Archivi per la categoria ‘Things to do’

Don Giovanni, Opera at San Galgano, Chiusdino (Siena)

Since many years, in the summer, the Abbey of San Galgano is the location of concerts in collaboration with the renomate siennese Chigiana Academy. In the scenic open air Cathedral of San Galgano, under a blanket of stars, take place every summerlays, operas, concerts, musicals and ballets.

Inside the Abbey, 800 seats to accommodate the public.

Performances at the Abbey of San Galgano start at 9.00 p.m.

Bookings/tickets: Ph. 0039 055 5978308/ 0039 055 5978309

For more informations and the programme:

Opera Festival

Multipromo Opera festival

via San Francesco, 3

50014 Fiesole (Fi)

info@festivalopera.it

web site

Jazz & Wine 2010, July 14 - 24, Montalcino (Siena)

Concerts: at 9.45 p.m.  by Montalcino Fortress, from July 14 to July 24

Restoration service: by Montalcino Fortress

Bookings/Tickets:

Pro-Loco Montalcino

Via Costa del Municipio, 1

53024 Montalcino

Ph. 0039 0577 849331

I Macchiaioli a Montepulciano, art exhibition from Apr. 25 to Sep. 26

“I Macchiaioli a Montepulciano” is a  highly reccomended exhibition for  lovers of peinture like me..  More than 100 works  (mostly shown for the first time and coming from private collections), through which you can follow the italian history from the Unification of Italy to the year 20s of the twentieth century.

Peintures by Fattoria to Signorini.

The exhibition is at the Civic Museum and Le Logge della Mercanzia in Montepulciano (Siena). From April 25 to September 26 2010.

Open tuesday to friday:  10.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m.

Open saturday and sunday:  10.00 a.m. – 10.00 p.m.

Ticket:  Euro 7,00

Children: Euro 5,00

Piscina of Camping Le Soline, Casciano di Murlo (Siena)

If it is summer and you wish to dip in a  pool…  I suggest you to go to Camping Le Soline in Casciano di Murlo (Siena). This swimming pool in the area of Murlo is big and has a beautiful panoramic position …

Of course you can choose to stay in the camping with your tent, roulotte or camper or in a bungalow but you can also go there just for their swimming pool paying a daily ticket for the swimming pool. Last year the price was 7,50 euro/per person and you can stay there the whole day. In the camping there are also a café and a restaurant.

This is a great idea especially if you’ve got children and you want to let them play in the water for a day..:-))

Swimming pools of Camping Le Soline

web site

Horse riding, Siena, Tuscany

When people ask me, if they can do some horse riding I always suggest to call Giorgio, wherever he is at the moment (and at the moment I think he should always be by Fattoria Casa Bianca…) but it is not necessary the accomodation at the Fattoria  for  horse riding with him.

He is a real chavalier, a patented instructor, he is born in the territory and knows and loves very much the territory and he’s very very nice! Let’s book a walk with horses for you and your friends / family with him… and then tell me! you can book only a morning / afternoon or a whole day with stop at an osteria.. he knows a lot of places and will show you the real Toscana: if you love horse riding or wish to try, do not hesitate!

Giorgio Ciacci

Handy: 0039 338 40 76 001

if there is the voicemail message, leave a message : he will call you back!

If you love basket,  maybe you already know, that in Siena there is a wonderful basket team: the Mens Sana Basket! at the moment, I think it is the strongest italian basket team.

It is sponsored by the siennese bank, Monte dei Paschi di Siena.

In the past, I had the opportunity of knowing the President (Minucci), both the previous coach (Recalcati) and the knew coach (Simone Pianigiani) and many of the players: they are really a great team…

Maybe, if you are in Siena and wish to see a nice show and an even nicer cheering stadium, you can check if there is a basketball game at the Mens Sana Palace in the period in which you’re there…

Mens Sana Basket

web site

Greve in Chianti, market on wednesday

If you love to go to the market, I suggest you to go on wednesday in Greve in Chianti in the main square Piazza Matteotti. It is pictoresque and funny and then you can go to the historical butcher Antica Macelleria Falorni in Piazza Matteotti.

swimming pool of Hotel La Posta, Bagno Vignoni, San Quirico (Siena)

I suggest you a bath in the swimming pool with mineral water of Hotel La Posta: it has both outdoor and indoor spaces and offers its guests a wonderful view of the valley  and  of  Rocca d’Orcia.

Check on the hotel’s website as the swimming pool is not always open: 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 and Bagno Vignoni is a marvellous place to be in!

Swimming pool by Hotel La Posta

Bagno Vignoni

San Quirico d’Orcia, Siena

web site

ricciarelli, typical mandel biscuits of Siena

If you come to Tuscany, I strongly suggest to imitate the Siena inhabitants and go by Nannini for a sweet break with a Coffee and some Siena sweets: Ricciarelli, Panforte, Cantucci and Cavallucci.

Ricciarelli are soft mandel biscuits

Cantucci are hard biscuits with entire mandels

Cavallucci are semi-hard biscuits with nuts and spices

Panforte is a big medieval cake (you ask for a slice) with various spices, candied fruits, almonds, honey

…and If you’re looking for a special gift from Siena or Tuscany, a box of fresh sweetnesses from Sieana are always  a good idea  (I always bring them to Turin by my parents)

Bar Conca d’Oro

Via Banchi di Sopra, 24

Siena

web site

It was two years ago… it was already several years I lived in the Siena territory, but I was not yet gone at the Patio in Siena! I know, it is a little bit strange …but I am strange

Moreover the Palio is every year on july 2 and august 16 and in july and august in Tuscany is hot.. very hot.. and I hate hot temperatures! Mainly for this reason I wasn’t yet gone at the Patio, I imagined all that people packed like sardines and I didn’t want to be one of them.

But one day, a friend of mine from Swizerland asked me to bring her and another friend to the Patio and for this reason I finally decided to go.

We lived home in San Giusto (Murlo) around 12.oo a.m. and arrived in the early afternoon.

We saw the blessing of the horse at church, then we walked around without a goal (it is very funny to look around when all the people around you seems just like crazy! you can’t imagine how the siennese people feel this day.. ), then we were simply pushed into the Piazza del Campo (the wonderful main square of Siena).

We waited for a longtime, one close to the other, pushed, shoved, harassed by all that people… but then it was suddenly silence ..and the show began!

It is nothing and it is all, I mean the show means waiting sometimes for hours that some horses begin the race all around the square, but they don’t, they quarrel and fight, the jokeys speak and plot one with the other, and you are there waiting for the show..

the evening is arriving, the light is no more so brilliant, the hot is no more so unbearable, the square colours of pink ..the people suddenly shuts.. and the show begin.

It is few minutes (seconds?) but you won’t never feel something like that in your whole life.

Thousands of people will turn together to look at the race (a real spectacular scene!), a few seconds more.. than it will be all finished and will begin a happyness you won’t understand..:-) and will be party all around you, with people laughing, other crying, many parades, a show in Dome for the winner… and will be a great occasion for sitting in a café on the square.. and drink an “aperitivo” while it’s becoming dark and all the lights around you will turn on.

Pic Nic in the Amiata Mountain

Especially in the summer, we suggest you to take one day time for a pic nic in the beautiful beech forest of the Amiata mountain (2000 mt hight!). It is one of the biggest beech forest in Europe, someone says it is the biggest one and offers you a magical environment, fresh air, plenty of space, equipped areas for barbeques and a tick network of paths. In the forest it is also possible to look for mushrooms.

It is astonishing to find such a particular mountain place at 15 minutes from the sweet hilly landscape of the Siena territory and Orcia Valley!

The only beautiful village on the Amiata Mountain is Piancastagnaio

suggested activity: pic-nic

best period: summer

interesting points: walks, summer pic-nics in the fresh air and under trees shadow, winter sky