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The Lower Village
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"Pienza 12. agosto. Da questo Reverendiss. Sig. Canonico Gio. Domenico Pellegrini Pro-Vicario Generale di questa Città, e Diocesi fu il dì 10. del corrente solennemente benedetta la nuova Chiesa Plebana del Castello di Monteron-Griffoli dedicata al Martire S. Lorenzo; non solo decorata, e per scelta musica e per il numeroso popolo da' circonvicini Paesi venuto a godere della sacra funzione. Questa riuscì di somma soddisfazione stante un fervoroso discorso fatto in tale occasione dal Padre F. Giuseppe Deodato Cotolenghi Agostiniano oriundo di Fouano di Piemonte, e attualmente Reggente nel Convento di S. Martino di Siena." ["Pienza, 12th August. The new parish church of the Castle of Monteron-Griffoli, dedicated to St. Lawrence Martyr, was solemnly consecrated by the Most Reverend Canon Gio. Domenico Pellegrini, pro-vicar general of this city and diocese on the 10th day of the present month. The occasion was enhanced not just by choice music but also by the presence of a large number of people from neighbouring villages who had come to rejoice in the sacred function. The service passed off to the great satisfaction of those present thanks to a fervent address made to mark the occasion by Father F. Giuseppe Deodato Cotolenghi of the Augustinian order, a native of Fouano in Piemonte, head of the Convento di S. Martino in Siena."]
Gazzetta Toscana, 1780, No. 35
The Monterongriffoli coats of arms
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Four coats of arms adorn various buildings in Monterongriffoli. There is a carved stone winged dragon (or wyvern) on an escutcheon above the entrance to the westernmost wing of the Fattoria - seemingly of considerable age.
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And there are polychromed gryphons on escutcheons, apparently of terracotta and all of identical design, in three locations:
- on the house at the top of Via Sant'Emidio at the entrance to the village
- on the building housing the old olive press in Via di Mezzo
- and above the central entrance to the Fattoria.
These have the head and wings of an eagle and the body and tail of a lion and are therefore unrelated heraldically to the wyvern above the west door of the Fattoria. They are of comparatively recent date - perhaps no older than the 19th or even early 20th century.
The older stone coat of arms relates to the Borghesi family, who were lords of the manor of Monterongriffoli from the 16th to 19th centuries. The full Borghesi arms consist of a winged dragon about to take flight, surmounted by an eagle ("D'azzurro al drago sorante d'oro; al capo dello stesso caricata di un'aquila di nero").
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It has key features in common with a coat of arms displayed on the walls of the historic Villa La Consuma in the centre of nearby San Giovanni d'Asso (left). In San Giovanni d'Asso, the escutcheon is surmounted by a bishop's mitre which, along with the carved initials "C B", relates it to Camillo Borghesi, Bishop of Montalcino in the years 1600-1607 and Archbishop of Siena 1607-1612.
As for the more modern escutcheons, the red gryphon ("gryphon gules") on a blue ("azure") field coincides with the coat of arms of the Griffoli de' Montecchiesi family, a branch of Sienese nobility quite distinct from the Griffolis who originally gave the village its name. The design is therefore likely to be an example of fake or fanciful heraldry, a confection belonging to the relatively recent past, possibly dating from the ownership of the Monterongriffoli estate by the Bellugis (who succeeded the Borghesis in the mid-19th century) or the Vallecchis (the 20th century owners).
As the coat of arms of the Monterongriffoli Griffolis does not feature a gryphon, the Griffoli de' Montecchiesi arms with its prominent gryphon would have served as a handy approximation of what the village's arms "ought" to look like.
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Villa Entrance
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Another coat of arms surmounted the entrance to the Villa courtyard until a decade or so ago but disappeared during renovation work; its present whereabouts are unknown.
An old photograph (right) of the now-destroyed entrance arch and gate indicates that it depicted a Borghesi wyvern similar to the one that survives on the west wing of the Fattoria.
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Of note are the Maltese Cross set into the left leaf of the wooden gate (above the door knocker) and the wrought iron over-door panel with its central amphora motif. All are now missing, and the entire entrance arch with all its fittings is now just a gaping hole in the masonry.
