Monteriggioni celebrates its 800th birthday on March 23rd! Many know Monteriggioni as one of the medieval hill towns in Tuscany to include in their itinerary. In fact, it welcomes over 70,000 visitors annually. The fortification, originally the Castle of Monteriggioni, was built by the Sienese between 1214 and 1219 as a stronghold against the Florentines, and it served the purpose until 1554 when the exiled Florentine Giovannino Zeti surrendered the garrison to the Medici in what was considered an act of betrayal by the people of Siena. Monteriggioni is one of the best preserved existing examples of a medieval walled village, the impressive circular shaped walls are about 570 meters long and follow the natural contours of the hill on which they are built. There are 14 equidistant towers and 2 entry gates. A stroll through this historic village will surely take you back in time. The main square, Piazza Roma, is dominated by a Romanesque church and the houses facing the piazza were those of the wealthy merchants and nobles of the time. The smaller side streets are lined with more modest period dwellings, still incredibly intact, and lead to public parks, which were used centuries ago to feed the local population during times of siege. One of the many illustrious visitors was Dante Alighieri, who immortalized the imagery of the circular fortress in the Inferno of his Divine Comedy.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 11:07:51 +0000
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