Walls of Monteriggioni

Monteriggioni, Siena, Tuscany, Italy, Europe

Monteriggioni is an Italian town of 9921 inhabitants in the province of Siena in Tuscany. It is part of the so-called Montagnola Senese. The Monteriggioni Castle was built by the Sienese, by order of the podestà Guelfo da Porcari, in a period between 1214 and 1219. The land, purchased by the noble family Da Staggia, was the site of an ancient Lombard farm (the name of Montis Regis probably indicated a fund of royal property or that enjoyed tax exemptions by the crown). The construction of the castle by the Republic of Siena was mainly defensive, as the village was built on Mount Ala in a position of dominion and surveillance of the Francigena, to control the valleys of Elsa and Staggia in the direction of Florence, a historic rival of Siena. The construction of a castle practically from scratch was a novelty in the Sienese expansionist policy: previously, in fact, the city had purchased already existing castles, such as that of Quercegrossa. The circular layout of the walls was obtained simply by following the natural course of the hill. There is no agreement by historians on the possible presence of the drawbridge. The presence of gates is certain, that is thick wooden doors covered with iron that were operated by pulleys. Even today the two doors show the hinges and holes caused by the closing shafts. On the San Giovanni gate you can also see the signs of the ravelin, another rectangular defensive structure placed in front of the door and also equipped with a drawbridge or a second door. The Castle of Monteriggioni was also surrounded by the so-called charcoal piles, or ditches full of coal that was set on fire to repel the assaults. After the construction of the castle the Florentines and the Sienese fought for its possession in 1244 and in 1254. In 1269, after the Battle of Colle (remembered by Dante in the XIII canto of Purgatory), the defeated Sienese took refuge in Monteriggioni, besieged , but in vain, from the Florentines. Following the plague of 1348 - 1349 the Sienese decided to have a captain reside in Monteriggioni with some infantry to protect the population from criminals who raged in the area. In 1380, according to what can be read in the statutes of the municipality and men of Monteriggioni, the inhabitants of Monteriggioni were considered citizens of Siena. In 1383 a group of Sienese exiles seized the castle by deception, but surrendered shortly after. Between 1400 and 1500 the walls were buried to better withstand the blows of the artillery. The use of charcoal pans was therefore also useless. In 1526 the Florentines besieged Monteriggioni with 2000 infantry and 500 knights, bombarding the walls with artillery. The Monteriggioni Castle, however, resisted and, on 25 July of that same year, in the battle of Camollia, the Sienese defeated the pontifical army, an ally of the Florentines, who immediately interrupted the siege. On 27 April 1554 Monteriggioni was sold in treason, without any fighting, by Captain Bernardino Zeti, a Florentine outlaw, to the Marquis of Marignano who in 1555 definitively defeated the Republic of Siena. This episode is considered by historians as the event that marks the end of the municipal era in Italy. Cosimo I of the Medici imposed his lordship on the territory and the inhabitants of Monteriggioni were taken slaves to Florence. Monteriggioni was then sold by the Medici to the Golia family of Siena, who in turn ceded it to the Batta family. It was then included in the duchy of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then arriving to the Fabbroni, the Daddi and in 1704 to the Accarigi, who passed the annuity to the Griccioli family, which still maintains possessions in the castle and in the surrounding countryside.

MONTERIGGIONI Borgo Medioevale - Medieval village Tuscany - HD

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Situato all’estremità settentrionale del proprio territorio comunale, Monteriggioni occupa la sommità di una dolce collina dalle pendici coltivate a vigne e olivi.
Il castello venne fondato nel secondo decennio del Duecento dalla Repubblica di Siena, con il principale scopo di creare un avamposto difensivo contro la rivale Firenze Per secoli l’insediamento svolse in pieno la funzione per cui era stato creato, respingendo di volta in volta una miriade di assedi e attacchi. La sua funzione militare venne meno a partire dalla metà del Cinquecento, quando l’intero Stato Senese, di cui il nostro borgo faceva parte, venne annesso a quello fiorentino.

Monteriggioni conserva ancora oggi gran parte delle strutture del XIII secolo e si configura come un luogo assolutamente unico nel panorama dei borghi medievali toscani.
La cinta muraria, realizzata in pietra, abbraccia la sommità di una collina con uno sviluppo lineare di circa 570 metri.
Dalla superficie esterna sporgono quattordici torri a pianta rettangolare, mentre una quindicesima è addossata alla cortina interna. La loro imponenza dovette essere assai notevole anche nel Medioevo, tanto da suggerire a Dante una famosa similitudine con i Giganti collocati nell’Inferno: “[…] però che, come su la cerchia tonda / Monteriggion di torri si corona, / così la proda che ‘l pozzo circonda / torreggiavan di mezza persona / li orribil giganti […]” (Inf., XXXI, vv. 40-44).
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Located at the northern end of its municipal area, Monteriggioni occupies the top of a gentle hill from the slopes cultivated with vineyards and olive trees.
The castle was founded in the second decade of the thirteenth century by the Republic of Siena, with the main aim of creating a defensive outpost against rival Florence. For centuries, the settlement took place in the middle of the function for which it was created, rejecting each time a myriad of sieges and attacks. Its military function was less from the middle of the sixteenth century, when the whole Senese State, of which our village was part, was annexed to the Florentine.

Monteriggioni still retains much of the thirteenth century structures and is designed as a unique place in the panorama of medieval towns in Tuscany.
The walls, made of stone, embracing the top of a hill with a linear development of about 570 meters.
Fourteen towers protrude from the outer surface with a rectangular plan, while a fifteenth is placed against the inner curtain. Their grandeur had to be very significant in the Middle Ages, much to suggest to Dante a popular similarity with the Giants placed in Hell: [...] However, as of the round / Monteriggion circle is crowned with towers, / so the brink that 'surrounds the well / torreggiavan middle person / giant horrible them [...] (Inf., XXXI, vv. 40-44).

Travel Monteriggioni, Italy - Visit the Walled Town of Monteriggioni

Take a tour of Walled Town of Monteriggioni in Italy -- part of the World's Greatest Attractions travel video series by GeoBeats.

Mentioned in Dante Alighieri's masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, the walled city of Monteriggioni is a prime example of a classic walled town found in Italy.

The Sienese built this city in 1213 as a frontline defense against Florence during times of war.

This spectacular town, built in the 13th century, is one of the most intact medieval cities in Italy with only a few renovations needed to restore and preserve it.

Monteriggioni was built on top of a hill with walls surrounding its borders to enhance its protection from invasion.

The easiest way to explore the town is on foot as many of the streets are too narrow for vehicles, which are even prohibited from entering the historic town center.

Any visitor can find several small shops, some specializing in their famous local wines, a church and several hotels that are converted villas from wealthy inhabitants of the past.

View from the walls of Monteriggioni Tuscany 3 November 2014

Panorama dalle mura di Monteriggioni Toscana 3/9/2014

Karen Brown's Antico Borgo Poggiarello, Monteriggioni, Italy B&B

Antico Borgo Poggiarello, Monteriggioni

Monteriggioni is a circular medieval town with turreted fortress walls, mentioned in Dante's Inferno.
To the east is an extension of unspoiled land, preserved over the centuries because it was all owned by one proprietor.
Within this mix of olive groves and dense woods, in the center of a peaceful forest reserve is the Poggiarello property.
The three stone farmhouses dating back to the 1700s are reached by a 2 kilometer road.
The Giove family (brother and sister team) bought and restored the property creating apartments for 2-8 people, two doubles, a restaurant and swimming pool plus living quarters for both of their own families.

Its several dining rooms are brimming with rustic country charm and serve delicious meals prepared from local produce.
There are 15 guestrooms tastefully decorated with antiques.
The town of Portico di Romagna is like the inn, inviting yet unpretentious—an old village surrounded by wooded hills and clear mountain streams.

STREET VIEW: Monteriggioni in Tuscany in Italy

Monteriggioni is the gateway to the middle ages. We start on the city wall in the west of Monteriggioni and go through the city to the eastern wall. Enter and be guided along the routes of the pilgrims, travellers and markets on a voyage of discovery through the Tuscan landscape and its old historical towns.

Monteriggioni

Monteriggioni - Siena, Tuscany - Italy
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Photography and editing by Sandro Sansone
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Monteriggioni is, without doubt, one of the most classical and best known Italian walled town. Since the Middle Age its fame was so big that also the great poet Dante Alighieri makes sign to his 'round enclosure' in the Divine Comedy (Hell, chant XXXI vv. 40-41). The town walls, nearly intact, cover a length of 570 meters and are alternated by 14 towers and two gates. The Senese Gate is at the base of a square tower while the Florence Gate is opened in the curtain and defended from one of the towers of the fortified perimeter.
The town was built by the Senesis in the years 1213-1219 on a hilltop overlooking of the Cassia Road. Its ideal position allowed to control the Elsa and the Staggia Valleys in direction in Florence, the historic enemy of Siena, that at that time was rapidly expanding its territory.
The hill where Monteriggioni rises is natural, even if it could seem a great 'motte' (from the name of the classical Norman castles 'Motte-and-Bailey' built on artificial hills and gifted of enclosure), and the circular, almost perfectly, layout of the walls was obtained simply following the sketch of the ground's curves of level. In the planning was tried of to limit the weak points for excellence, the gates, entrusting the only connections with the outside only to a east to west crossing road. To Monteriggioni the military building work appears physically distinguished by the inhabited area confined to its inside but well separated from the walls from a 'territory of respect', although in the ancient times the inhabited area has been more intense than today and consequently with a more narrow band of separation. The hamlet that we can admire our days is essentially authentic, being ever been object of building and tourist speculations. The only changes to its aspect happened in the first years of the 16th century when, trying to conform the fortifications to the development of the new fire weapons, were lowered the towers and accumulated earth at the base of the walls with the purpose to get a bastionated effect.
Recently a part of the wall walk of the town walls has been restored and made accessible. From the top of the walled circuit, it is possible to admire the surrounding countryside towards Chianti and the Valdelsa and to enjoy a unique view of the town and its fortifications.

Monteriggioni, Tuscany, Italy

Tiny medieval city with a well preserved wall.

Lovely rural town | Monteriggioni | Italy

Explore this lovely Italian town near Siena! The great medieval walls were inspiration for the wall surrounding Hell in Dante's Inferno.

Date taken: September 15th, 2018

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Monteriggioni Italy

Monteriggioni is a medieval walled town, located on a natural hillock, built by the Sienese in 1214–19 as a front line in their wars against Florence. During the conflicts between Siena and Florence in the Middle Ages, the city was strategically placed as a defensive fortification. It also withstood many attacks from both the Florentines and the forces of the Bishop of Volterra. In 1554 the Sienese were able to place control of the town's garrison to Giovannino Zeti, who had been exiled from Florence. In 1554, in an act of reconciliation with the Medicis, Zeti simply handed the keys of the town over to the Medicean forces - considered a great betrayal by the town's people.

Italy / Monteriggioni

Monteriggioni is a medieval Tuscany town surrounded by wall. The Via Francigena is an ancient road between Rome and Canterbury , passing through England , France , Switzerland and Italy.Pilgrims traveled along the Via during the medieval period .

TUSCAN MEDIEVAL CITY (Monteriggioni) IN 4K

Eccovi un bellissimo video con vista aerea della famosa città in provincia di Siena Monteriggioni.
Does Villa Auditore really exist in Monteriggioni in real life? Find out from this video!
Here is an aerial view of Monteriggioni, a tuscan city in the province of Siena. It's the city where in Assassin's Creed 2 you can find Villa Auditore.

Music by Epic Cinematic music:

Video done with a DJI Phantom 3 standard.

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Karen Brown's Romantik Hotel Monteriggioni, Tuscany, Italy

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We would like to share with you one of our recommended Hotels in Italy

Romantik Hotel Monteriggioni in the town of Monteriggioni in Tuscany


Tucked in the gentle Tuscan hills, Monteriggioni is a stunning sight. You will be captivated from afar at your first glimpse: the romantic town crowning the hilltop with its circular stone wall, punctuated by tall towers, still intact.

If you have come just to sightsee, you must park your car below the town, but if you are one of the lucky ones who have a reservation at the Hotel Monteriggioni, drive through the portal in the wall to the hotel, which is located at the far end of the little square.

It is hard to believe that this lovely small hotel, now so beautiful, used to be a stable. It took three years for the present owners to achieve the miracle you see today.

Michela Cagnazzo, the owner, is responsible for the decoration and her taste is faultless.

White walls, handsome antique furniture, white slipcovered sofas, and bouquets of fresh flowers create a fresh, appealing country ambiance.
The guestrooms are also charming, with the same style of decor as the public rooms.

Behind the hotel there is a terrace where breakfast is served, weather permitting.

Just beyond is a small swimming pool tucked in the garden with a serene backdrop of the old moat, now filled with olive trees, and the stone walls of the town.

The hotel has no restaurant but the Ristorante Il Pozzo next door offers authentic Tuscan cooking, and there are other restaurants nearby.
It is a delightful hotel that does credit to a charming village.

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Borgo San Luigi **** Hotel Review 2017 HD, Monteriggioni, Italy

Save money booking hotel Borgo San Luigi in Monteriggioni, Italy
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Property Location
With a stay at Borgo San Luigi in Monteriggioni (Val d'Elsa), you'll be close to The Rock of Staggia and Piazza Arnolfo di Cambio. This 4-star hotel is within close proximity of Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli Archeological Museum and Colle di Val d'Elsa Cathedral.
Rooms
Make yourself at home in one of the 73 individually decorated guestrooms, featuring minibars and flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and digital programming is a...

2 secrets of MONTERIGGIONI, Tuscany | ITALIAN CITIES TOUR GUIDES, LEGENDS AND HIDDEN GEMS

Monteriggioni is a really beautiful medieval city in the heart of the tuscan countryside, close to Siena. It became quite famous thanks to Assassin's creed II, because it's the place where the Villa of Ezio Auditore was (Villa Auditore).
In this video, I'll show you a couple of secrets of Monteriggioni:
1) Does Villa Auditore really exist?
2) Who is the Captain Zeti and why is his ghost still trapped in the well in the main square of Monteriggioni?

Enjoy and let me know if you have any comments and/or questions!

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I am Eriberto, an italian scientist who loves to travel around the world and share with you the most beautiful things I see. I make my drone fly above the highest skies and go scuba diving with my GoPro in the deepest blue seas. I deeply love nature and life. I often upload videos about small and interesting secrets of lots of cities, so if you are planning to travel around the world be sure to subscribe to not miss my videos, which will be very helpful in your trips. What are you waiting for? follow my adventures!

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Riding motorbike from San Gimignano to Monteriggioni - Tuscany, Italy - road SP 1

Motorcycle ride starting from San Gimignano to Monteriggioni medieval walled village. Trip along the roads SP 1, SP 36, SR 68, SP 5 within province of Siena in Tuscany region.
At the end some video footage on medieval walls.




Motorcycle: Yamaha XVS1300CU / Stryker - 2015 - Midnight Black
Action cam: GoPro Hero 3 white, 720p, 60 fps, fov wide.

Antica Dimora - Monteriggioni (Si) - Italy

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Antica Dimora hotel city: Monteriggioni (Si) - Country: Italy
Address: ; zip code: 53035

Located in Montauto, this apartment features a patio and a garden with a seasonal outdoor pool. The property is 44 km from Florence and free private parking is featured. A TV is available.
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Assassin's Creed Pilgrimage - Tour of Monteriggioni and Siena

Footage from my trip to Monteriggioni and Siena, and how real life compares to the Assassin's Creed versions. Stay tuned (and subscribed!) for new weekly wednesday episodes for the next couple months!

Playlist of all Assassin's Creed Pilgrimage episodes: