Monteriggioni: Best Things to Do, Photos, and Helpful Tips

Monteriggioni is a small, walled town in Tuscany, Italy. A visit here is quick, with a stroll through town and a walk on the walls topping the list of things to do in Monteriggioni. It’s well worth adding onto your visit to Tuscany, especially if you have plans to drive through nearby towns such as Siena, Volterra, and San Gimignano.

In this guide, we will cover the top things to do in Monteriggioni, how to get here, where to eat, and helpful tips, so you can have the best experience.

Table of Contents

Background Information on Monteriggioni

Monteriggioni was built as a castle in the 13th century. Its original purpose was as a defensive fortress and to watch over the land towards Florence, the rival of Siena. Over several hundred years, the castle was attacked by Florentines.

The town is surrounded by medieval walls that are topped with 15 towers. There are two doorways through these walls. Porta Franca (also called Porta Romea) faces Siena and Porta San Giovanni faces Florence.

Monteriggioni is located along the Via Francigena, a pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome. It is a 3,200 km route that dates back to 990 AD, when Sigeric, the archbishop of Canterbury, traveled from Canterbury to Rome. He documented all 79 stages of his journey, which then became the origins of this walking route.

Monterrigioni has made appearances in several movies, including The English Patient and The Gladiator.

Aerial view of Monteriggioni | DaLiu/shutterstock.com

Things to Do in Monteriggioni

Walk on the Medieval Walls

The best thing to do in Monteriggioni is to walk on the medieval walls. From here, you get a bird’s eye view over the town and the Chianti region.

There are two small sections of wall that you can walk (you cannot walk the entire loop around Monteriggioni, unfortunately). The longer section sits next to the main entrance into town, next to Porta Franca. A metal staircase takes you up to a metal walkway that runs along the interior of the walls.

Walking the walls near Porta Franca

The view of Monteriggioni from the walls

There is a shorter section at the opposite end of town, near Porta San Giovanni. Climb the metal staircase to the very short walkway, which is another metal walkway on the interior of the walls.

Walking the walls near Porta San Giovanni

Your ticket includes both sections of the walls and gets you into the museum.

Stroll along Via I Maggio

Via I Maggio is the main street that runs through the center of Monteriggioni. To get from one end to the other, it only takes about 5 minutes, which illustrates just how small this town is.

Along the way, you will pass some shops, Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta, and the museum.

Piazza Roma

Piazza Roma is the main square in the center of town. Several restaurants sit along the square, along with Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta.

Piazza Roma

View of Piazza Roma from the walls

Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta

This church was built in 1213, the same year that Monteriggioni was founded. The bell tower was more recently constructed, in the 18th century. Inside the church you can see a painting of the Madonna by Lippo Vanni and a bell and wooden crucifix donated to the church in 1298 by the Republic of Siena.

Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta

Visit the Medieval Museum “Monteriggioni in Arms”

This small museum provides information about the history of Monteriggioni and the sieges on the castle. It takes between 15 and 30 minutes to walk through the museum and a visit here is included on your ticket to walk the walls. The museum is located next to the Tourist Information office, next to Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta.

Explore the Side Streets

Make a loop through town, walking along the main street from one gate to the other, and then come back to your starting point on Via Gramsci or Via Matteotti. These two streets run parallel to the main street and offer different views of Monteriggioni.

Where to Eat in Monteriggioni

Antico Travaglio is located on Piazza Roma and it gets rave reviews by guests, some saying it was their most memorable meal in Tuscany. Ristorante da Remo and Il Ceppo also get very good reviews. Futura Osteria is a Michelin-starred restaurant that is open for lunch and dinner.

How Much Time Do You Need in Monteriggioni?

The town is tiny so a visit here is very quick.

If you simply want to walk the walls, take a stroll through town, and visit the museum, an hour is all you need. With more time, you can sit down to lunch or dinner.

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How to Get to Monteriggioni

There is no train station in town but there are buses that run frequently from Siena. Here is a link to the timetable (select “GLI Orari Autobus da Siena a Monteriggioni).

The best way to get to Monteriggioni is by car, since you can travel on your own schedule. Here are the driving distances and times from nearby destinations:

Siena: 21 km, 20 minutes
San Gimignano: 28 km, 40 minutes
Volterra: 40 km, 50 minutes
Florence: 65 km, 1 hour

There are several parking lots that sit outside of Monteriggioni, near Porta Franca. The closest lot sits just outside of the gate, at the top of the hill. If you can’t get a parking space here, drive back down the road a short distance and there are two more lots. There is a small fee to park in all of these lots.

If you have any questions about the best things to do in Monteriggioni, let us know in the comment section below.

More Information for Your Trip to Italy

We have TONS more information about Italy in our Italy Travel Guide, including Rome, Florence, Venice, Tuscany, the Dolomites, the Amalfi Coast, the Cinque Terre, Basilicata, Sicily, and Puglia.

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