Montefioralle

Montefioralle is a village in Tuscany and the municipality of Greve in Chianti.

Geography

The village is located about 1.5 km west of the main town of Greve in Chianti. It is situated at 352 meters above sea level and has about 80 inhabitants.

History

The Castello di Montefioralle, formerly called Monteficalle, Monteficalli or Montefioralli was first mentioned in 1085 in a document of Badia a Passignano in Barberino Val d'Elsa, making it one of the oldest villages of the Chianti region. The fort was in the Middle Ages is of central importance for the region and was appointed in 1250 as the seat of the Lega di Greve. The Castello were consisted of two octagonal -scale wall rings embedded in the four gates, which are present even in modified form today. 1260, the military once important fortress in the battle of Montaperti was largely destroyed. The numerous towers were demolished to build houses with this building material between the two walls. The fortress was until it was conquered by Alberico da Barbiano owned by the family in 1325 Buondelmonte of Castruccio Castracane and 1387. After that they belonged among others the families of the Ricasoli, Benci di Figline and of the Gherardini. The Vespucci family had its origins in the village. Its current romantic townscape Montefioralle has received in the 14th century. Inside the formerly applied octagonal fortress there is only a single lane that leads around a circular route around the Romanesque church of Santo Stefano.

Attractions

• Chiesa di Santo Stefano, the diocese of Fiesole nationals church in the town center. Inside the church there are numerous works of art, including one from the 13th century ( 1270er years), which is attributed to the Master of Bagnano or the Maestro di Greve (also known as Maestro di Montefioralle or Meliore di Jacopo ). The painting depicts the Virgin Mary is ( Madonna with Child in trono e due angeli ) together with the Child and Two Angels. From Fidani Orazio (1606-1656) we find the canvas painting Santi Michele Arcangelo, Jacopo, Stefano e Domenico (1647 arose ) in the church.
• Pieve di San Cresci Pieve is in the diocese of Fiesole, about 1 km north-west of Montefioralle.

Special

• The place was awarded as the most beautiful villages of Italy belonging.
• Montefioralle to have been the birthplace of the world famous Amerigo Vespucci. This thesis can, however, hardly maintained today. The only certainty is that has resided here the noble family Vespucci in the Middle Ages. In one of the houses is still the emblem of the Vespucci family to recognize.