Castle of Montemignaio

The keep polls from the boundaries of the palace.	The primitive chapel of the castle.

Montemignaio can be reached from Florence following the indications for Pontassieve, from here continuing toward the Consuma Pass on the the SS70 Umbro-Casentinese. Crossed the pass there are the indications that conduct at the castle (SP71) .

The Gate with the bell tower.

The origin of the castle of Montemignaio is to seek from the passage in the zone of the ancient Roman road that, from Florence, through Pelago and the Crocevecchia Pass, forwarding in the southern slope of the mountains of Consuma and Secchieta, joined the principal artery of the antiquity that, passing the Casentino valley conducted to Arezzo. The ancient road was still used during the Middle Ages and this led to the development of the castle in a dominant position at the vertex of a hill on precipice overlooking the valley of the stream Fiana.

The first document confirming the existence of the settlement goes back to the year 1103, it was a papal bull which was confirmed to the Bishop of Fiesole the authority on the Parish of Montemignaio. Already in the following years and for the whole 12th century the area was remembered belonged to the dominions of the Guidi counts, in consequence was the investiture of the feudal count Guido Guidi in the nearby castle of Poppi, a privilege also confirmed by a document of the 1191 signed by the emperor Arrigo IV. Were the Guidi to erect here the castle known as 'Castel Leone' or simply 'Castiglione', which remained in the possession of the noble family up to the revolt of Castel S.Niccolò, with whose inhabitants the Montemignanesi made common cause against the abuse of power of the last descendant of the feudal family, the count Galeoto. In 1440 the same inhabitants were conquered by the Commune of Florence and Montemignaio was admitted to the 'Potesteria of the Florentine Mountain'. The remains of the castle still dominate the country. To the right of the main gate still rises a mighty tower that also acted as bell tower, to the left a second one, probably a twin of the other, is today notably reduced in height. The two towers are united by the mighty walled curtain in which the beautiful gate is opened, with its Roman arch, that introduces the heart of the castle. Upon entering we find on the left the ruins of the palace, first the residence of the counts and of then the Florentine Podestà. We also see the square Keep. In the walls it is still possible to note the walled form of a gate that once led into the inner court of the Palagio. Today to access the splendid courtyard, endowed with a beautiful well in the center, it is necessary to make the outer turn of the walls from the right of the outside gate. Immediately behind the massive structure of the keep rises the primitive chapel of the castle. The complex, rather well kept, it is one of the best examples of Tuscan medieval strengthened suburb of mountain.