Monteaperti: Battle Memorial, Acqua Borra and Hiking Route

Monteaperti is closely associated with the famous battle of 1260. The Battle of Montaperti took place on September 4, 1260, and was fought between Siena and Florence on the plain of the Arbia and Malena streams. Anyone interested in the history of Tuscany will encounter a place where historical memory and the landscape are directly connected.

The Cippo and the Memory of Montaperti

The Cippo della Battaglia di Monteaperti is a pyramid-shaped monument commemorating the Battle of Monteaperti. Since the Romantic period, it has stood atop a hill adorned with centuries-old cypress trees. The monument is located on the site of an old 11th-century castle that belonged to the Berardenghi family. Monteaperti is therefore associated not only with the battle itself, but also with an older historical tradition of the place.

The memory of the battle is kept alive each year through a special event: on the night of September 4, the Monteaperti Passato e Presente committee organizes the Fiaccolata al Cippo di Monteaperti. The torchlight procession transforms the history of the place into a recurring local tradition whose connection to the date of the battle is immediately apparent.

Acqua Borra in the Landscape of the Crete Senesi

Another remarkable place is Acqua Borra, a small thermal spring in Santa Maria a Dofana near Monteaperti. According to tradition, it is considered miraculous. Acqua Borra lies beside a farmhouse built against an unusual travertine wall, in the landscape of the Crete Senesi. This brings together a geological peculiarity, a rural setting and a traditional significance in one place.

Acqua Borra has been visited since the time of ancient civilizations. Clay objects were found there that had been thrown into the water as offerings to the nymphs protecting the site. This historical trace adds an older layer to the story of Monteaperti, extending beyond the medieval history of the battle.

Hiking Route with a Historical Connection

The hiking route relating to the Battle of Monteaperti is approximately 10 km long, follows trails 335, 334 and 370, and passes through the sites of the battle. A few hundred metres of the route pass by Monteaperti. Monteaperti is also one of the listed starting points for this hiking route.

Museums, Palaces, Mountains and Gardens

In the area around Monteaperti, Bologna Buonsignori is a museum. Also nearby are Vestri Palace and Bandini Piccolomini Palace, both palaces, as well as the Museo delle Tavolette di Biccherna, another museum. For scenic impressions, Monte Luco is a mountain in the area around Monteaperti. Poggio Cerrete is a mountain in the wider region.

Gardens are also among the destinations in the surrounding area: Giardino Emilio Montagnani is a garden near Monteaperti, as is the Orto Botanico dell'Università di Siena. This makes it possible to combine exploring the battle and the Cippo with museums, historic palaces, gardens and landscapes in the immediate or wider surroundings.

More places to compare: Quercegrossa, Guistrigona, San Felice, Villa A Sesta, Pianella, Casetta, San Gusmè, Pievasciata.

For the higher-level travel overview: Castelnuovo Berardenga.