Monte San Savino is famous thanks to the well-known Renaissance sculptor Andrea Contucci, called 'Il Sansovino', and to Pope Julius III, to whom the town was named. Historically, it has been the object of contention between Florence, Perugia and Siena.
The town is presented to visitors well preserved and charming. The main street, Corso Sangallo, develops along it, where the main historical buildings are. Palazzo Di Monte (or Palazzo Del Monte), also the seat of the town hall, was commissioned in the early 16th century by Antonio Di Monte, who entrusted it to the prodigious talent of Antonio da Sangallo the Elder. The façade and plan were designed by him.
The palace is a true example of Renaissance grandeur with a large Italian-style roof garden fed by the waters of the 16th-century underground cistern. A visit to the 'Cisternone', as it is called by locals, is one of the things not to be missed. A 400-square-metre work (the second largest in Tuscany) that has recently been renovated and can be visited free of charge.
Visitors can also admire the Palazzo Pretorio with its civic tower and the famous Logge dei Mercanti, the Church of Sant'Agostino which houses an enchanting Assumption by Giorgio Vasari, the Church of Santa Chiara with its precious terracotta altarpieces invented by Andrea Sansovino and the Della Robbia, while the Cassero, an exemplary 14th-century fortress, dominates the village. Not far from the historical centre, the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Vertighe, a church already documented in the 11th century, houses a painting by Margarito and Ristoro d'Arezzo.
An itinerary in the historical centre must include a walk in the Jewish district and a visit to the Synagogue of Monte San Savino, which housed an important Jewish community until the end of the 18th century. Finally, you cannot leave Monte San Savino without first tasting the famous porchetta, the local excellence and true food and wine brand, which since 1964 has been celebrated on the second weekend of September with a mouth-watering - and crunchy - festival.
Welcome to Monte San Savino!