Property for Sale in Montaione, Tuscany
Montaione is a hill town in the Valdelsa, in the south-west of the Province of Florence, roughly midway between Florence, Pisa and Siena. Its rolling countryside of woods, vineyards, olive groves and wheat fields is home to some of the larger restored farmhouses and country estates on the market in this part of Tuscany.
The Town and Its Surroundings
The old centre is a small walled town on a ridge, with a main street of stone houses, a few churches and small squares, and views across the hills in all directions. It is calm for most of the year and livelier in summer, when visitors staying in the surrounding farmhouses come in for the evening.
Nearby, the convent of San Vivaldo is known for its Sacro Monte, a group of small chapels built in the early sixteenth century to recreate the holy places of Jerusalem, with painted terracotta scenes inside. The woods around it are crossed by walking and riding trails.
Castelfalfi, the Villages and Nearby Towns
Within the comune is Castelfalfi, a medieval hamlet with a castle that has been restored as a resort with a golf course, hotels and holiday homes. Smaller villages such as Iano sit among farms, vineyards and hunting woods.
Directly to the north, Gambassi Terme has thermal springs, while Castelfiorentino and Certaldo lie in the Elsa valley to the east. San Gimignano and Volterra are both within easy reach for a day out, and Florence is the nearest city.
Property for Sale in Montaione
Farmhouses dominate the listings, many of them substantial restored properties with pools and several hectares of land, together with villas, a converted mill and a few apartments in shared complexes with pools. Prices are high: apartments and smaller homes can be found at a few hundred thousand euros, but the typical farmhouse or estate is priced between roughly €1 million and €3 million.
Everyday Life and Getting There
Montaione has food shops, a pharmacy, bars and restaurants, and the larger supermarkets, schools and hospital services are in Castelfiorentino and Empoli. Many properties are used as holiday homes or holiday rentals, and the area is popular with walkers and cyclists.
The nearest stations are Castelfiorentino and Certaldo, on the railway between Empoli and Siena, with connections at Empoli for Florence and Pisa. The Florence to Pisa and Livorno dual carriageway passes to the north. Pisa and Florence airports are the most convenient.
Buying in Montaione
Large farmhouses come with large running costs, so ask about heating, pool maintenance, the upkeep of private roads and the cost of managing woods and olive groves. Where land is farmed, check whether any agricultural tax benefits apply and what obligations go with them.
Properties in complexes or resort areas may carry service charges and rules on letting. Have a local geometra confirm, from the cadastral file and the permits held at the town hall, that every building and pool on the estate was built or converted legally.