La Villa Castle

How to reach

The castle can be reached by following the Siena-Florence motorway until the Monteriggioni exit, and from there taking Via Cassia (SR2) to the junction for Sovicille. As soon as you turn right, just follow the signs for La Villa and you will reach the castle.

History

There is little information about the Villa Castle, located in La Villa, just 8 kilometres from Monteriggioni. Situated opposite the most famous Castello della Chiocciola, the medieval building played an important role as it was located near the Via Francigena. The core of the fortress is a massive square stone tower, the keep, with a bastionated base consisting of a floor with lintel windows on concave brackets and closed by a slightly projecting floor on stone brackets. Inside, fresco decorations created between the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the 14th century are still preserved.

Surrounding the keep is a quadrangular-walled circuit crowned with battlements, with an original structure leaning against it. The complex is surrounded by a group of buildings of clear medieval origin; portals, doors, and arched windows made of Montagnola limestone ashlars testify to their origin. The complex of these medieval structures shows how, in the late Middle Ages, the area of Montagnola Senese was not only a land of Castles and Abbeys, but was dotted with settlements of different types.