Montaione
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Montaione

Montaione

Medieval Valdelsa hill town near San Vivaldo's Renaissance chapels in a wooded Tuscan hillside.

Montaione is a small medieval hill town in the Valdelsa, halfway between Florence and Volterra. It sees far fewer visitors than its neighbours, which is part of the appeal — this is workaday Tuscany, not postcard Tuscany, though the views from the old centre are postcard-worthy all the same.

The town preserves a compact medieval layout and a pleasant piazza. On the road to Gambassi Terme, about a kilometre out, stands the Villa Da Filicaia, built on the site of a Roman settlement and once gifted by the Medici to the poet Vincenzo da Filicaia. A Roman cistern nearby hints at the area's ancient history. The Palazzo Pretorio Civic Museum in the old centre holds local archaeological finds. Four kilometres south-west, the sacred complex of San Vivaldo — eighteen Renaissance chapels reproducing Jerusalem's holy sites in a wooded hillside — is one of the most remarkable and least-visited sights in all of Tuscany. The medieval hamlet of Castelfalfi, with its castle and golf course, lies six kilometres to the west. Montaione makes a quiet, affordable base for exploring the Tuscan countryside by car.

Guide

Getting There

Montaione has no train station and no direct bus connection from Florence. The practical way to get here is by car — it is about 40 minutes southwest of Florence on the SP429 via Certaldo, or 30 minutes from San Gimignano via Gambassi Terme. The roads through the Valdelsa are quiet and scenic.

From Florence, a limited bus service runs via Certaldo and Gambassi Terme, but the schedule is infrequent and not practical for a day visit without a long wait. Certaldo, on the main Florence–Siena rail line, is the nearest train station — about 15 kilometres from Montaione — and a taxi can be arranged from there, though you will need to book in advance as there is no taxi rank.

A car is strongly recommended for exploring the area, as the main sights — San Vivaldo, Castelfalfi, and the surrounding countryside — are all several kilometres from the town centre on narrow country roads.

Guide

Things to Do

The main draw in Montaione is San Vivaldo, a remarkable Renaissance sacred complex of eighteen chapels reproducing Jerusalem's holy sites in miniature — one of the most significant pilgrimage sites in Tuscany, yet almost unknown outside the region. In town, the Palazzo Pretorio Civic Museum holds Roman and Etruscan finds from excavations nearby, and the Roman cistern behind the village is a beautifully preserved ancient water reservoir.

The hamlet of Castelfalfi nearby has a medieval castle and a golf course set among Tuscan hills. The surrounding countryside is excellent walking and cycling territory, particularly on quiet gravel roads through vineyards and olive groves. The hills around Montaione form part of the Via Francigena pilgrim route corridor, with day walks possible along historic ridge paths linking to nearby Gambassi Terme.