Crete Senesi
Ex borgo di Montalceto
ASCIANO
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MONTALCETO, or MONTE ALCETO, castle in the now destroyed Ombrone Valley, of which remain standing:
- The tower on top of a mountain of the same name, in the middle of a holm oak forest.
- The church of Santi Sabino and Alberto di Montalceto, in the XII century was subjected to the parish church of Asciano, to which the Pope Alexander III reconfirmed it with many other churches in that area.
- The hermitage of Blessed Alberto, a Camaldolense hermit here in penance and who became famous after his death, around 1150.
At the time of Blessed Alberto, the lordship of Montalceto belonged to the Cacciaconti della Scialenga branch, which then took its title from a Count Baroto, lord of Castel Baroti near Armaiolo.
Subsequently, the de 'Cacciaconti dynasty soon lost the lordship of Montalceto in favor of the republic of Siena; which from 1208 onwards installed a trustee. Due to the resistance to the payment of taxes to the republic of Siena and the insubordination of the population towards the dominant city, in 1274, Siena decreed the demolition of their houses and all sorts of fortresses that protected the village.
Therefore it is assumed that the tower, which still exists on the top of the mountain, was rebuilt in the mid-fifteenth century.
In 1521 Montalceto was donated by the Sienese republic, together with the annexed land, to the noble Niccolò Borghesi, whose descendants made good use of it for many years.
Extinct said house, Montalceto returned to the Community of Asciano and then became the property of the nuns of S. Chiara di Siena.
Upon the suppression of the Monasteries, in 1808, Montalceto with the annexed land, passed to the state property, which sold it again to private individuals. Currently Montalceto is identified with a farm located at the foot of the mountain facing south west.
Click here to read: "The Forgotten Tower of Montalceto" by Roberto Romoli
Article Inauguration of the restored tower
Article delivery of the Tower to the Municipality of Asciano, after the restoration
MONTALCETO, or MONTE ALCETO, castle in the now destroyed Ombrone Valley, of which remain standing:
- The tower on top of a mountain of the same name, in the middle of a holm oak forest.
- The church of Santi Sabino and Alberto di Montalceto, in the XII century was subjected to the parish church of Asciano, to which the Pope Alexander III reconfirmed it with many other churches in that area.
- The hermitage of Blessed Alberto, a Camaldolense hermit here in penance and who became famous after his death, around 1150.
At the time of Blessed Alberto, the lordship of Montalceto belonged to the Cacciaconti della Scialenga branch, which then took its title from a Count Baroto, lord of Castel Baroti near Armaiolo.
Subsequently, the de 'Cacciaconti dynasty soon lost the lordship of Montalceto in favor of the republic of Siena; which from 1208 onwards installed a trustee. Due to the resistance to the payment of taxes to the republic of Siena and the insubordination of the population towards the dominant city, in 1274, Siena decreed the demolition of their houses and all sorts of fortresses that protected the village.
Therefore it is assumed that the tower, which still exists on the top of the mountain, was rebuilt in the mid-fifteenth century.
In 1521 Montalceto was donated by the Sienese republic, together with the annexed land, to the noble Niccolò Borghesi, whose descendants made good use of it for many years.
Extinct said house, Montalceto returned to the Community of Asciano and then became the property of the nuns of S. Chiara di Siena.
Upon the suppression of the Monasteries, in 1808, Montalceto with the annexed land, passed to the state property, which sold it again to private individuals. Currently Montalceto is identified with a farm located at the foot of the mountain facing south west.
Click here to read: "The Forgotten Tower of Montalceto" by Roberto Romoli
Article Inauguration of the restored tower
Article delivery of the Tower to the Municipality of Asciano, after the restoration