Castello di Montefioralle

The small village of Montefioralle is one of the best-preserved and most interesting mediaeval fortified villages in Chianti, indeed in the whole of Tuscany. The original name of Montefioralle was Monteficale – it claims an entire verse under that name in the Ninfale fiesolano, composed by Boccaccio in 1344-45.

Montefioralle has a double circuit of walls with the original mediaeval houses filling the space between them. The original main portal is still there, just to the left of the modern road entry which was created in the 19 C using material from the wall and some old houses that were demolished to make way for the villa that stands there now. The country house of the family of Amerigo Vespucci is located on the circular and one-and-only road of Montefioralle – look for the V and wasp (vespa – a visual pun on Vespucci) carved into the door lintel. The Vespucci family were extremely rich merchants based in Florence where they owned extensive properties. In Montefioralle, they purchased adjoining mediaeval houses one by one and merged them to form a larger “villa”, although behind the 19 C facade, the small rooms and innumerable steps and stairways of the old houses remain.

The upper level of Montefioralle preserves some of the castle keep, the remainder being incorporated into the church which is open on Sunday mornings and contains a number of good paintings.

Montefioralle is effectively car-free, making it an ideal place for children who will in any case be enthusiastic explorers of the lanes and portals. There are some seven entries into Montefioralle and a number of tower houses.

Definitely worth a visit. More about the Castello di Montefioralle.