In the heart of Tuscany, surrounded by the greenery of the Montagnola Senese, Monteriggioni is an extraordinary village. "The gateway to the Middle Ages“, Its inhabitants call it, and seeing it is to be believed. Above all to see its castle, founded in the XNUMX's by the Republic of Siena to defend itself from Florence. Today, that fortress which in the sixteenth century lost its defensive function, is the main attraction of the town. Together with its walls, the historic buildings, and those extraordinary surroundings that have no equal in Italy.
Monteriggioni, the castle and the walkways
Monteriggioni really resembles a corner of the Middle Ages and, the credit goes to the well-preserved XNUMXth century structures. Walk on the stone walls means embracing the hill with your gaze, while the fourteen rectangular towers (plus the fifteenth leaning against the inner curtain) are so impressive that Dante Alighieri compared them to the Giants of Hell. Today, to access the walls, it is necessary to have the Green Pass. The cost of the ticket is 4 euros, but families can buy tickets for 11 or 12,5 euros depending on the number of children.
Part of the route of the Via Francigena, and therefore of the Cultural Itineraries, Monteriggioni has a lot to offer. Access to the village is given by the Porta Franca (or Romea), which looks towards Rome and which - according to some historians - in the past would have been equipped with a drawbridge. In fact, it seems that once there was an external moat. What is certain is that the foundation of the village took place in the second decade of the thirteenth century, and that the events that followed were numerous. Monteriggioni was disputed for a long time by the Sienese and the Florentines, until the Medici imposed their Lordship. Subsequently, they ceded the village to the Goliaths who - in turn - passed it on to the Batta. Included in the duchy of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Monteriggioni then passed from family to family until it reached the Griccioli. Who, even today, keep possessions here.
What to see in Monteriggioni
There are not only the walls in Monteriggioni. There are many civil and religious buildings that are worth seeing. The main square overlooks the Parish church of Santa Maria Assunta which, among all the structures of the village, is the one that best preserves the medieval features. The elegant facade hides an interior of ribbed vaults, with a bell from 1299 and a XNUMXth-century painting of the Madonna del Rosario.
Most people, actually, after a walk through the streets of the village love to do the "Monteriggioni in Arme" educational path. It is accessed with the same ticket as the walkways, and houses faithful reproductions of medieval and Renaissance weapons and armor. Each room is dedicated to a moment in Monteriggioni's history, and there is the possibility of handling and wearing some weapons and armor. To play to immerse yourself in a past that, here, still seems so alive.
Featured photo taken from the Monteriggioni Turismo Facebook page
