Founded by the Sienese in 1203 as an outpost against Florence at the northwest border of the Sienese State, the castle of Monteriggioni is still the most significant example of medieval fortified buildings in Tuscany. The small village still shows the beautiful thirteenth-century walls now dotted with fourteen quadrilateral towers once very high, so much so that Dante compared them to some real giants (Inferno, XXXI, 40-44). Visiting Monteriggioni, it’s possible to walk along the battlements of the ancient medieval walls and after passing through the Romea Gateway which leads into the heart of the small town, one can see picturesque architecture and a charming parish that is an interesting example of the Romanesque-Gothic style.