Montalcino is a hill town in the south of Tuscany known for its famous wine, Brunello di Montalcino. One of its most distinctive features is the fortified castle that sits at the highest point of the town and overlooks everything below. Built on a pentagonal plan in 1361 and designed by the Sienese architects Mino Foresi and Domenico di Feo, the castle incorporates some of the pre-existing southern town walls (which date back as far as the 13th century), and other pre-existing structures including the keep of Santo Martini, the San Giovanni tower and an ancient basilica which now serves as its chapel. Find a villa with a pool in Siena nearby and spend a day experiencing this unique little town, its traditions and the wonderful Montalcino castle.
Montalcino, though a free town, aligned itself with Siena through wars and power struggles between Siena and Florence from the 12th century onwards and was inevitably caught in the crossfire. Although the town itself was eventually conquered, the fortress was never taken.
The castle is still almost entirely intact to this day in spite of this troubled and turbulent past. In fact, it has a rather enduringly impressive façade and all the trademarks of a classic castle-enclosure, with its pentagonal plan being endowed by towers to each angles.
The castle is still almost entirely intact to this day in spite of this troubled and turbulent past. In fact, it has a rather enduringly impressive façade and all the trademarks of a classic castle-enclosure, with its pentagonal plan being endowed by towers to each angles.
Today, you can explore the ancient walls and towers as well as the basilica. Inside the castle grounds is a little wine shop where you can taste and buy the best wines from the region including Brunello and this is not to be missed while you're there!
The Sagra del Tordo festival, or Feast of the Thrush, takes place in the castle area on the Saturday and Sunday of the last weekend of October each year. Saturday sees the town come to life with drums, trumpets and a costume parade among other spectacles. The next day is a day-long feast in Montalcino Castle.
The feast is open to the public and a good range of food, especially roast thrush, plus the excellent local wines are available. In the morning, another costume parade takes place as well as celebratory lunches are held in the four quartieri of the town - Pianello, Travaglio, Ruga and Borghetto. The main parade is in the afternoon, leading to the archery field where there is a longbow tournament in which two archers from each quartiere compete.
With so much to see in this town and the rest of Siena, what are you waiting for?
The Sagra del Tordo festival, or Feast of the Thrush, takes place in the castle area on the Saturday and Sunday of the last weekend of October each year. Saturday sees the town come to life with drums, trumpets and a costume parade among other spectacles. The next day is a day-long feast in Montalcino Castle.
The feast is open to the public and a good range of food, especially roast thrush, plus the excellent local wines are available. In the morning, another costume parade takes place as well as celebratory lunches are held in the four quartieri of the town - Pianello, Travaglio, Ruga and Borghetto. The main parade is in the afternoon, leading to the archery field where there is a longbow tournament in which two archers from each quartiere compete.
With so much to see in this town and the rest of Siena, what are you waiting for?