Destinations

Tuscan Countryside

Monteriggioni

The castle of Monteriggioni is located on a hill at the south-east corner of Chianti, easily reachable from the freeway FI-SI. It is so beautiful and easily recognizable with its rounded walls ​​entirely made of stones rhythmically marked by 11 rectangular towers still visible. It has medieval origins, founded in the second decade of 13th century by the Republic of Siena, to guard the boundary with Guelphian Florence. The castle was then rased to the ground by the latters a few years later, to be rised againd after the Ghibelline Victory of Montaperti, which took place in 1260. It was in that circumstance, that there rose the “round circle” mentioned by Dante in the XXXI canto of the Inferno, whose towers reached the height of twenty meters, marking with their profile the horizon of the Val d’Elsa. From mid sixteenth century, it lost its mainly military function and became an inhabited delightful fortified village like today. Inside the walls, a centre to be visited on foot is made of a square with its  church a few rows of houses and the walkway on the walls from which enjoying breathtaking views. The tourist board, receives the small “in Arme” museum, a collection of medieval weapons and soldier’s uniforms with some reproductions to put on.

A fun and easy walk of 4 km, following the well marked path along the Francigena, leads to Badia Isola. Founden in  the year 1001, the Abbey was dedicated to St. Salvatore. The place was surrounded by the stagnation of rainy water coming down from Montemaggio (hence the name isola meaning island). From the beginning, the abbey and the monastery hosted pilgrims and travelers. Of the abbey, today is visible the splendid Romanesque church and the restored monastery, partially recovered in the ancient tradition of modern pilgrimage hospitality, the rest in modern documentation center and in a museum of the Via Francigena. Both Monteriggioni and Badia Isola are reached by our self guided cycling tour

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