Montefioralle has the best-preserved castle in the high va lley of the Greve River, thanks to its isolated position on a ridge of the Chianti Mountains. The road from Panzano to Montefioralle crosses a landscape that some believe is the backdrop to the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci, Monna Lisa del Giocondo married into the Gherardini family who owned Montefioralle. There are glimpses of rare beauty here, hills sown with vineyards and topped woods and rural houses scattered throughout. Montefioralle is still enclosed in its original double ring of defensive walls with four gates. Dating back to 1085, it was one of the military and administrative centres in the area during the Middle Ages. Some houses are built inside old towers, most of them are made of exposed stone, while the ancient lanes climb up through the borgo’s charming centre. On the highest point of the village, you can visit the Church of Santo Stefano which houses a precious 13th century panel depicting the Madonna and Child by the Master of Montefioralle and a Trinity among Four Saints. Outside the walls is the Parish Church of San Cresci that dates back to the 10th century. The borgo of Montefioralle has managed to cross the centuries unchanged and the castle has remained an island in its own right.

Must-see

•The Propositura di Santa Croce, on the southern side of the Piazza del Mercato, houses numerous works of art, including a splendid 15th century triptych.
•The Chianti Museum of Sacred Art, in Greve, houses archaeological artefacts and a precious collection of sacred art, divided into three sections: paintings and sculptures, goldsmiths and sacred furnishings and vestments of Tuscan manufacture.