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Montalcino is only a very small town so, other than the wines, the fortress is pretty much the main event. Luckily the two are combined at the fortress and inside is a bar inside that does wine-tastings. The fortress was built in 1361 and sits on the highest point in the town. In the 1300s, it was wise place yourself in a strategically high location to protect yourself against enemies. The higher, the better. Once we got up to the fortress, it was easy to see how you would have a huge advantage in spotting approaching enemies and defending yourself. The fortress was at the centre of the fighting between Siena and Florence in the 1500s before Italy was united and was one of the last bastions of Sienese resistance against Florence. They held out here for around 4 years. It didn't hold forever though and Florence finally defeated Siena in 1555, bringing Montalcino under the rule of Florence and Cosimo de Medici. You can enter and explore the fortress grounds for free. If you want to climb the upper-most ramparts, it is 4€pp. There is a café, toilets and wine-tastings inside the fortress (I have written a separate review on this). GETTING THERE: We hired a car to drive around the smaller Tuscan towns. Renting a car was by far the easiest way to get to Montalcino. We are huge fans of trains in Italy but without a car, it would have been very difficult to see the towns like Montalcino. Having said that, parking can also be difficult in the summer months. The historic centre is a ZTL zone which means that you cannot drive a car in the centre (big fines if you do). Instead you can park outside the town in and walk in. There is parking at the fortress as well. We decided to park at a lower carpark and walk up through the town to the fortress. It was a short, relatively easy walk although it is uphill all the way. However we passed small stone churches, the San Salvadore cathedral and the main piazza which made it worthwhile.…
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Date of experience: August 2019
2 Helpful votes
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Fortezza di Montalcino is the fortress located in this town, in Tuscany region, in the center of Italy. It is a very nice fortress, from where you can walk and see very beautiful views of surroundings. Also, inside the main building, there is a wine bar, where you can taste some local wines and cheese. Very nice place. (See also Enoteca La Fortezza di Montalcino)…
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Date of experience: August 2019
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Our culinary group's second stop of a very intense touring day was Montalcino! Originally, an Etruscan settlement, it is high up on hills surrounded by walls constructed in the 12th - 14th centuries. The views of the valleys below and the numerous vineyards and olive groves alone are worth the visit. The Fortezza has a very nice courtyard with an excellent wine bar and the good views. Other sites in Montalcino worth seeing are the stunning town hall in Palazzo Communcale bearing the coats of arms of the Podesto family, the museum Palazzo Vercovile, the Piazza del Popolo, and the funky Brunello tiles!…
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Date of experience: October 2019
2 Helpful votes
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We started Val d’Orcia tour from here down to abbey, Ricco d’Orcia, San Qinrico d’Orcia, pienza, to Montepulciano. Drive on S146 is nice. The view from this hill top village is beautiful.
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Date of experience: November 2019
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Great views of the romantic town of Montalcino for the price of €4 its definitely worth it ,likewise the wine shop has a great selection of wines to choose from.
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Date of experience: October 2019
1 Helpful vote
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