Tuscany · Lucca
Montecarlo
A walled hill village above the Lucca plain, founded by Emperor Charles IV in 1333 and named for him, surrounded by twenty wineries.
Known for
MONTECARLO DOC
1969 DOC for a Trebbiano-French white blend and a Sangiovese-led red, with around twenty wineries inside the commune.
FORTEZZA DEL CERRUGLIO
Fourteenth-century fortress at the top of the walled hill, expanded by Castruccio Castracani and the Florentines.
CHARLES IV
Founded in 1333 by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV after he ended Pisan rule over Lucca; the name means Charles's Mountain.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Why come
Montecarlo sits on an isolated hill above the Lucca plain, looking south toward the Valdinievole. Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV founded it in 1333 after liberating Lucca from Pisan rule, on a site previously called Vivinaia for the wine roads that crossed the hill. The name Monte di Carlo, Charles's mountain, has held since.
The walled centro storico is still ringed by its fourteenth-century defensive walls, with the Fortezza del Cerruglio rising above the highest point. Wine production has been documented here since Roman times; the first tavern keepers selling Trebbiano in barrels appear in records in 1371. The Montecarlo DOC was established in 1969, the white blends Trebbiano with French varieties including Sémillon and Pinot Gris, and roughly twenty wineries operate within the commune, a notable density for a population under 4,500.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Montecarlo’s letter yet.
One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.
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What to see
Fortezza del Cerruglio
Fourteenth-century fortress on the highest point of the hill, expanded by Castruccio Castracani and the Florentines in the fifteenth century.
Centro storico
Walled medieval village founded by Charles IV in 1333, still inside its original defensive perimeter along Via Roma.
Teatro dei Rassicurati
Small eighteenth-century theatre with 95 seats and a horseshoe plan, inaugurated in 1795 and still used for the autumn season.
Chiesa di Sant'Andrea
Fourteenth-century parish church inside the walls, with a Crucifixion attributed to the school of the Lucchese painter Berlinghieri.
Strada del Vino di Montecarlo
Wine road circuit linking roughly twenty wineries that produce the Montecarlo DOC, a Trebbiano-led white and a Sangiovese-led red.
The slow-trip planner
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We recommend
Where to eat and stay
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to — a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
Locanda Agricola PosapianoAgriturismo
A Slow Food snail for Locanda Agricola Posapiano, and a Gambero Rosso listing.
Antico Ristorante ForassiepiRistorante
Antico Ristorante Forassiepi holds a spot in the Michelin Guide.
ForassiepiRistorante
One Gambero Rosso fork (78/100), at Forassiepi.
Living here
- Population 4,389
- Commuter belti
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Florence / Pisa, 57 min drive
- Regional capital Firenze, 53 min drive
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 163 m
- Population: 4,389
- Surface area: 15.67 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
Featured on
Montecarlo appears on 3 themed picks from our Collections:
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