Montefioralle, a fortified village near "Casa Forese" self-catering holiday home.

The “Castello” of Montefioralle, a fortified village in Chianti

Montefioralle, which belonged to the Buondelmonti and Ricasoli families, was originally a castle with a central keep and thick walls. The walls now contain houses and the church is built on the highest part of the hill top. As late as the mid 18 C, Montefioralle had a larger population than Greve, but as the wars between Florence and Siena ceased and the population outgrew the castle, there was a shift in population to the area of the market on the river Greve, Mercato di Greve – now Greve in Chianti. Inside Montefioralle there is a house reputed to be the birthplace of Amerigo Vespucci.