Tuscany is famous for its hilltop towns and villages, and, among the latter, one of the best preserved and most photogenic is Montefioralle, a Chianti walled mediaeval village.
Montefioralle near Greve in Chianti, Tuscany
Montefioralle was once the main inhabited location of this area, at a time when Greve, down in the valley, was no more than a market place. As recently as the eve of World War II, there were still ten cobblers and ten wrought iron workshops in Montefioralle. Now there is just one active workshop, a carpenter’s workshop where, if his door is open, you can see the ironwork furnace still in place.
Archway over a lane in Montefioralle
The Vespucci family owned a large house here. You can recognise it from the V and wasp (vespa) carved in the pietra serena door lintel. Young Amerigo Vespucci walked through this very doorway many times! There is a restaurant and a local wine outlet as well as a snack bar inside Montefioralle. The village is a fairly steep 20 minute uphill climb from Greve in Chianti, through very typical Chianti olive groves and vineyards. The walk back down is much easier!
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About Elena Spolaor
Although Elena was born in Venice, she was brought up in Tuscany and is a historian and frequent contributor to online articles about life in Tuscany and Umbria. Her specialities are Tuscan and Umbrian local history and folklore.
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