The Funicular, constructed in 1898 is the oldest of the world still in function and allows to reach, through a steep climb, the village of Montecatini Alto. The route has a length of 1.050 meters and exceeds a difference in height of 202 meters that in the final tract, steeper, arrives to a slope of 38.50%. The distance between the stations of Montecatini Terme and Montecatini Alto comes take approximately 10 minutes.
Montecatini Alto is the old historical center of Montecatini, it was the headquarters of the ancient castle, that in 14th century was encircled by beyond a kilometer of town-walls, with 7 gates and 25 towers. Thanks to its strategic highly dominant position over the Val di Nievole, the village of Montecatini Alto was to the center of many sour battles between Florence and Lucca for the control of the zone. In 1554, for order of Cosimo dei Medici, the castle of Montecatini Alto was destroyed. Starting in this period, in the valley, were developed the thermal baths and the great part of the activity, with passing of the centuries, was moved in the new Montacatini Terme, but the village of Montecatini Alto remained the seat of the municipality until 1905.
Today the characteristic village extends to arc between two hills, in one hill are the Rocca di Castello Vecchio or di Tramontana, the Church of San Pietro and the bell Tower; on the other hill are the Tower of Castel Nuovo or Clock Tower and the Church of the Carmine. Characteristic is the piazzetta where the Palace of the Podestà, the Palace of Justice (of medieval origine, but restructured in 16th century), the Theatre of Risorti in Liberty style and the Cappellina di Piazza (1403), the zone around the piazzetta is rich of shops, caffé and restaurants. In the village are still 7 medieval house-towers going back to the second half of 12th century. The two main churches of the village, are situated on the two hills that form Montecatini Alto, the Church of San Pietro seat of the Propositura is the more important, it was constructed between the 11th and 12th century and has been modified in the second half of 18th century. The Church of the Carmine originally was constructed in the vicinity of the fortress of Castelnuovo at the end of 13th century, today it has a late-baroque aspect as a result of the restructuration of 1764, to its inside is possible to see in the painting of the Martyrdom of San Sebastiano the image of the ancient castle of Montecatini Alto as it was in 18th century.
The remains of two fortifications pertaining to the ancient defensive system of the castle are found on the top of the two hills of Montecatini. The westernmost fortification is the “Rocca of the Castel Vecchio” or of “Tramontana” that today is called the Rocca, it finds itself in the vicinity of the church of San Pietro. Today are still visible the walls to escarpment of the pentagonal fencing on whose apex is the tower of the cassero. Of the second fortress, the “Rocca of the Carmine” or “Castelnuovo”, remains visible today only the imposing tower that from the 18th century accommodates a working clock. The town-walls of Montecatini Alto, was in great part destroyed in the 1554 from the florentine army, the only trace still visible is the Porta di Borgo, near this gate, the only remained gate of the 7 that once time were opened on town-walls, lies the Church and the Monastero of the Benedictine of S. Maria a Ripa (15th-16th century). The church of 12th century is in Romanesque style, the inside to one aisle introduces an altar in stone, rests of frescoes on the vault of the presbitery, a compass with organ and the Chorus of the end of the 17th century.
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