Radicofani

Radicofani is the stronghold of Ghino di Tacco in the story of his capture of the Abbot of Cluny. From there, Ghino’s men prey on travelers crossing the surrounding country, and the castle becomes the destination of an ambush that interrupts the abbot’s journey to the baths of Siena.

A Base for Raids

Expelled from Siena and at feud with the Counts of Santa Fiore, Ghino raises Radicofani against the Church and makes it his place of residence. His followers despoil those who pass through the neighboring country. The location is therefore more than a backdrop: it gives Ghino command over a route used by travelers, while his attacks make ordinary passage perilous.

The Abbot’s Capture

The Abbot of Cluny, traveling with a large retinue and substantial baggage after receiving leave from Pope Boniface VIII to seek treatment at the baths of Siena, does not heed Ghino’s reputation. Ghino hears of his approach, surrounds the abbot and his entire household in a confined place, and leaves no footboy an opening to escape. A messenger then invites the abbot, in Ghino’s name, to alight and stay at the castle. The abbot refuses, but finds the surrounding ground already held by armed men and is compelled to go there with his company and possessions.

The Castle as Captivity and Hostelry

At Radicofani, Ghino orders the abbot to be lodged alone in a very dark, mean little chamber in one of the pavilions. The rest of the household is accommodated according to rank, while the horses and baggage are kept safe and untouched. This contrast makes the castle’s power precise: the abbot is deprived of freedom and status, yet his people and property are not simply plundered. When Ghino asks where he was bound and why, the abbot has set aside his pride and answers. Radicofani thus frames an encounter in which capture gives way to conversation, without erasing the coercion that brought the traveler there.