Montalto Castle, One Thousand Years of History

Montalto Castle, One Thousand Years of HistoryThis book presents the history along with many color photographs of Castello di Montalto, a restored medieval castle in Tuscany, Italy. It includes some interior details from the manor house itself, which are not generally viewable to the public; and summarizes the long history of the castlefrom the times of the Longobards and Francs, through the Medieval and Renaissance times that saw battles, ruin, and reconstruction, to its present day life as a

This book presents the history along with many color photographs of Castello di Montalto, a restored medieval castle in Tuscany, Italy. It includes some interior details from the manor house itself, which are not generally viewable to the public; and summarizes the long history of the castleÑfrom the times of the Longobards and Francs, through the Medieval and Renaissance times that saw battles, ruin, and reconstruction, to its present-day life as a country villa.

The castle was built around 1,000 AD, in a strategic position overlooking a fertile valley that would later become the highly contested border between Siena and Florence; as a stronghold faithful to Siena during the centuries of rivalry between Guelphs and Ghibellines, it saw many battles, until Tuscany was unified under the rule of the deÕ Medici. Throughout its long history it only passed hands twice. It is now offered as vacation rental villa, along with some of the houses in the small village that is enclosed within the castle walls.

The author, daughter of the current owners, grew up in the castle; she is a photographer, graphic designer and painter and combines together in this book her extensive research through documents going back centuries, with original photographs of the manor house and estate.