It is a small group of houses built near the Petrocchi farm; the castle, of which only a few ruins remain, is mentioned in a document from 1316 as belonging to the noble Sergardi family of Siena. It underwent some development at the end of the 18th century, as part of Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo’s policy of repopulating the countryside. In 1839, the existence of several high-quality lignite deposits was confirmed, leading to the establishment of the French Coal Company, which began excavation work. During this work, the first Oreopithecus fossil was discovered, named bambolii after the place where it was found, along with numerous animal fossils. A railway line was also built (the remains of which are still partly visible), which was in operation until the early 20th century, connecting the Montebamboli mine to the Gulf of Follonica for the transport of coal.
