Tuscany · Siena
Monteriggioni
A circular Sienese fortress built between 1213 and 1219 on a natural hill, fourteen towers on a 570-meter wall, intact and unbroken.
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- By car
- 55 min from Siena
- By train
- Station in the comune
- Population
- 9,991
Known for
THE WALLS
Fourteen square towers and 570 meters of curtain wall, intact since 1219, the most complete medieval enceinte in central Italy.
DANTE'S GIANTS
Inferno XXXI compares the giants ringing the central pit of Hell to the towers of Monteriggioni seen from below.
VIA FRANCIGENA
Medieval pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome runs past the southern wall, a documented stop since the twelfth century.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J10°
- F13°
- M14°
- A18°
- M22°
- J28°
- J32°
- A32°
- S26°
- O21°
- N15°
- D11°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
Monteriggioni sits on a natural hillock between Firenze and Siena, eleven kilometers from the Sienese gates. The walls were built between 1213 and 1219, when Siena ran them up as a frontline garrison facing Florentine expansion north. They are still there.
Fourteen square towers, 570 meters of curtain wall, ten meters tall, two gates: Porta Fiorentina to the north, Porta Romana to the south. Dante used the towers in Inferno XXXI as the image for the giants ringing the central pit of Hell. The fortress was never breached by storm.
Inside, the village is a single irregular Piazza Roma, a Romanesque parish church of Santa Maria Assunta, a few streets that take fifteen minutes to walk end to end. The Via Francigena runs past the southern wall. The town hosts a medieval festival in early July, when the population inside the walls multiplies for a weekend. The rest of the year, the silence inside the gates is the point.
Read on
Monteriggioni in our articles
The 6 best towns on a walking route that eat well in the province of Siena6 towns, Monteriggioni among them.
The 9 best hidden hill towns on a walking route in Toscana9 towns, Monteriggioni among them.
The best hidden towns with a medieval festival in the province of Siena10 towns, Monteriggioni among them.
The best towns on a walking route in the province of Siena10 towns, Monteriggioni among them.
What to see
Mura di Monteriggioni
Circular 570-meter wall built 1213-1219 by the Sienese, fourteen square towers on equidistant bases, ten meters high, intact.
Piazza Roma
Single main square inside the walls, ringed by stone houses, with the Romanesque parish church on the north side.
Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta
Romanesque parish church on Piazza Roma, plain stone façade, single nave, the only significant religious building inside the walls.
Camminamento delle mura
Walkway along the parapet of the walls, accessible at two points, with views across the Val d'Elsa to the surrounding ridges.
Via Francigena
The medieval pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome runs past the southern wall, with Monteriggioni a documented overnight stop since the twelfth century.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Monteriggioni fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
We recommend
Where to eat
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
Futura OsteriaTrattoria
Futura Osteria carries a Michelin Bib Gourmand, plus three Gambero Rosso prawns.
Osteria Bottega dell'AbateTrattoria
Osteria Bottega dell'Abate carries one Gambero Rosso prawn.
Through the year
What happens here
Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.
Monteriggioni di torri si colorahistorical re-enactment
usually held in July. Borghi Toscana - Eventi
The Sunday letter
Monteriggioni got its letter. One town every Sunday, free. The photo, the food, the festa.
Living here
- Population 9,991
- Commuter belti
- Pharmacy in town
- Nearest high school over ~30 minutes away
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Bologna, 2 h 29 min drive
- Regional capital Firenze, 1 h 36 min drive
Common questions
- What is Monteriggioni known for?
- Monteriggioni is a circular Sienese fortress built between 1213 and 1219 on a natural hill, fourteen towers on a 570-meter wall, intact and unbroken.
- Where is Monteriggioni?
- Monteriggioni is a comune in the province of Siena, in Tuscany, at 274 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Monteriggioni?
- Bologna (BLQ), about 2h 29m by car.
- Can you get to Monteriggioni without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Siena to Monteriggioni?
- About 55 minutes by car.
- When is the best time to visit Monteriggioni?
- Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 32 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 13 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Monteriggioni?
- Yes. Monteriggioni di torri si colora. July is when the first of them falls.
- Which other towns are like Monteriggioni?
- Castelnuovo Berardenga, Cherasco and Morrovalle.
- How many people live in Monteriggioni?
- 9,991 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 274 m
- Population: 9,991
- Surface area: 99.72 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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