Montaione sightseeing

The urbanistic planning of the old town is simple, based on three parallel streets: here the Praetorian Palace (14th century) is prominent: on the façade there is a number of old municipal stone and glazed terracotta coats of arms. Inside are located the Civic Museum and the Historical Archive.

Important is the church of San Regolo once dedicated to San Bartolommeo, dates back to the 13th century and contains a valuable painting (Madonna with Child, 13th century) attributed to a follower of Cimabue.

In the territory of the municipality of Montaione there are places of historical and artistic interest.

On the road to Gambassi, 1 km far from the town, you find Villa Da Filicaja. It stand on the site of the roman Figline and it was presented to the poet Vincenzo da Filicaja (17th century) by the Medici family along with a great deal of land and house in the town.

Not far away, at 2 Km from Montaione is the Roman Cistern. It goes back to the 2nd century b.C. and it is 27 meters long and 3 wide, divided into three rectangular sections and contained 400 cubic meters of water coming from the springs of Poggio all'Aglione.

One of the most important monument of Montaione is in San Vivaldo near the monastery and called the Holy Mount or Jerusalem of Tuscany, a series of chapel and little temples, created by Father Tommaso of Florence and which represent the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ.

The district of Iano, famous for its onyx quarries and for the working of precious stones, is found 4 Km from San Vivaldo along the Via Volterrana in the valley beneath the ruins of the medieval castles of Pietrina and Vignale.

The village and stronghold of Castelfalfi, on a spur of a steep hill, were founded around 700 by the long bard Faolfi (hence the name 'Castrum Faolfi' which later became Castelfalfi ).