Tuscany is home to lots of extraordinarily beautiful buildings, towns, and landscapes. The lovely medieval walled town of Monteriggioni is a supreme example of all three of these things coming together. Set amongst the rolling hills and lush plains of the countryside of the province of Siena, with the most incredible ringed town that looks like a village pulled right from the pages of a storybook or scene from history, and filled with lots of stunning historic buildings, it is a prime example of a Tuscan town that is preserved and idyllic and what any tourist would like to experience for themselves while exploring the region. The area is also home to a rather special castle that also looks like a fairytale come to life, the exceptionally pretty Castello della Chiocciola.
Castello della Chiocciola is famous in the tomes of local history for its impressive ability to continue resistance to the Imperial militias during the war of Siena in the mid-16th century and, unsurprisingly, therefore, is characterised by a robust and fortified appearance with a stout square tower and crenelated battlements. However, the cylindrical tower, for which the castle is named due to the spiral staircase providing access to the floors of the main tower, softens the whole thing and lends a more romantic atmosphere to the building. Surrounding all of this is a complex of more modern buildings that have been added throughout the centuries to make the castle into a more liveable and comfortable residence and villa.
Now privately owned, the castle and gardens are not actually open to the public but, while you might not be able to get particularly up-close-and-personal, the view of the castle from a short distance away is rather charming and another pretty landmark to take in if you have found a luxury villa in Monteriggioni and are exploring the area. Plus, it makes for a rather dreamy backdrop for a photo to mark your time in this land of fairytales come to life.
Now privately owned, the castle and gardens are not actually open to the public but, while you might not be able to get particularly up-close-and-personal, the view of the castle from a short distance away is rather charming and another pretty landmark to take in if you have found a luxury villa in Monteriggioni and are exploring the area. Plus, it makes for a rather dreamy backdrop for a photo to mark your time in this land of fairytales come to life.
Photo credit: LigaDue / CC BY-SA 4.0
