Montelupo Fiorentino is a town in the Province of Florence in Tuscany, located about 20 km southwest of Florence. It has a population of 12,079 and an area of 24.6 km².

Montelupo Fiorentino was founded with the construction of a castle at the end of the Early Middle Ages. The Florentine Republic, which took over the territory in 1204, rebuilt and enlarged the original military settlement. In the 14th century a new circle of walls, still visible in part, was constructed to protect the town that had developed at the foot of the hill on which the Priory of S. Lorenzo, built in the 13th century, still stands.

Hard works, love of art and creativity have all contributed in distinguishing Montelupo as the center of ceramics throughout the ages in Tuscany.Every year the town relives its history with International Ceramics Festival which takes place in June.

Places to Visit

The Castle of Montelupo

On top of the hill which overlooks Montelupo, Castle is the remains of the first Florentine military settlement of 1204-06 where there had previously been a small castle, probably belonging to the counts Alberti. In the area above, there is the first church in Montelupo, the Old Priory of San Lorenzo, dated 1260, whose present appearance goes back to the 15 Century. Inside there is a series of frescoes by Corso di Buono (1282) and two small Gothic tabernacles painted by Piero di Chellino. The bell tower was built using the existing tower of the keep.

The Palazzo Pretorio

In the village at the foot of the castle you can see the Palazzo Pretorio, present home of the Ceramic Museum. Inside there are frescoes from the 15 Century and remains of the original decorations.

Priory of S. Giovanni Evangelista

The present Priory, originally an almshouse run by Dominican monks, acquired its present appearance in 1796. It houses some notable works of art: a fresco of 1340-50 which has been detached from the wall, a 14 Century wooden cross, a large altar-piece and a painting on wood, both attributed to the school of Botticelli.

Casa Sinibaldi at Montelupo

This house belonged to the family of Bartolomeo Sinibaldi, known also as “Baccio da Montelupo”, a famous sculptor and architect, friend and colleague of Michelangelo Buonarroti.

The Frescobaldi Tower of Montelupo

The impressive Torre de Frescobaldi was built at the beginning of the 14 Century to control the river traffic and guard against the depredations of Castrucci Castracani. Formerly a mill, the tower was later sold by the Medici to the Frescobaldi family. It now houses the Museo del Vetro Impagliato, a craft which was practiced by the people of Montelupo from the 18 Century.

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Montelupo Fiorentino