Cisternone of Monte San Savino
The 16th-century cistern, which can be visited today, is the second largest in Tuscany after those in Livorno
The "Cisternone" (big cistern) of Monte San Savino is a water collection and distribution cistern built in the mid-16th century by architect Nanni di Baccio Bigio (also the author of Logge dei Mercanti, Porta Fiorentina and the completion of Palazzo di Monte), possibly based on a design by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder.
Unlike the "Cisternino" (little cistern) below Palazzo di Monte and intended for the magnate family who lived there, the Cisternone was built to supply water to the community. Special rods were placed along the outer walls for this purpose; the holes and the remains of the original decorations of these remain clearly visible today. The whole structure is particularly fascinating, with two naves divided by round arches. The water originally came from underground veins of waterways in the area, while today it comes from the municipal aqueduct.
The Cisternone of Monte San Savino is the second largest structure of its kind in Tuscany, after the 19th-century cisterns in Livorno, and is now used to irrigate the hanging garden of the Municipal Palace. Thanks to a metal footbridge that crosses it, it is now possible to visit its interior for free.
