Montevarchi – Museums, Old Town and Tuscan Culinary Culture

Montevarchi combines historic urban culture with regional cuisine, wine and a variety of options for active days. You can explore museums and churches in the town centre, visit the Mercato Coperto degli Agricoltori or plan a cycling or hiking tour. This allows you to shape your stay in different ways: with a focus on art and history, culinary experiences or outdoor activity in the surrounding area.

Museums and historical sites

A particularly concentrated introduction to Montevarchi’s history begins in the old sacristy of the Collegiata di San Lorenzo. Today, it houses the Museo d’Arte Sacra. The Museo Paleontologico dell’Accademia Valdarnese del Poggio is located in a 14th-century Franciscan monastery, which is accessed through a Renaissance cloister. Its collection comprises around 3,000 finds from the area and tells the story of the Valdarno from 3 million to 200,000 years ago. Since 2016, it has also included the “Alvaro Tracchi” Archaeological Department, which displays Etruscan-Roman finds from the area and the Viterbo region. Sculpture also has its own venue in Montevarchi: Il Cassero per la scultura italiana dell’Ottocento e del Novecento is located in the historic premises of the Cassero. This tour is complemented by smaller historical sites. The Chiesa del Giglio was built in the 16th century in a rural place called Ilium, also known as Giglio, just outside the walls of the Mercatale along Via Fiorentina. At La Ginestra, today’s Chiesa di Santa Croce is all that remains of the more significant former Sant’Angelo alla Ginestra monastery. Villa Masini served as a filming location for several scenes from Roberto Benigni’s Oscar-winning film “Life Is Beautiful”.

Old town, market and Tuscan products

The historic centre has a medieval layout and is grouped around Piazza Varchi, the former centre of urban life. Here, the town’s history is visible not only in museums but also in the arrangement of the town centre. The Mercato Coperto degli Agricoltori di Montevarchi provides a culinary addition. Open daily, the direct-sales market offers local agricultural and food products. Regular events there also include meetings with chefs and producers, cooking demonstrations and tasting evenings. Montevarchi lies on the Strada del Vino Terre di Arezzo. The route, which is more than 200 kilometres long, passes through the province of Arezzo and the Chianti DOCG Colli Aretini wine-growing area. In addition to its museums, this gives the town a clear connection to the region’s wine landscapes.

Cycling, hiking and other places to consider

For an active day out, the Via dei Fossili runs as a cycle route between Cavriglia and Montevarchi. The Sentiero Antonio Losi is a 13-kilometre circular trail with 400 metres of elevation gain. Its starting point is at Piazza Donatori di Sangue in Montevarchi, a few steps from the railway station. This allows you to combine culture and a market visit with an independent cycling or hiking outing, without mixing the different focuses of your stay. A local tradition is the Gioco del Pozzo, a traditional competition between the districts of Montevarchi. If you would like to include the nearby area in your selection, you will also find information on Mercatale Valdarno (Mercatale Valdarno) and Moncioni (Moncioni).

For the main travel overview: Arezzo.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Oliveto, Penna, Papiano, Rigo, Montagnano, Pian Di Sco.