The municipal territory of Castagneto Carducci is part of the heart of the Livorno Maremma, in the center of the so-called Etruscan coast. The territory is flat along the coast, where the important Bolgheri Wildlife Reserve is located, while it rises in the hinterland.
The medieval castle, together with the church of San Lorenzo, consisting of the original core of the town. The history of the village, like that of other centers of the ancient Pisan Maremma, is linked to the events of the Della Gherardesca family, a not always peaceful link between this territory and the noble prosapia, difficult relationships that over the centuries have seen the Chestnut population struggles for their rights as an independent community and for the conquest of civil uses.
Castagneto suffered new devastations due to the looting and work of the army of Alfonso of Aragon against Naples, marching towards Milan and fighting against Florence, during these clashes the castle of Donoratico was destroyed; moreover Castagneto suffered incursions by Charles VIII of France who in order to seize the throne of Naples plundered all the lands he found during his journey, but suffered looting and attacks also by troops in the pay of Maximilian I.
The economy of Castagneto Carducci is linked to agriculture and seaside and food and wine tourism, which, especially in summer, benefits from the numerous accommodation facilities in the area, which has also been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag award. Another important resource is represented by production of fine wines, which have made the cellars of Bolgheri and surroundings famous throughout the world. Not least the production of extra virgin olive oil.
Bolgheri
Bolgheri became an internationally known region following an event in 1974 arranged by Decanter where a 6-year-old Sassicaia won over an assortment of Bordeaux wines. Prior to this, Bolgheri had been relatively anonymous producers of ordinary white wines and rosés.
Due to the particular characteristics of the soil and micro climate sunny, dry and moderately windy, the grape varieties of Bordeaux origin tend to thrive, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Among the most known "Super Tuscan" producers are Tenuta San Guido who produce Sassicaia, Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia who produce Ornellaia, and Ca'Marcanda of Gaja, Guado al Tasso of Antinori.
In 2017, in Bolgheri opened The World Wine Town of Castagneto Carducci – a wine center, created by entrepreneur Franco Malenotti and designed by the Oscar-winning art director Dante Ferretti. The Sensory and Multimedia Museum in Bolgheri is housed in a two-story building (dating back to the 1500s), exploring the history of wine and food from the region and featuring a wine tasting area.