The region of Tuscany is filled with beauty. From the Tuscan cities of Montalcino to Firenze, from Lucca to San Gimignano, from Siena to Sansepolcro, beauty is just about everywhere. The region is also filled with history: it was home to ancient Etruscans and gave rise, at least in great part, to the Italian Renaissance. It’s had many brilliant sons and daughters, most notably the poet Dante. Let's enjoy a taste of Tuscany's beauty by venturing off to a fortified village in the hills south of Firenze: Monteriggioni. For being so small, Monteriggioni is impossible to miss.

From below, Monteriggioni looks nothing more than a wall with just over a dozen towers stretching into the sky. Inside, however, is a little village, though one with a dark past. Firenze and Siena have long been enemies. As Firenze grew in power during in the 1200s, it sought to expand gain more territory. Siena, a powerful city to Firenze's south, was the perfect target for takeover. Knowing this, Siena responded by building Monteriggioni, a military fortress, to deflect any advances. The entire village was built on a hilltop in the early thirteenth century for the sole purpose of warding off Florentine troops. The great and looming walls of Monteriggioni evoked such fear in Florentines that the famous poet Dante, of Firenze, compared them to the Malebolge, the "evil ditches," of Hell in Canto XXXI of the Divina Commedia. Though Monteriggioni's purpose was defense, Monteriggioni was ultimately annexed by the Florentine state in the sixteenth century.

Monteriggioni today enjoys recognition as one of the most pristine examples of Medieval life in all of Europe. If you find yourself in Tuscany, be sure to visit. Enjoy Piazza Roma at the city's center. Take in the Medieval Festival (and enjoy some photos of it here). But before you go, explore the city's tourism site. Learn about the Via Francigena, which passes by Monteriggioni. Download a brochure and map (PDF) to get you started. Buon viaggio!