Monte San Savino - Monte San Savino was an Etruscan town. It was fortified in Roman times around a castle called Area alta.

In the 13th century it was a possession of the Ubertini, lords of Arezzo, but in 1325, because it sided with the Guelphs supported by Florence, the Ghibelline bishop of Arezzo, Guido Tarlati, had the castle walls knocked down.

In 1337 the town became a dominion of Perugia, then it belonged to Siena and finally to Florence in 1384. In 1550 Duke Cosimo de' Medici granted Monte San Savino as a personal fief to Baldovino del Monte, brother of Pope Julius III.

Successively, the fief of Monte San Savino was ruled by the Orsini marquises (until 1640), Mattias de Medici (until 1667) and Vittoria della Rovere (until 1694). In 1748 the town was finally restored to grand-ducal dominion. By decree of the President of the Republic (22 July 1991) Monte San Savino was granted the title of city. Of the famous people born here, we draw your attention to the members of the Monte family: Cardinal Antonio, Giovanni Maria who became Pope Julius III and Pietro, a grand master of the order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem.

Monte San Savino is surrounded by sloping walls with four gates: the main one, Porta Fiorentina, Porta Romana, Porta San Giovanni and the so called porticciolo.

Some of the principal monuments are in piazza Gamurrini. The town museum is in the castle. The steeple built in 1643 in honour of Mattias de Medici towers over the square. In 1652 the Church of Saint Clare was built next to the castle. Inside one can admire a work of art by Sansovino featuring the Virgin with Baby Jesus and Saints, an altarpiece by Sansovino of Saint Laurence, Saint Rocco and Saint Sebastian, a Crib and a statue of Saint Anthony the Abbot. Palazzo Di Monte is on corso Sangallo.

Opposite the building one can see the elegant profile of the Loggias, probably the work of Sansovino. Further on, the old parish church (late 11th century) named after Saint Egidio and Saint Savino contains the sarcophagus of Fabiano Ciocchi Di Monte. Palazzo Pretorio is opposite the church.