To the north of Sieci, in the municipality of Pontassieve, a beautiful valley opens up overlooking the monastery of the Madonna del Sasso. In this valley, in the 13th century, the Alighieri family owned land and a building, while the Portinari family, the family of Dante's Beatrice, had a magnificent villa in a panoramic position. In the centre of the valley the ancient church dedicated to San Miniato still stands, where it is said that the young Dante could have met his beloved Beatrice. The first documents mentioning San Miniato a Pagnolle date back to the 12th century, but the external portico was only added in the 16th century. It is a very simple building, with a single nave and a wooden truss roof, topped by a distinctive bell gable. Both Villa Montecchi, which belonged to the Portinari family, and the Alighieri residence are still visible, only externally, because they are private buildings.
