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12

Cassero Tower and Adjacent Guard House

Before WWII, one would have been surprised to step out from the dark woods and see the monumental thirty-three meter high Cassero tower off to the right. The tower and the guard house (both now ruins) were built together with the fortress walls of the town in the early 1300’s at the command of the Sienese government. The tower was one of several structures in San Quirico damaged or destroyed in WWII. It is curious that Diomede did not make the tower into a feature, on center with the main axis. He instead set it off to the side as an monumental artifact from an earlier time.

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12

Cassero Tower and Adjacent Guard House

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Step

1

Main Gate at Piazza Centrale and entry vestibule

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2

Central axial path that links entire garden

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3

Statue of Granduca Cosimo III de' Medici

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4

The "Palazzetta" inserted into the 13th Century fortress walls

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5

Belvedere - View of the garden

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6

Lower formal garden

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7

Semi-circular space at the top of the formal garden with statue of Giano Bifronte (Janus)

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8

Original Eastern gate entrance (now closed) with Lion Head and Plaque

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9

The woods historically named "La Ragnaia"

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10

Ghiacciaio

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11

Upper terrace

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12