosure were removed in 2010. The tower appears with all the cracks that have been fixed today. The orange net that delimited the unsafe spaces has also been removed to make room for reserved parking spaces.
This door leads to the small courtyard of the fortress. When arriving in Pierle, this is typically the meeting point for visits. If this door is closed then the fortress cannot be visited.

In the image on the side there is a photograph of the square of the village taken from the window of the Pierle tower. This square is used for chestnut festivals in October, for concerts or as a parking lot. A small building used as a kitchen for these events was built in the center of this square. On the left appears the small church of the village behind which passes the municipal road that turns towards the fortress. Instead of turning, continuing along this route we head towards Cuiano or Borgo dei Vagli. Along both these roads you can enjoy beautiful views with the Rocca di Pierle overlooking the valley.

Here on the side is the map of the village of Pierle updated to 2021. If you are in Pierle by chance and have not booked a visit to the castle, you will hardly find it open. On the Visits page of the information section you can find information about it. However, you can still take your stroll around the village. The municipal road (in gray) is passable by cars and it is advisable to respect the direction of travel indicated by the arrows to facilitate traffic in the narrow streets of Pierle. The Vicinale della Rocca road is closed to vehicle traffic but can be walked on. The local roads of the fields that were the ancient roads to reach Cortona in the Middle Ages, today are mostly mule tracks, very beautiful to travel on foot and by mountain bike.
Some areas of the village are not passable because they are private property. Be careful.

Last update 21/02/2021