At dawn, the Val di Chiana seems to hold its breath. Light stretches across oak woods, glides over clearings wide as natural stages, and settles on the estate’s lakes like a still mirror.
Here, at Tenuta Il Castello del Calcione (Lucignano, AR), reserve hunting in Tuscany returns to being a patient art: listening to the wind, measuring each step, ensuring safety, and respecting regional hunting calendars. It is an ancient gesture that becomes an experience—never routine.
A Land That Teaches You to Read the Wind
The Calcione estate is a Tuscan mosaic: wooded belts alternating with fallow land and meadows, ridgelines offering clear vantage points, paths linking small valleys and scrub. In this balance, driven hunts and stalking find their best expression: action arises from silence, pauses, and measured decisions.
Those seeking high-quality hunting will discover a territory with true vocation, where hunting ethics are not a slogan but daily practice.
History and Family: The Long Thread of the Della Stufa Lineage
The Castello del Calcione traces its roots back to the Middle Ages. Local sources reference it as early as 984 (“in castrum Calcionis”) and recount its long ownership by the Lotteringhi Della Stufa family from 1483, when Luigi di Angiolo della Stufa acquired the estate. In 1632, the fief was elevated to a marquisate by Grand Duke Ferdinando II de’ Medici.
Tradition even suggests a possible visit by Leonardo da Vinci during his hydraulic studies of the Val di Chiana.
Other historical research places the original fortified structure in the 14th century, when the area marked the border between Siena and Arezzo, linking it to the Tolomei family and a donation to the Republic of Florence in 1385—evidence of Calcione’s strategic importance through the centuries.
Today, the Castle still overlooks an estate of approximately 1,200 hectares of woods, lakes, and olive groves. A 18th-century church (with frescoes by Luigi Ademollo) and an art museum—housing, among others, works connected to the Della Robbia tradition—make this a cultural landscape where nature, architecture, and hunting heritage coexist.
The Latest Addition to the Montefeltro Family: A Promised Renaissance
The Calcione Estate is the most recent to join the Montefeltro reserves network. After several years of pause, a return to former glory is announced, with updated standards in safety, selection, and hospitality.
This new beginning focuses on limited volumes, quality action, and integration between hunting, territory, and refined hospitality. (Montefeltro communication)
Types of Hunting Available
Selective Hunting for Ungulates
Selective hunting for fallow deer (spikers, young bucks, mature bucks, females and young), roe deer (dedicated packages, trophy animals), and wild boar from a stand, always in full compliance with regional hunting calendars and estate management plans.
Technical settings prioritize calibrated optics, controlled positions, and shooting only under the guide’s instruction: safety, transparency, and restraint above all.
Wild Boar Driven Hunt
For those who enjoy coordinated action: mandatory briefing, assigned stands, clear shooting lines, dogs handled by experienced staff, and continuous coordination.
Driven hunts at Calcione blend tradition with discipline: limited numbers, maximum attention to safety and environmental well-being.
All activities are scheduled in accordance with current hunting calendars and national/local regulations.
Walked-Up Hunting with Pointing Dogs
There is a moment, just as frost yields to the first sunlight, when a pointing dog traces perfect calligraphy on the grass: searching, covering ground, then freezing in place.
This is the poetry of walked-up hunting for resident game at Calcione: powerful pheasant flushes, elegant and nervous grey partridges, red-legged partridges slicing through the wind. The woods whisper, clearings welcome, and the rhythm follows the ancient cadence of a slow stride—listening to the dogs and the land.
A Territory That “Speaks” to the Dog
The estate is a mosaic of woods, fallow land, crops, and water features: continuous habitats benefiting both game and canine work. Ecotone corridors (wood edges, rows, hedges, field margins) create natural search lines and allow for clean engagements, often with long, educational points and guided approaches.
Here, the dog learns—and the hunter rediscovers restraint: fewer birds, finer actions.
Traditional Encounters: Hares and Woodcock
Hares: Encounters are frequent. Even when feathered game is the focus, a hare may break cover in sharp morning light—a sign of healthy land management.
Woodcock: The estate lies along a migratory route. With the first cold fronts, mature and humid woods become promising grounds for these elusive birds. Woodcock remain unpredictable guests—their uncertainty is what makes them a treasure of ethics and technique.
What to Expect in a Walked-Up Day
- Welcome & briefing: Document check (license, insurance), safety notes, wind and area allocation.
- Search: Work in pairs of dogs or single rotation, with scheduled area rotation to avoid stressing game.
- Action: Clean points, patient guidance, genuine flushes; shots never forced, always safe and aligned with the guide.
- Break & dog reading: Water, breathing the field, resetting.
- End of action: Return, bag review, optional refreshments or time in the clubhouse/castle (upon request).
Ethics, Safety, Technique
- Safety first: shooting only with clear, declared angles under gamekeeper coordination.
- Respect for game: preference for quality action over numbers; no repeated pressure on the same zones.
- Dogs as protagonists: quality cinophilia is central; careful retrieves ensure quick and proper recovery.
Access Options: Daily, Seasonal, Half-Season
- Hunting Day: Ideal for experiencing the territory and dogs, or for those carving out a quality outing.
- Seasonal Quota: Multiple days with dedicated area rotation; perfect for continuity and growth of the hunter-dog partnership.
- Half Quota: A balance between flexibility and planning; guaranteed access during high-demand periods.
Prices, availability & bookings → Montefeltro Office (consultancy, best time windows, combinations with ungulate selection or castle hospitality).
Periods, Calendars & Fair Play
All outings strictly respect regional hunting calendars and local regulations.
In case of severe weather (dense fog, extreme wind), days may be rescheduled to preserve safety and quality.
Tips and field courtesies follow traditional hunting practice; land stewardship is a shared investment.
Practical Tips (To Enjoy Walked-Up Hunting 100%)
- Fit dogs: Paw care, hydration, light feeding the night before.
- Light setup: Selected cartridges (lead/alternatives as per law), chokes suited to action (¼–½ often ideal).
- Pace & reading: “More listening, fewer steps.” Resident game rewards those who read the dog and respect terrain timing.
Castle Hospitality: Elegance & Continuity
Hospitality is part of the experience. The Castle welcomes guests into evocative and refined spaces—period salons, terraces, inner courtyards. Rooms feature private bathrooms (many en-suite), blending authenticity with modern comfort.
A private pool, gardens, and outdoor spaces shape the rhythm of rest after a day in the reserve.
Beyond Hunting: Experiencing the Val di Chiana at Calcione
- Lake fishing within the estate’s private waters (pike, carp, tench common in Tuscany).
- Game-focused cooking classes with guided tastings—from raw ingredient to shared table.
- Wine & olive oil tastings highlighting local wines and traditional EVO oil, in the castle, cellar, or by the lake.
- Truffle hunting (Tuber melanosporum) in estate woods with expert truffle hunters and trained dogs.
- Horseback riding along Siena–Arezzo trails, from multi-day trekking to estate rides for experienced riders.
Tailor-Made Events & Incentives
Montefeltro is structured for bespoke hunting travel and premium experiences in Italy and abroad. At Calcione, this know-how translates into corporate events and incentives for the hunting & outdoor sector (product experiences, team building, hospitality, logistics).
A Typical Day
Document check and safety briefing (areas, wind, shooting angles), then action:
- Selective hunt: Observation, discreet movement, waiting.
- Driven hunt: Coordinated team, defined stands, clear communication.
Return to the estate for initial field dressing and, upon request, meat preparation (vacuum-packing, shipping) and taxidermy.
Prices, Availability & Booking
For official rates, availability, and quotations, contact the Montefeltro Office. We will design your bespoke program (species, classes, number of outings, hospitality services) and identify the best calendar windows.
Safety & Compliance
- Guide/gamekeeper always present; shooting only under instruction; shooting from vehicles/roads prohibited.
- Equipment compliant with technical selection rules (calibers, optics, zeroing).
- In case of wounded game, suspension of further harvest until recovery protocol is completed.
- Hours: from dawn to +30 minutes after sunset, unless otherwise specified.
Build Your Tuscan Program
Tell us your species of interest, preferred period, and whether you desire castle hospitality: you will receive a tailored calendar proposal and quotation within 24–48 hours.
Prices and availability → Montefeltro Office.
