Montespertoli () is a ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' (municipality) in the

Metropolitan City of Florence The Metropolitan City of Florence ( it, Città Metropolitana di Firenze) is an administrative division called Metropolitan cities of Italy, metropolitan city in the Tuscany region, Italy. Its capital is the city of Florence. It replaced the Provin ...

in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

region

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

, located about southwest of

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

. Montespertoli borders the following municipalities:

Barberino Val d'Elsa Barberino Val d'Elsa is a ''frazione'' of Barberino Tavarnelle which was until December 2018 a sovereign ''comune'' (municipality). Barberino Val d'Elsa is located above the valley from which it takes its name. The centre of town is still ringed b ...

, Castelfiorentino,

Certaldo Certaldo is a town and '' comune'' of Tuscany, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Florence, in the middle of Valdelsa. It is about southwest of the Florence Duomo. It is 50 minutes by rail and 35 minutes by car southwest of Florence, and it is 40 ...

, Empoli,

Lastra a Signa Lastra a Signa is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the metropolitan city of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about west of Florence. Main sights *Hospital of Sant'Antonio (1411) *"Brunelleschi Filippo Brunelleschi ( , , also kn ...

Montelupo Fiorentino Montelupo Fiorentino is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southwest of Florence. Geography The area is predominantly hilly and is crossed by the river Pesa that, particu ...

San Casciano in Val di Pesa San Casciano in Val di Pesa is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southwest of Florence. San Casciano in Val di Pesa borders the following municipalities; Greve in Chiant ...

Scandicci Scandicci () is a ''comune'' (municipality) of c. 50,000 inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southwest of Florence. Scandicci borders the following municipalities: Campi Bisenzio, Florenc ...

Tavarnelle Val di Pesa Tavarnelle Val di Pesa is a former ''comune'' (municipality) and since 2019 a ''frazione'' of Barberino Tavarnelle in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany. It is located about south of Florence. Sights The main attract ...

. The presence of human settlements in the area dates to Roman and Etruscan times, although the villages of the modern municipality are known from the 11th century, when San Pietro in Mercato and Lucardo are mentioned. In 1393 the borough of Montespertoli was acquired by the Machiavelli family.

Main sights

Pieve In the Middle Ages, a pieve (, ; la, plebe, link=no; plural ''pievi'') was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended. The Italian word ''pieve'' is descended from Latin ''plebs'' which, after t ...

(pleban church) of San Pietro in Mercato, consecrated in 1057. *Pieve of Santa Maria a Coeli Aula, known from the 9th century *Church of ''Sant'Andrea'' in Montespertoli (16th century), housing 12th century fragments of a baptismal font from Santa Maria a Coeli in Aula, and a ''Madonna with Saints'' attributed to

Niccolò di Pietro Gerini Niccolò di Pietro Gerini ( 1340 – 1414) was an Italian painter of the late Gothic period, active mainly in his native Florence although he also carried out commissions in Pisa and Prato. He was not an innovative painter but relied on tradi ...

. *Church of ''San Michele Arcangelo'' at Castiglioni (12th century) *Castle of Montegufoni, a former residence of the

Acciaioli The Acciaioli, Acciaiuoli, Accioly, Acciajuoli or Acioli was an important family of Florence. Family name is also written Acciaioli, Acciainoli, or Accioly, Accioli, Acioli and Acyoly in Portugal and Brazil, where there are branches of it. Descent ...

and later the Sitwell families. *Castle of Sonnino, former residence of the statesman

Sidney Sonnino Sidney Costantino, Baron Sonnino (11 March 1847 – 24 November 1922) was an Italian statesman, 19th prime minister of Italy and twice served briefly as one, in 1906 and again from 1909 to 1910. In 1901, he founded a new major newspaper, '' Il Gio ...

, now a winery.

References

External links

Official website
Cities and towns in Tuscany {{Florence-geo-stub