Monteriggioni, Siena, Tuscany

I think that every person loving Tuscany must see the the little village of Monteriggioni.

It is not far from Siena Siena and is famous for its ancient city walls, a splendid example of medieval architecture built around 1200 and mantained – to this day – virtually intact.

Not far from Monteriggiori is another place worth visiting: the Abbadia Isola, a Benedictine monastery founded in the year 1000 where you can admire a beautiful Romanesque church.

The splendid complex of Saint Galgano is at around 20 minutes / half an hour drive from  Siena, located west, between  Monticiano and Chiusdino, in a wild territory, with wonderful landscapes and natural panoramas.

The Abbey of Saint Galgano has represented throughout the centuries an important stop for travelers and pilgrims in the Merse Valley, which was a densely populated territory, rich in  churches, castles, villages and monasteries and that included the municipalities of Monticiano, Chiusdino, Murlo and Sovicille.

Two roads of great historical and economic importance pass here, the Massetana road, connecting Siena with the Sea and crossing Massa Marittima (very important town of the Past) and the Metalliferous Hills and the ancient Maremmana Road joining the center of Tuscany with Grosseto.

I really suggest you to visit the Abbey of San Galgano (Abbazia di San Galgano) and the Montesiepi Chapel (Eremo di Montesiepi) next to it and then to drive forward Massa Marittima passing through Montieri, in a really unspoilt and interesting territory!!

For the history of this magical places, please visit the following website, which I find rich in contents and well written:

San Galgano Abbey

web site

Pitigliano, Tuscany

Today Giorgio and I have done a whole day in the etruscan area of Maremma: Pitigliano, Sovana and Sorano.

It was the typical autumnal day: rainy and windy! It rained so much, that we had to buy an umbrella and, even with this, we got completely wet!

Nevertheless, it was a fantastic day, in which we discovered really beautiful places!

First we were in Pitigliano: we visited the archeological museum (2,5 euro/per person; very small but interesting for us, I learned many things I didn’t know previously …but there is a problem: all the informations are written only in Italian. So I wouldn’t suggest this museum to not italian speakers), then we walked around in the typical, thin, very pictoresque roads..  I absolutely want to come back to Pitigliano: next time I want to see the Orsini Fortress and walk along the vie cave (the etruscan roads carved into the rock)…but for this last thing, it must be absolutely a sunny day:-)

Then we went to Sovana: the yellow lights were already switched on, the atmosphere was great.. We walked along the only two roads..so romantic and  special.. in the only square there is a splendid romanesque church, Santa Maria Maggiore: we were really astonished by its beauty! It houses one of the most ancient pre-Romanesque ciboria giving the church a magic, really ancient ambience.

In Sovana there is also a beautiful romanesque Cathedral, which next time we are absolutely going to visit inside! This time, we looked it just from outside…and I can assure you,  it looks wonderful!!

Then we were in Sorano, a pleasant surprise! We couldn’t go on the upper side, with its fortress …(next time:-)) but we appreciated very much the lower ancient part… where the maze of streets is fantastic and panorama is absolutely great!

Banfi Castle, Brunello wine producers

In the splendid setting of Montalcino countryside, walking on breathtaking panoramic white lines snaking through vineyards, olive groves, castles and ancient isolated farms… here you are a really unforgettable road that you can do with your favourite means: walking, by bike, horseriding or simply by car… HIGHLY SUGGESTED!!!

If you stop at the beautiful Banfi Castle, Poggio alle Mura, you can stop at the wine shop, drink something, visit the Museum of Brunello, and (only if you have booked some days before!!!) visit the cantines. For more information visit the website of Banfi Castle.  In the Banfi property there are also an osteria (not an economic one:-)) and a very beautiful, chic and expensive restaurant, which is in restoration at the moment.

Castello Banfi

+39-0577-877700

borgo@castellobanfi.it

Another highly suggested stop: Sant’Angelo in Colle, a small pictoresque medieval village with breathtaking panoramas and an hosteria that I always suggest: Trattoria il Pozzo!!! It has a beautiful dehors in the medieval little square of the village…it is very nice to sit down and feel like in an open living-room.

A walk through the vineyards, Tavernelle - Poggio alle Mura - Sant'Antimo - Montalcino

Radicofani Fortress, Radicofani, Orcia Valley (Siena)

I appreciated very much the visit of Radicofani Fortress! The fortress is located on the top of an high hill, a very panoramic place that you reach after walking ca. 20 minutes up to the fortress.

The fortress is very fascinating and its long history too as it is also famous because it was occupied for two times by the famous robber Ghino di Tacco, the italian Robin Hood.

If you go to the Radicofani Fortress, I suggest you also to stop for luch in the village of Radicofani in the restaurant La Grotta (better to book, specially on sunday and week-ends: it is always full).  It is a great restaurant, where siennese people enjoy to go, as it is not expensive at all and the food is great. When I went there with my husband and my husband’s grandfather, we tasted a mix of first plates and second plates and the experience was fantastic!

Ristorante La Grotta

Piazza Sant’Agata, 2

53040 Radicofani (Siena)

Ph. 0039 0578 55866‎

the medieval towers of San Gimignano

The first time I went to San Gimignano it was december and very cold.. my first impression was very strong: I was simply astonished, I had really never seen such a magical place (one more!:-))

I had never seen such an ancient place, so perfectly preserved, surrounded by a landscape so perfect, magical, untouched! I was used to see beautiful alleys, wonderful houses, splendid monuments, but then I had to isolate those beautiful pearls of art and history from their contest which was too often ruined by building speculation, cement jungles, horrible palaces and houses: I simply say…this doesn’t happen here. You arrive in the Siena territory and you won’t believe an area can be so beautiful and so perfectly maintained. And about San Gimignano: the snakering stone roads, the buildings, the  towers, the atmosphere, so planty of beauty everywhere! It is fantastic and seems impossible to be true…

Unfortunately, if you are born in a big city, it is so easy to think that beauty can’t happen and things must be in any case polluted, ruined and that this is the reality and that the perfect beauty is only for dreams.

The Siena territory is there to show that this is not true and that a territory can be absolutely perfect, splendid, fantastic. And that this is possible exactly like asphalt, cement and again asphalt and cement in everywhere..

I think, it is absolutely clear that I suggest you to visit San Gimignano:-) only one problem:  everything is very expensive:

after that first time, I spent a lot of days in San Gimignano because I worked there some time..and for a coffee and sandwich I spent really too much, something like 9 euros!! (this happened in the café in the main square)

In San Gimignano I had a very good experience with ice cream: Giorgio and I had a very good one in Piazza della Cisterna and sit down on the steps of the square to savour its wonderful taste:

Gelateria di Piazza

Piazza della Cisterna

San Gimignano (Siena)

web site

San Gimignano is also too crowdy in weekends and summer days so I suggest you to visit it during week days and not only in july/august

Bagno Vignoni, San Quirico d'Orcia (Orcia Valley)Bagno Vignoni

I think, that Bagno Vignoni is “must” for every lover of Tuscan.

It is very very small, maybe a pair of roads and a square… but, in any case, it’s a very interesting village mainly because of its main square made of thermal water. Now you can’t bath in it anymore but in medieval times it used to be the favourite site of popes and important people like saint Caterina of Siena (the “vips” of medieval times:-))

Nowadays you can take a thermal bath in a swimming pool with thermal water by Hotel La Posta. You can spend even the whole day in the swimming pool: it has both outdoor and indoor spaces. The swimming pool offers its guests a beautiful view overlooking the valley on the Orcia river and  of  Rocca d’Orcia.

Check on the hotel’s website as the swimming pool is not always opened: only from spring to autumn.

Price for a whole day (last year 2009): 14 euro/per person

I suggest this kind of bath especially in spring and autumn, when it’s very pleasant to bath in warm water! A relaxing bath in the swimming pool surrounded by the magnificient nature of our countryside is what you need to forget stress

Swimming pool by Hotel La Posta

Bagno Vignoni

San Quirico d’Orcia, Siena

web site

For this reason, I will simply tell that I think that Piazza del Campo in Siena is the most beautiful medieval square of the world: it is simply wonderful the  shape of shell, you can sit down on the ground and feel to be in an open living room (this is because of the shape of course, it is like a theatre).

If you’re planning to go to Tuscany, you simply can’t miss Piazza del Campo in Siena. I suggest you to go to Piazza del Campo in the late afternoon, to read a newspaper on the ground and then wait for the dark : you won’t forget the magic atmosphere, the colours, the lights, the medieval palaces all around you!

If you don’t want to sit down on the ground, do not hesitate to pay something more for a coffee in one of the cafés of Piazza del Campo: this spectacle deserves your money!

If you go to Pienza, I suggest you also to go to Monticchiello (municipality of Pienza): it is at around half an hour from Pienza and the road is worth doing, because of the beautiful panoramas and for Monticchiello itself.

It is a little medieval town on a hill: from here you can see a beautiful panorama and Pienza in front of you.. it’s simply beautiful and a walk in the little village is pleasant and relaxing. You can also stop at the café next to the entrance: I’ve not yet been there but someone told me it’s very nice and you can admire a wonderful panorama from the terrace!

Monticchiello is famous both for the Teatro Povero : if you wish to spend a different evening, look for the calendar on their website, maybe you will find a right date for you.

Pienza, Siena territory

When I first went to Pienza, it was winter and a terrific wind blowed along the roads.. so I couln’t deeply appreciate the beauty of the place.

The second time, it was spring.. and I found it one of the most interesting places to visit in the south of Tuscany, both because of the archistecture of the place and because of the splendid countryside around it!

I suggest a walk in this beautiful town.

The Pecorino Cheese is typical of Pienza.  The place where I always buy it, are two shops with a lot of kinds of Pecorino cheese, between Pienza and Montepulciano:

Fattoria Buca Nuova
Via Primo Maggio, 4
53026 Pienza (SI)
Telefono + 39 0578 748350

Fattoria Buca Nuova
Strada per Pienza, 34
53045 Montepulciano (SI)
Telefono +39 0578 758338

The website is the following: www.fattoriabucanuova.it but unfortunately, it is only in Italian.

I find also the same products by Coop Buonconvento but there is not all the variety.