Like towers in a circle enclosed
Montereggione at its peak
So here, crowning the circular barrier, Looming like a stronghold
Terrible giants …
Divine Comedy, Canto XXXI, 40-45, translated by M. L. Lozinsky
The circular walled city of Monteriggioni. What should be an ideal medieval city? Well, or in any case, how do you imagine it? In France, this is … Carcassonne! Well, of course, Carcassonne, but how could it be otherwise? After all, there is a castle and a city, surrounded by walls and what walls and towers, and what towers, in a word, will be in the south of France, stop by. There is also a sweets and biscuits store in the center, where everything is packed in tin boxes with color printing on tin using the 19th century technology. and it is not clear what to buy - whether cookies, or these boxes, which in themselves are a real work of art. And literally opposite there is a wine shop, where they sell hypokras, the wine of the French kings, which they drank warm overnight. Be sure to buy, I bought it at one time, but … not enough. Fortunately, there is an opportunity to fix this error soon. In the meantime, let's get acquainted with the very interesting Italian fortress of Monteriggioni, preserved from the 13th century.
Typical and atypical Italy
Well, how about in Italy? Which of the Italian cities or towns can be considered as an example of medieval urban defense architecture? I remember that on "VO" we already got acquainted with the strange castle of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen Castel del Monte - "Castle on the mountain", but even though it is a castle, it is not very typical. And non-residential, besides. And today we are primarily interested in the fortified cities. That there was a town surrounded by walls, and that they were well preserved, and that it was known when it was all built. And, of course, it would be interesting to walk along the streets of such a town, to see how people live there today.
After all, the same Rome, Rimini or Venice - the cities are not typical. It is full of tourists who cause attacks of downright "anti-tourist fury" among Italians living there. After all, they understand that they depend on these noisy crowds, but … it doesn't make it easier for them. So the attitude to the "come in large numbers" is appropriate. Well, where the crowds of tourists have not yet reached, it will be especially interesting to visit.
So, where would we go, so that both the eyes will please, and that the sweaty bodies in the queue for the museum would not press on you, and so that the locals would smile at you, and not squint with obvious disgust? And it turns out that there is such a place in Italy. Although, before talking about it, let's imagine, so to speak, something like a "big picture".
Country of ancient urban culture
Well, it is like this: Italy is a country of a very ancient urban culture. However, most Italian cities have a very similar historical fate. Most were founded in ancient times. Their pavements were trampled by the Etruscans, Italics, Ligurs, and then by the barbarians from the opposite end of Eurasia. Therefore, it is not surprising that they are based on the Roman planning system. Therefore, the "heart" of a real Italian city is the old city, which Italians carefully protect from the encroachments of modern civilization. These are, first of all, narrow crooked streets, rather like stone corridors from neighboring houses, small squares usually in front of a church. The stone pavements do not seem to have changed at all over the past centuries. Usually in the center of such a city you will be greeted by the obligatory "gentleman's set" with a cathedral, a town hall, often a local museum, a fountain, a bar with tables right on the pavement, and today there will also be a souvenir shop and, most likely, more than one.
Show yourself and see others
In such small towns, the tradition of evening walks before dinner - "la passeggiata" is still preserved, although, it would seem, where to go there? The appearance of those walking is of great importance: dresses should be new and … well-known manufacturers, like shoes, babies should look like little angels, and people walk the streets with whole families, and even touchingly hold hands. In big cities, you simply will not find this. Another place where everyone dresses as if for a holiday is mass in the cathedral. People are sincerely happy to communicate with God and … meeting each other. Discuss local news. Of course, today you can talk on a mobile phone, but this is not at all the same. That is, in addition to the fortress walls, it will be interesting for you to admire this and what you will see will be very curious. By the way, here they are still surprised to learn that you are "russo", not like in big cities, where the attitude towards our tourists is very often quite the same. Either inquisitively ingratiating ("they have a lot of money!"), Or, on the contrary, boorish-contemptuous ("they are poor and greedy!"). Yes, but where can this be found and seen - this is the question that some impatient people are already asking themselves, where?
Again, let's start with what we will say: there are a great many similar cities in Italy. But to see them all is not enough for life, not to mention finances, so today we will have a visit to the fortified city of Monteriggioni, which is located a few kilometers from the city of Siena. And above all, because it is usually not mentioned in travel guides to Italy. Although at one time he was glorified in his poems even by the great Dante himself!
Stone ring with 14 towers
Already approaching it, you will understand that you have wasted your time and money is not at all in vain. The fact is that around the city its wall has survived with 14 medieval stone towers, which are one of the few such well-preserved examples of military architecture of the 13th century. Well, the very history of this walled city is as follows: at first it was just a village surrounded by vineyards on the top of a hill, then it was fenced off with stone walls.
It happened between 1214 and 1219, when the Sienese, by order of the Podestà Guelfo da Porcari, built a fortress here that was supposed to control the Via Francigena, an important road from Northern Europe to Rome. It was also an outpost against Florence, Siena's historical rival.
The construction of the fortress was carried out practically from scratch, which was a novelty in the expansionist policy of Siena: earlier the city simply acquired existing castles, but here the fortress was rebuilt. However, the builders did not have to philosophize too much: they simply closed the hill in a ring and were satisfied with this.
Historians cannot agree on the possible existence of a drawbridge. There is no doubt only the presence of the fortress gates, which were thick wooden doors covered with iron, which were driven by pulleys. Two doors have survived and you can clearly see how they were attached to the wall. But here is the bridge … Was there a bridge - they argue about it to this day. Moreover, there could not have been a moat at the top of the hill by definition. But … the city was surrounded by the so-called "coal ditches", that is, ditches full of coal and wood, which had to be set on fire to repel attacks. There was no gasoline then, so most likely, in order for the tree in the ditches to catch fire faster, it was watered with olive oil in a critical situation.
After the completion of the construction, the Florentines (who belonged to the Guelphs) attacked the fortress twice, in 1244 and in 1254, but they could not take it.
In 1269, after the Battle of Colle (which Dante recalled in Canto XIII of Purgatorio), the defeated Sienese also took refuge in Monteriggioni, which the Florentines besieged, but … in vain.
After the plague of 1348-1349. The Sienese decided to place a whole detachment of infantry, led by a captain, in Monteriggioni, in order to protect the local population from the robbers who rampaged in the area.
In 1380, according to the text of the charter of the "municipality and people of Monteriggioni", the inhabitants of the city were considered "citizens of Siena", although they did not live there either. Interesting, isn't it?
Guns and betrayal
Between 1400 and 1500, the walls were reinforced to better resist artillery attacks. But the use of "coal ditches" was found to be useless.
In 1526, the Florentines again laid siege to Monteriggioni, bringing under its walls 2,000 infantry and 500 knights, and began shelling the walls with artillery pieces. But the fortress held out until, at the battle of Camollia, the Sienese defeated the papal army - an ally of the Florentines, after which they immediately broke off the siege.
Only on April 27, 1554, Monteriggioni was treacherously surrendered by Captain Giovaccino Zeti to the Marquis Marignano, the commander of the imperial forces. And after that, a year later, and also in the spring of 1555, Siena fell.
Then the city went to Cosimo Medici, and he handed it over to the Gricioli family. I must say that later the Sienese tried to return the city to their jurisdiction (the last time in 1904), but the inhabitants of the city “repulsed” and this is their “attack” and remained an independent commune.
Did Dante lie a little or did he just see?
By the way, scientists are still surprised by one more thing - why Dante called the towers of the city “giants”, and even with the epithet “terrible”. Researchers try to explain this by the fact that the towers used to be, apparently, higher than they are today, that is, they had wooden superstructures, which, naturally, have not survived to this day. Today these towers bear little resemblance to giants. But it is quite possible that they did not look at them from below, standing at their base, because then it seems that they really go into the sky itself. But inside the town is just tiny, and it costs nothing to go around it up and down. However, everything that is supposed to be in such typical Italian towns is present in it: there is a central square, a cathedral, a bar, a restaurant, a well and even a hotel (although the prices there are not cheap, but its windows offer an amazing view of the surrounding hills). And they also make very tasty wine there, to try which tourists are taken there by minivan from Siena. Just the name of some wines is worth something: for example, "Noble Wine from Monteriggioni". However, the topic of wine has no relation to the military history of this “round fortress with 14 towers”!
P. S. The length of the walls is 500 m. The thickness is initially 2 m, then they were made even thicker.
