Montaione is a far-flung village in Italy that is slowly building its reputation as an upcoming tourist hot spot. The countryside is losing its young to the call of the city in search of a better life but this little Italian hamlet is not to be forgotten. There are many things to do in Montaione, Italy. Although accessible only via the snaking mountain roads that crisscross through a dense forest, the town that sits atop a high hill (with an elevation of 1,152 m or 3,780 ft) is a force to be reckoned with. Located between Florence, Siena and Pisa, Montaione can also serve as a good base from where you can plan day trips to nearby towns.
Here are some of the things that you can do in Montaione, Italy:
1. Biking with LandHill Bike Rental in Montaione
Located centrally in Montaione where it is easily accessible to some of the more fascinating streets in Tuscany, the LandHill Bike Rental company offers you high quality road bikes and mountain bikes for rent. They have a team of qualified cyclists led by Franco Paternoster, a recognized athlete and teacher, who will be able to guide you whether in groups or on your own to explore the beauty of Tuscany through organized day tours.
LandHill Bike Rental
Address: Via JF Kennedy n°10, 50050 Montaione, (FI) Tuscany, Italy
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday from 8:30am–6:30pm and Saturday to Sunday from 9am–2pm
Contact Franco in Montaione: +39 3338929219
Contact Stefano in Santa Croce sull’Arno: +39 057130780
Website: LandHill Bike Rental
2. Let’s take a swing at golf club Toscana Resort Castelfalfi
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Tuscany’s mild climate allows the golfing enthusiasts to enjoy all year round golfing. With Castelfalfi being the largest course in the area, golfers from around the world congregate to its sustainable golf course framed by breathtaking scenery. What more can you ask for with Castelfalfi Golf Club’s 27 holes ensuring a thoroughly gratifying experience, even for beginners, with golf clinics also available on offer as well as a Club House.
Toscana Resort Castelfalfi
Address: Località Castelfalfi, 50050 Montaione, Firenze, Italia
Contact: +39 0571891000
Website: Toscana Resort Castelfalfi
3. Sacro Monte di San Vivaldo
The Sacro Monte di San Vivaldo or the Holy Mount of San Vivaldo (one of the most important religious national monuments in Italy) is located within Montaione village, a small hamlet within a short distance of the Jerusalem of Tuscany. In 14th-century, the blessed Vivaldo who was born in San Gimignano, selected the area where he would do a life of fasting and penance “the love for Jesus Christ”.
Sacro Monte di San Vivaldo
Website: Comune di Montaione (in Italian)
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4. The Chapels in the Holy Mount of San Vivaldo
The chapels of the Holy Mount of San Vivaldo were erected in the 16th-century and to this day, they continue to maintain their interior in terracotta which represents the different stages of life and Passion of Jesus Christ. The following is the current list of chapels of the Holy Mount of San Vivaldo, as many were lost to landslides and the last three on the list were more recent (The Annunciation, Escape in Egypt and The Samaritan).
The Chapels 1. Mount Sion 2. Anna’s house 3. Caifa’s house 4. Pilato’s house 5. San Giacomo the Minor 6. Prison of Christ 7. The Crucifixion 8. The Holy Sepulchre 9. Noli me Tangere 10. The Veronica 11. Simon the Pharisee’s house 12. Ladies of Charity 13. The Lady of Pain 14. The Calvary 15. The Ascension 16. The Annunciation 17. Escape in Egypt 18. The Samaritan
The Chapels in the Holy Mount of San Vivaldo
Website: Comune di Montaione (in Italian)
5. Santuario della Pietrina
Sanctuary of Pietrina is a scenic church located on the highest hill of Montaine from where you can set your sights on the picturesque Tuscan countryside with the nearby Volterra town. You will be able to access the Santuario della Pietrina, the church, the ancient towers and a small permanent nativity scene if you follow the directions to Iano towards Palagio and then turn left on the steep uphill road.
Santuario della Pietrina
Website: Sanctuary of Pietrina
6. Castle of Vignale
The medieval Castle of Vignale although now in ruins, used to have almost 200 inhabitants in 1833. At one time the castle even had its own secret underground tunnel. You will be able to see the castle with the church and the water mill.
Castle of Vignale
Location: From San Vivaldo to Iano, following the path to the right is the surest way to get to Castle of Vignale
Admission: Free
7. Museo Civico
Civic Museum houses the archaeological, paleontological, mineral and fossil findings from Montaione. The Civic Museum can be found in Via Cresci inside Palazzo Pretorio. The museum’s exhibitions are arranged in chronological order and spread between two floors. You will be able to find the remains of a whale fossil found in 1980 in Castelfalfi going back a few million of years ago, the remains of ancient Etruscan settlements and fragments of Roman flooring.
Museo Civico
Address: Via Cresci, 17, 50050 Montaione FI, Italy
Opening Hours for April to October: Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 1pm; Monday from 4:30pm to 7:30pm
Opening Hours for 16 May – 15 September: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 1pm; Monday from 4:30pm to 7:30pm
Admission Fee: 1.79 USD or 1.50 EUR
Admission Fee for Under 15, Over 65 and groups over 15 people: 1.19 USD or 1.00 EUR
8. Go horse riding with Riding Tuscany
If riding a bicycle through the countryside is not for you, then why not explore Tuscany by horse with the Riding Tuscany team? The trails have been made by woodcutters long ago, so take your time during the ride and stop to explore the Castle Vignale and other fantastic views along the way.
Riding Tuscany
Address: Via Torri 62, 50050 Montaione (FI), Italy
Website: Riding Tuscany
Arts, culture and spectacular views
These are the things that you will get to experience in the amazing environment of Montaione. Such serene surroundings, it is not often you can get lost in a place like Montaione, Italy. This is one of the reasons why Montaione is popular with tourists coming in from the nearby Pisa or Florence.
History
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