Romantik Hotel Monteriggioni

A discreet little hotel in one of Tuscany’s most perfect medieval castle-hamlets, just outside Siena

"Monteriggion di torri si corona, così’n la proda che’l pozzo circonda..." - which, as you’ll all know from your Dante’s Inferno, means “Monteriggioni is crowned with towers, sitting on the brink of hell’s abyss”. Well, it certainly is crowned with towers – 14 of them, to be precise, forming an immaculate wall around the village – but it is far from infernal. It’s a peaceful little hamlet with two restaurants, one hotel, a tiny church, a few discerning visitors and, despite its proximity to the superstrada, a sense of self-contained isolation.

The hotel in question is also pretty heavenly. A honey-coloured house on the central lane, it opens up inside onto a spacious sitting-dining area with arched windows and beamed ceilings. Upstairs are 11 cosy bedrooms, decorated without fuss but with the facilities you’d expect from a 4* hotel. Outside is a small pool and garden looking onto the castle walls. And outside the walls … well, there’s Siena, Florence and all of Chianti. Going to hell never seemed so appealing.

Highs

• The privilege of staying in a ‘real’ castle-hamlet (not one converted to a hotel complex)
• A good base for exploring Siena and Chianti – only 10 mins from the superstrada
• Delightful owners and staff
• Timeless and peaceful atmosphere
• Superb buffet breakfast

Lows

• There’s not much to do or see in the village
• Some coach groups during summer daytimes
• It’s not cheap
• The pool is cold outside midsummer