Montaione

Montaione is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 35 km southwest of Florence. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").

History
The frazione of Filicaja was the starting point of Antonio da Filicaja for the invasion of Pisa by the Florentine army in 1509.

Main sights

 * The church of San Regolo houses the Madonna del Buonconsiglio by Guido da Graziano (late 13th century)
 * Church and convent of San Vivaldo. The church has works attributed to Giovanni della Robbia, Benedetto Buglioni, Raffaellino del Garbo and Andrea Sansovino
 * Castles include those of:
 * Iano
 * Camporena, destroyed by the Florentines in 1329.
 * Vignale
 * Collegalli, now a patrician villa
 * Figline, known from the 12th century. It is owned by the Filicaja family.
 * Pozzolo, known from the 11th century. It contains murals by Giuseppe Bezzuoli and Augustus Wallis.
 * Barbialla, owned in the Middle Aged by the Cadolingians and the della Gherardesca families, then by the bishops of Volterra, the commune of San Miniato, the Republic of Florence and the Republic of Pisa.
 * Castelfafi, allegedly founded by the Lombards in the 8th century. It was a possession of the della Gherardesca and then of the bishops of Volterra. Later it was acquired by the Caetani. In 1554 it was sacked by the troops of Piero Strozzi.
 * Tonda
 * Sughera
 * Scopeto
 * Santo Stefano

Nature
The Italian Horse Protection Association (IHP) has its main base in Montaione's frazione of Filicaja.