The name Cenaia seems to derive from the Latin caenum ‘mud’ and Cenaja or Cenaria would have indicated the marshy lands at the foot of the castle, built on the only elevated area sheltered from the waters. If there are no historical-artistic attractions in the village, just outside is the Torre a Cenaia estate, characterised by the Casa Turrita once part of the larger Castello di Cenaja, first attested in 1068. Mention must be made of a miracle performed by Santa Giulia in 763 AD, which is mentioned in a mysterious Latin plaque on the façade of the small chapel of Sant’Andrea, now one with the Casa Turrita. A trace of these years was discovered in the system of tunnels under the estate. In one of these underground rooms, engraved on a limestone reused as a base for a large basin, a cross of the eight beatitudes was discovered, the style of which can be traced back to the knightly order of the Knights of St. John of the Hospital of Jerusalem, dating back to the time of the Crusades.
The Estate, formerly owned by the Florentine Pitti family, is reached through a charming driveway bordered by majestic maritime pines to the Italian-style garden park, embellished with female statues. The estate covers about 500 hectares, characterised by vineyards of animated marshy ponds. The architectural complex was last modified in 1879 by the Counts Valery, who built the Villa of the same name and the Italian-style garden-park. The winery is a wine cellar with restaurant and brewery.
Thanks to the characteristics of the land, Cenaia has a tradition of growing vines and rooted cuttings. Barbatella is a small vine shoot that has emitted its ‘beard’, i.e. the roots, and is used in the planting of vines. This shoot is then buried in special boxes containing soil, sand and sometimes sawdust, and is watered so that the roots, the so-called ‘beard’, develop from the cut end. Once the roots have developed, the initial shoot, which has now become Barbatella, is autonomous in all respects and can create the future vineyard.