Only a few kilometers from the town of Greve and through a very narrow and adventurous road one comes upon the picturesque and delightful town of Montefioralle. The village of Montefioralle is well worth a visit for the ”castle” itself.
The town was originally called Monteficalle. It is situated on a hilltop facing the Greve valley, surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and cypresses. Parts of the ancient walls are still visible, while the small streets are marked by old homes, a donjon, and several towers.
The ancient village and castle of Montefioralle were an important stronghold during the wars between Florence and Siena. A house in the circular main street of Montefioralle is pointed out as the birth-place of Amerigo Vespucci. The doorway is identified by the wasp (“vespa”) and V of the Vespucci family.
In 1250 it became the headquarters of the League of the Greve Valley. The town was once endowed with two sets of walls. It had an octagonal shape with four gates. With the fall of the Sienese Republic, Montefioralle lost its prior importance and most of its inhabitants moved to Greve. We advise you to visit the church of Santo Stefano and the parish church of Montefioralle.
It is an easy 20 minute up-hill walk from Greve and provides you with lots of picture spots, silence and landscape typical of this area. From Montefioralle, there is an interesting hike along the back roads to Panzano. Situated in the hills above Greve in Chianti, it is noted for the one street that completely encircles the church of S. Stefano (inside an interesting 13th century Madonna and 14th and 16th century Florentine paintings): a simple building is traditionally indicated as the house of Amerigo Vespucci. The church of S. Cresci can also be visited close by.
Montefioralle, which originally belonged to the Buondelmonti and Ricasoli families, began life as a fortification that could have hosted a sizable garrison (as well as refugees from the surrounding countryside in times of war), with a central keep and thick walls that now contain houses. A stroll along its one circular street feels like a step back in time; duck down the side street between numbers 81 and 101 to see how thick the walls were.
Users that read this article also found the following interesting:
- Panzano in Chianti
- From Siena to Florence on Route 222
- Bagnone Castle Near Massa
- Poppi in Tuscany
- BUS CONNECTION BETWEEN FLORENCE AIRPORT AND CITY CENTER
June 14th, 2007 at 05:01
such a dreamy place! i’d love to go there. in the meantime, i can only dream trough the pictures and your words (and of course, the google earth :p)