Monteriggioni Castle

Monteriggioni is a Tuscan town in the province of Siena; located 274 meters above sea level, it has 10,000 inhabitants. Identifying symbol of the city is certainly the castle. Built by the Sienese by order of the Guelph Podestà Da Porcari between 1214 and 1219. The land on which it was built is said to have been the site of an ancient Lombard farm. The purpose of the castle was mainly defensive against the historical rival Florence but also to control and monitor the Via Francigena and the Elsa and Staggia valleys. The nucleus of Monteriggioni is a small fortified village. The castle boasts an impressive diameter of 172 meters, surrounded by a mighty wall 2 meters wide and interspersed with 15 towers and 2 gates. A walkway ran over the walls that ran along the entire perimeter. In 2005 some parts of this walkway were rebuilt to allow the enjoyment of a unique and suggestive view without equal on the Chianti and the Sienese hills.