The story goes that St. Francis of Assisi himself chose the place where the first Franciscan Friary or Convent, the Convento Castrum Plani Castagnarii, was built. The very first location, nicknamed the “Old Place”, turned out to be extremely inconvenient, not only for the inhabitants of Piancastagnaio, but for the friars themselves, because, living as they did on others’ charity and being so far from the village, they risked starving to death in the winter. They therefore decided to move the Convent closer to the Castle: it was then that the Convento San Bartolomeo and its adjacent church were built in Piancastagnaio. The land where the Convent was originally located had been granted by Count Ildebrandino degli Aldebrandeschi, son of Count Guglielmo of Sovana and Pitigliano. On 5 September, 1276, Monsignor David Dandini, Bishop of Sovana, wrote a pastoral letter to the community of Piancastagnaio, urging them to contribute to the construction of the of the new Convent’s church, only a few hundred metres away from the majestic Rocca Aldobrandesca. It was Monsignor Dandini himself who laid the foundation stone of the church and, on that very same occasion, the “Castagnone” was also planted. Today we can still admire this big chestnut tree at the the Convent’s entrance. The church was consecrated in 1278. At the beginning only about ten friars lived in the Convent, and its upkeep depended on bequests and donations from pilgrims and local farmers. Thanks to these the structure was preserved.

During the Renaissance period the Convent was enlarged, the Cloister with its elegant Ionic columns was built, and the Chapter Room frescoed with an evocative series of monochrome paintings dedicated to the story of the Virgin Mary. In 1504 the Bishop entrusted the Convent to the order of the Minor Conventuals of Terra di Piano, provided that the friars pay him an annuity of one pound of wax every year. The friars’ life at the Convent then was peaceful but later this peace was broken by troublemakers. The people of Terra di Piano protested so much against their forays that Pope Alexander VI authorised the Bishop of Sovana to inflict severe punishments upon those who damaged Convent goods. Many other popes, including Julius II, Clement VIII, Paul III, Pius V and Sixtus V, intervened over the centuries in defense of the Franciscan friars of Piancastagnaio, inflicting canonical sanctions and even excommunicating those who were found guilty of infractions. Other popes, such as Gregory XIII, Innocent XI and Alexander VIII, granted plenary indulgences to the members of the confraternity of St. Elizabeth’s Conception, whose premises were in the Cloister inside the Convent, and to all those visited the Church.

The long history of the Convent was abruptly interrupted. When, in 1808, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the confiscation of all Church properties, the Convent was closed and the friars dispersed. All the assets belonging to the friars were acquired by the state, put up for auction and for the most part purchased by the ancient “livellari” and tenants as well as by the members of the landowning class. The Convent was first suppressed according to the Napoleonic edict and then confiscated by the Grand Duke Leopold of Tuscany. It was then purchased by the Sienese noble Malvolti and later on leased to the Barbini family in 1808.

In 1816 Vincenzo Barbini bought the Convent and gave it to his first son, the notary Mariano Barbini. Mariano had nine daughters and two sons; his firstborn son Carlo inherited the Convent and, since he never married, on his death in 1923 he left all his property, including the Convent, together with his surname, Barbini, to his great-nephew, Carlo Ricci. It was Vittorino Ricci Barbini, Carlo’s son, who decided to restore the entire complex to its ancient greatness in order to make it his family dwelling as well as to open up this wonderful historical residence to all those who love history and beauty.