Monteriggioni is the hidden gem of Tuscany, a place like a movie set, a handful of medieval buildings surrounded by a fortress. A place where you suddenly plunge a few centuries back in time. A true fairy tale. We were there at sunset and it was amazing.
Although it is located very close to the magnificent Siena, Monteriggioni remains off the beaten track. We would certainly have missed it if my son had not insisted on seeing it. I did not expect such a charm. The charm of stepping into another era. A fortified town, untouchable by time. Everything was so old and authentic there. A complete idyll. Only our modern clothes did not fit in with the surroundings.
This article is a travel guide to Monteriggioni, Italy. Find below everything you need to organize your trip there.
Short info about Monteriggioni
Monteriggioni is a medieval fortified town in the province of Siena. It was built by the Sienese in the period 1213–1219 as a defensive fortress in their wars against Florence. It is located on a natural hill with beautiful panoramas in all directions.
The fortress walls have a total length of 570 meters and part of them can be walked on nowadays. 14 square towers are built into the walls at equal distances. This silhouette – a combination of walls with many towers – is extremely impressive from afar.
Two gates were built into the walls – northwestern and southeastern, called Porta Fiorentina and Porta Romana respectively, depending on which major cities they are directed towards – Florence and Rome.
The main street in the fortress connects the two gates in a straight line.
The town has been preserved from its construction to this day almost in its original form. Minimal changes were made in the 16th century, when the height of the towers was slightly lowered, and then in 1921, when three of them were made equal in height to the fortress wall.
Dante mentioned Monteriggioni in his “Divine Comedy”.
In addition, the town serves as one of the settings in the popular video game Assassin’s Creed.
How to get to Monteriggioni
Monteriggioni is located 62 km south of Florence and 20 km northwest of Siena. The fortress is visible from the main road between Florence and Siena. You can reach the town by car, which takes about an hour from Florence and about 25 minutes from Siena.
In front of the fortress at the foot of the hill you’ll find a large parking lot. The rate is 2 euros per hour. There are also a few free parking spaces in front of the parking lot. When we went, most of them were free, whether because the daylight was ending or because of the season, I can’t say, but we took advantage of it.
From Siena you can also take public transport – there are buses to Monteriggioni.
Monteriggioni can be visited as part of organized tours. Our hotel in Florence offered us one. Then I saw a similar one on the GetYouGuide portal.
Check out below two interesting tours to Monteriggioni:
Florence: Siena, San Gimignano and Monteriggioni with Tasting
Florence: Monteriggioni and Val d’Orcia Optional Wine Tasting
If you are a group of 3-4 people, it will be cheaper to rent a car in Florence. This way you can combine Siena, Monteriggioni and San Gimignano in one trip. If you rent it for two days, you can also visit Pisa with it.
Ren a car through the Discover Cars portal here.
Things to do in Monteriggioni
The town itself is a landmark to behold. It is small and everything is so compact that you can walk around it in less than half an hour and be done with it. However, there are a few places that I advise you to dedicate some of your time to. We spent nearly two hours there. We could have spent more, but it got dark and almost everything closed.
Walk along the Fortress Walls
You can walk along part of the fortress walls. The boarding points are next to both gates. The ticket costs 5 euros and also includes a visit to the city museum, so keep it while you are in the town.
From the fortress walls, beautiful views of the interior of the fortress and far beyond it open up.
Stroll through Dante Alighieri Square
The central square, surrounded by Renaissance buildings.
Enter the Santa Maria Church
It is in Romanesque style and also overlooks the square.
Visit the City Museum
It tells the story of Monteriggioni and its history, including the battles that took place here.
Our visit to Monteriggioni, Italy
We arrived in Monteriggioni at sunset. In this case, it was just before 5 p.m. As soon as we entered the fortress, we saw that we could walk along the walls. However, it turned out that we only had 35 minutes to walk along the walls and visit the museum. So, we had to keep a fairly quick pace at first, but we still managed to see everything included with the ticket.
Then we walked around the town a few more times – not only along the main street, but also along the side streets. It was very pleasant. It was as if we were in a time machine. We thought about sitting in one of the restaurants on the square, but by the time we walked everywhere, it got completely dark and they closed. Probably, in the summer they’ll work until later.
Instead of a restaurant, we visited a shop with local wine and delicacies, on the back of one of the buildings on the square.
We left in the dark. As we descended the hill along the road to the highway, I could not take my eyes off the fortress. It was very well lit and its silhouette was even more impressive. We found a turnoff and stopped for one last shot.
Final thoughts
Monteriggioni fascinates with its authenticity. If you are traveling around Tuscany by car, I highly recommend taking a walk in Monteriggioni. If you don’t have a car and can afford it, join an organized tour, it’s worth it.
I hope this Monteriggioni travel guide has given you everything you need to plan your visit to this charming medieval town. I hope you enjoy discovering it as much as we did!
