Surrounded by a perimeter wall and towers which from a distance resemble a great crown atop a small hill, this tiny town a few kilometres from Siena and just an hour’s drive from The Mall Firenze will make you think you’ve stepped back into the Middle Ages for a few hours.

Entering by Porta Franca, the ancient southern gate onto the Via Francigena, or from Florence via the northern San Giovanni gate, you’re immediately enveloped in a timeless atmosphere steeped in history and poetry.

The heart of the town is Piazza Roma, dominated by the austere Romanesque elegance of the church of Santa Maria Assunta, but the once-in-a-lifetime experience is a walk on the spectacular thirteenth-century walls: practically intact, 570 metres long and over six metres high, they offer unparalleled views of the Siena countryside.

The ticket for the walls also includes entry to the Monteriggioni in Arms museum located in the tourism office, and the M.A.M. Monteriggioni Archeological Museum. The later is housed in the monastery of Abbadia a Isola, an extraordinary complex founded in the year 1001; five minutes’ drive from town, it’s well worth a visit after a tasty lunch at Osteria Antico Travaglio or Ristorante Le Torri Monteriggioni, both in Piazza Roma.

If you happen to be there in early July, don’t miss Monteriggioni di Torri si Corona, one of Italy’s most authentic historical reenactments. It’s a fascinating medieval-themed event complete with artisans, parades, dances and torchlit banquets, an opportunity to experience the genuine atmosphere of bygone days.