Montelupo Fiorentino

Monuments and works of art

On top of the hill which overlooks Montelupo, “Il castello” as it is known, is the rest of the stronghold, the first Florentine military settlement in 1204-06, where there was already a small “castellare”, probably belonging to the counts Alberti. In the area above, there is the first church in Montelupo, the Old Priory of San Lorenzo, dated 1260, whose present appearance, though, goes back to the 15th century. Inside there is a series of frescoes by Corso di Buono (1282) and two small Gothic tabernacles painted by Piero di Chellino (The life of San Nicola). The bell tower was built using the existing tower of the keep.

The Palazzo Pretorio
In the village at the foot of the castle you can see the Palazzo Pretorio, present home of the Ceramic Museum. The coat of arms of the “podestà” who governed the town on behalf of the City of Florence are set into the façade. Inside there are frescoes from the 15th century and remains of the original decorations.

S. Giovanni Evangelista
The present Priory of San Giovanni Evangelista, originally an almshouse run by Dominican monks, acquired its present appearance in 1796. In it there are some notable works of art: a
fresco which has been detached from the wall 1340-50, a 14th century wooden cross, a large altar-piece and a painting on wood, both attributed to the Botticelli school.

Sinibaldi House
Casa Sinibaldi belonged to the family of Bartolomeo Sinibaldi, known also as “Baccio da Montelupo”, a famous sculptor and architect, friend and colleague of Michelangelo Buonarroti.

The Frescobaldi tower
The impressive Torre de’ Frescobaldi was built at the beginning of the 14th century to control the river traffic and guard against the raids by Castrucci Castracani. Used as a mill, the tower was later sold by the Medici to the Frescobaldi family. It now houses the Museo del Vetro Impagliato (raffia covered flasks), a craft which was practiced by the people of Montelupo from the 18th century.