Company Profile
La Castagna Leopoldina, a farm in the foothills of Monte Amiata, employs artisan production techniques and a closed loop supply chain to produce top quality environmentally friendly Florentine Marroni chestnut products which are free from preservatives and can be enjoyed all year round.
It’s a love of nature that began in the 70s when Mario Gioacchini used modern planting methods to begin planting the chestnut trees that would give rise to the "La Castagna" farm. The Gioacchini family sees planting chestnut, olive, and holm oak trees as a philosophy of life: hope and passion must be cultivated every day.
In 2014, Mario’s daughter Francesca left her successful career as a pharmacist in Rome to “go back home” and start farming. She planted hundreds of young chestnut trees and invested in processing equipment that would preserve and enhance the organoleptic qualities of her freshly harvested chestnuts. What had been a simple family memory became a proper high-quality production reality.
The farm grew, a laboratory and visitor centre were set up, and Francesca added Leopoldina to the brand as a tribute to the culture of the local area where the brand was born. Pietro Leopoldo, Grand Duke of Tuscany, is famous locally for his agrarian reform.
In 2019 new machinery was installed and the product line grew. The company was now ready to offer new versions of their chestnuts: Marrons Glacés, chestnut spreads, chestnuts in syrup, and chestnut flour and honey. New partnerships were formed, and the chestnut grove became home to culinary events and local history presentations.
All our choices are the result of a careful quest to acquire skills, and a conscious observation of the values of ancient rural traditions and of the calm evolution of nature over the seasons. We communicate deeply with nature, building on traditional roots, language, and customs. The countryside has taught us to respect time and not force things leading us to offering only hand selected top-quality products.