With our back to the church of St. Nicholas in the background, the nearest hill is Montevettolini, part of the municipality of Monsummano Terme, in which the white of the Medici villa stands. On the next hill stands the tower of Monsummano Alto, and in the distance the province of Lucca and the Pisan mountains. This was the medieval Pistoia: a defence system linked to the Valdinievole, consisting of numerous fortifications located on as many hills. The plain below us was in fact a marshy area, then reclaimed by the Medici and the Lorraine, which for centuries has fostered the development of a belt of Castles and Churches on the top of hills, which characterise the attractive Montalbano.
