Monticchiello, Tuscany, Italy
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- Опубліковано 20 лип 2024
- travel videos & photos at: townsofeurope.com/ with text, maps & links.
We are in Tuscany, Italy, visiting little, such tiny village that you've probably never heard of. It's Monticchiello, another one of the charming hill towns that are so beautiful. And this place is quite special, because only 200 people live here.
It's a medieval walled town that dates back to the 13th century, just a few miles away from Pienza, very charming.
The village is less than 200 meters wide and yet has numerous little lanes and old stone buildings that make it very attractive - a fun place to explore for at least a couple of hours, or stick around longer for a meal in one of those great restaurants we will show you later.
It's up on the hill, surrounded by olive trees in that classic Tuscan style, with old buildings throughout the village.
Park your car outside, down below town, and then walk up the gentle hill to get into the village, which is surrounded by a green park with some pretty trees showing fall colors. We're here in November.
Two towers are among seven still standing at this old medieval fortified wall around the town, protecting St. Agatha's gate that dates back to the 13th century. It's the main gate leading into the village.
There is no single most-important thing to see, so the idea is, take a walk throughout the little village, because the entire ensemble is one of the best-preserved old towns in Tuscany. Very little development or changes have happened in recent centuries.
It's a small town, and we have a short movie, but you will be surprised at how much there is to see, including some amazing gourmet restaurants, and places to stay. We also found a friendly cat in the Gothic church. It's a destination to put on your list.
The first time Monticchiello is ever mentioned in any historic document was during the tenth century, but it's likely people lived here back in the Etruscan and Roman eras.
The Middle Ages were a turbulent time here, with warfare and competition between the nearby cities, so little Monticchiello was aligned with Siena for its protection, until Florence took control later in the 16th century.
This small fortified hamlet was like a castle, with its main tower, Torre dell Casserol, the keep of the castle where the Lord lived, tallest among the other 16 towers in those days, shown here inside the white circle.
Your videos are so calmly presented and full of interesting facts and sights... really enjoy watching them. Great job Dennis!
I love Dennis. I feel at peace and happy when I watch his videos.
@@kalebarancelovic Absolutely... something about his friendly demeanour and old-school video presentation. A pleasure to watch.
I feel the same way. I love Dennis's videos!
We’re staying here. Can’t wait!!
Great, great, great, thanks Dennis.
outstanding!
Hello, my name is Elisabetta. I enjoed watching your video. I was born in Siena and my father was from Monticchiello, where I lived for a few years, and I have wonderful memories of my childhood spent there, my friends, the locals (we all knew each other) and, after moving with my family abroad, the beautiful memories are of the summers spent at my grandmother's, where the whole family would gather. Monticchiello is a really charming village! Thank you for your interesting and passionate presentation of this lovely tiny town.❤️
Hi Elisabetta, I'm so glad my video reminded you of home, thank you.
What a gorgeous village! Thanks for bringing these hidden gems to light through your videos.
It’s very cute village . Thank you
Another great upload, this is a beautiful town, and the cat in the church is so cute. thanks for your sharing👍💗💗
Good job, Dennis.
Charming little village. Thanks for sharing 😊
Nice ❤️❤️❤️
Nice info
Certainly a road less travelled in Italy by hordes of tourists... but nevertheless so beautiful!. Italy never fails to charm.
Interesting town. My wife and I visited in 2021 and dined at La Porta eating pici, beef cheek washed down with Montefalco Brunella and Peroni. The townspeople were supportive of the local resistance during WW2, which led to a famous incident where the SS rounded up the local population to execute them against the town wall. A massacre was only averted by the intercession of the German wife of a local farmer. And all this just below where we were eating. As mentioned, each year, the town of Monticchiello, write and perform a play. This is a tradition going back to 1967 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the saving of town’s people. It is completely written, directed and staged by the people. Australian Master Chef also filmed an episode there in 2012 near the time of our visit.
Hi James, thank you very much for those stories, which bring the town to life in a vivid way. Such a tiny place, it's amazing that anyone can find it. Good thing it is near Pienza, which does attract many visitors.
Are the cats included in the population count?🤪