Monteriggioni

Siena built this in the 1210s as a forward fort against Florence, a circle of wall about five hundred and seventy metres round on a low hill, with fourteen square towers spaced along it. The circuit survives almost unaltered because the village inside never outgrew it. Dante saw the towers on the horizon and used them in the Inferno, comparing the giants ringing the central pit of hell to Monteriggioni crowned with towers, which is why the name is familiar to readers who have never been to Tuscany. Two short stretches of the wall walk are open, and inside there is little more than a square, a church and a few streets.

History

The walled town on its natural hillock was built by the Sienese in 1214 to 1219 as a front-line fortification against Florence, commanding the Via Cassia, and it withstood many attacks. In 1554 its commander, Giovannino Zeti, an exile from Florence, handed the keys of the town to the forces of the Medici, which the townspeople called a "great betrayal" (Wikipedia, Monteriggioni).

What's there

• The intact ring - 570 metres of wall with fourteen towers.
• The Dante reference - the towers used as an image in the Inferno.
• The wall walk - two open stretches with views over the Chianti hills.
• The single square - a Romanesque church and a handful of streets.

When to go

April to October; a medieval festival fills the village in July. It is a common stop on the Via Francigena walking route. Winter is very quiet.

What to expect

The village inside is tiny, about fifteen minutes to walk, and heavily geared to visitors. Only short wall sections are accessible. Parking is below with a climb.

Nearby

Siena lies south; San Gimignano is west.

Key facts