Hidden Charming Spots of Tuscany

plus food an wine

Here some suggestions about how to get out of the crowd for a few hours.

If you have at least half a day to relax, decide to go “slow pace” and stop for example at the church of San Miniato al Monte if you are downtown Florence. Go there at sunset, take a drink with you, sit on the benches to the right to have the best view towards Fiesole.

 

 Have a getaway one evening to Volterra, spend a night at Borgo Pignano;

Have a day trip to Chianti with lunch at a family run winery in Montefioralle;

Hire a guide for a hike from day San Gimignano to Colle val d’Elsa for example, to experience the trail of the Medieval pilgrims;

Learn some Tuscan tricks for the best recipes. Have a wine tasting and a cooking lesson in Volpaia;

Go for a “beef or not to beef” ! dinner in Panzano in Chianti, by Cecchini, at Solo Ciccia;

Walk through the vineyards in the area of Monsanto and Paneretta (Chianti);

Explore the south of Tuscany among rolling hills and fields of poppies, dotted with cypress trees and ancient little churches: Pienza, Montisi, Monticchiello, Petroio.

Last but not least, a jump into a hot springs swimming-pool in Rapolano Terme – . Not expensive and a real treat.

Charming hilltop dwellings (more details below):

• Cortona:
• Montefioralle
• Volpaia
• Monticchiello
• Montisi Petroio Castelmuzio
• Colle Val d’Elsa
• Monteriggioni

Wineries and food stops (more details below):

• Dievole
• Fonterutoli
• Brancaia
• Cennatoio
• Monsanto
• Casanova di Neri
• Altesino
• Bolgheri
• Panizzi
• Panzano – butcher –

If you are traveling during the summer and want to go for a very authentic spot by the sea, get a ferry to Isola del Giglio and stay at least 2 nights at Hermitage. Mandatory to book in advance. You can’t drive there. A private boat is necessary to get to the spot.

The South of the Region: Montalcino, Pienza, Montepulciano, Montisi…

 

In the 15 hundreds, if somebody suffered depression, was highly recommended to spend a few weeks in the south of Tuscany for recovering… The pleasure given by the beauty of its landscape sounds like a good remedy again stress… Here the pace is slow and life very much in contact with its environment. Rolling hills dotted by cypress trees, old farm houses still run by some local families producing sheep milk cheese, ham, great beef… Here and there ancient monasteries and churches. Hill top town and little dwellings.

An elegant region of charming villas and famous vineyards where to stop for a taste and a lecture about the local wine-making tradition. On my opinion a MUST if you want to experience and see Tuscany.

If you want to come this way you need a private car.

 

Nice wineries where you can have a tour of the cellars and a taste of their Brunello are for example:

Altesino – if you are coming from Buonconvento get the first turn right to Montalcino and after approx 2 km you’ll find a gravel road on the left with a sign to Altesino. Take it for a few minutes and you’ll find the nice estate with spectacular views. Better if you call them in advance to book a tour. 0577 806208.

Casanova di Neri: superb reds. They are very busy making wine… so sometimes not available for a tour but try. They won the Wine Spectator award for the best wine of the world in 2006. Ask for Piero to give you a tour: 0577 834455.

Banfi: It’s a huge estate and they make tousand of bottles a year. It’s a world famous producer. It might be interesting to visit a family run estate and then a very large one. Book a tour at www.castellobanfi.com.

A possible itinerary is mentioned among my tours, get an inspiration from there or contact me for further help.

 

 

If you decide to stay there:

 In Montalcino: Castello di Velona  (top star budget) hotel – gorgeous views and lonely location, great swimming-pool with 360° country view. Service so so. Food ok, but not remarkable and very expensive. For a lovely dinner get to the village.

Right in town instead, with nice views: Vecchia Oliviera (happy budget) hotel. Simple and family run, just about at the entrance of the village.

The best Pici Pasta dish (typical of the area) at hotel/reestaurant Il Giglio – an old fashioned room with an authentic menu – or at the Osteria di Porta al Cassero.

Il boccon divino has a good reputation too.

In Pienza: Il Chiostro (happy budget).

Low budget: Agriturismo Poggio Covili. Simple estate with nice views and the best Pici pasta I have ever tasted!!!

If you want to spend some time in the area try online for an apartment to rent. In Montisi for example there are some nice options and it’s very very authentic!

In Rapolano: Terme di San Giovanni. A jump into hot springs water! So… relaxing.

 

 

Eating….

In Rapolano Terme: Il Granaio (happy budget).

In Pienza: Dal Falco (happy budget) but an old fashion ambience

In Montalcino (happy budget) Porta al Cassero (lots of people say, the best Pici of the area.

If around there at the end of July, beginning of August, don’t miss LA TAVERNA DI BRONZONE in Monticchiello. All citizens of the little village performe teather at night and from 7.30 pm to 10. pm they serve the best PICI pasta ever, in a cellar, right under the church. It’s a low budget option and a very social and authentic atmosphere.

In Montisi: La Romita.

 

Volterra

The most important Etruscan city of the area, is a lovely village on the ridge of a hill. On some very clear days it’s possible to see the sea from the pathway at the entrance of the village.

Park your car at the end of Viale dei Ponti and you’ll be right in the centre of the village. Once at the first T intersection, make a sharp right and get through the steep uphill alley which will get you towards the park. An option for nice pictures and an ancient escavations!

Walk the whole way down to the old prison – you’ll recognize it because of its large round tower – and take Via Don Minzoni stopping at the Guarnacci, Etruscan museum. It’s an old building which needs some renovations, but the items shown there are amazing!

Pottery, jewelry, urnes and little statues of the 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th and 3rd century BC.

If you buy there the all including ticket (10€ at the moment), you’ll save money if getting to the Gallery too.

Walking back to the centre, on the way there are a couple of restaurants which are good for a simple snack, before taking the right and the Lungo le Mura del Mandorlo street and have a gorgeous view of the ancient Anphiteatre. Don’t miss it. It’s a great shot!

At the end of the street, you can stop at an alabaster lab, to touch and see how they easily shape this soft stone, locally found everywhere.

Get back to the main square passing through the little archway and on your left, you’ll find the entrance to the National Gallery.

People working there are not the most welcoming, but it’s worth to pay the 8 € entrance fee (better if you buy the ticket including more museums for 10 €) and go to the first floor to see the Deposition from the Cross of Rosso Fiorentino. An incredible touching painting. Go Go Go!

 

Some shopping and a coffee around the main square will be a pleasant relaxing moment before leaving.

 

Aprrox time needed: 2-3 hours plus stops and snacks.

If you want to stay in the area and you have time, have a look at www.borgopignano.it I love the peace and the charme of the place. Great swimming-pool location!

In the area there are lovely hiking options to explore Castelvecchio (abandoned Medieval village of the 13th century, still in the middle of wood, folling apart). Hard to find your way by yourself, ask for a guide in that case.

 

Chianti

(It has been hard to decide if Chianti should be part of the “See Must… of Tuscany”, or part of the Hidden Spots… I guess it can be part of both…)

You want to spell Chianti with a K, not like China.

Chianti is a lovely and picturesque area in the centre of Tuscany, south of Florence and north of Siena. Its hills are mostly covered in dense forests of oaks and vineyards.

Somebody might remember still the low quality wine coming from Tuscany in the past and called Chianti, coming in a big bottle with straw, named Fiasco.

Since then wine-makers changed extremely their wine making process, if farmers first, became sophisticated and mutiple master degree level professionals, who know can sell their labels at almoust 100 US$.

The region, badly bombed during world war II, once dotted with farm houses having no running water, power or lovely gardens, has been nicely restored and rebuilt mainteining the ancient materials and shapes like the trendy Tuscan architecture of bricks and stones.

A villa there now, won’t cost you less than 2 milions…

That said, it’s nice to spend a day or a week visiting the little hilltop villages like Panzano, Radda in Chianti, Castellina and San Donato in Poggio. You won’t need to long each time you stop, just a few minutes or just a few hours, if you decide to sit, take an espresso cup of coffee and start talking to the people. Village life is very relaxing, friendly and welcoming.

 

Hard to give suggestions about where to go and what do to..

First of all you need a car to get there and enjoy it, second you have not to mind winding roads and not to easily get car-sick. No streight ways there!!!

A classic tour of Chianti takes you to little villages and stops at at least at a winery. If you are not interested in that it’s still worth to go. The beauty of the countryside is breathtaking, plus a visit to an olive-oil mill and an extra vergin olive oil taste can be a nice alternative.

 

A possible itinerary will be (do it reverse if you start from the south. Most of people stay in Florence so I’m assuming they will start from north):

 

If you have a full day, go to Impruneta – south of Florence – and once in the square of the centre, facing the church, take the little downhill street you see on your right. Keep the left and go down down down till you’ll see a sign for Terracotte Mariani on the left.

There are two different producer with the same name, careful. My suggestion is to go to the first, entering the gate sharp left (you can visit the other one too but they make pottery in the common industrial way, using a mold).

Ask for Mario Mariani, he is working by himself and he makes the huge terracotta vases you’ll see outside, just by hand!!!! He is possibly one of the 3 people still alive that does it as done in the past by his father and grandfather. It’s a truly unique experience… Go and see how he shapes the “row” soft clay – he says like flower and water making bread – , how he stacks “the rings” one on the other and how he burns them once every other month. He builds his oven every time! (Don’t forget he does not speak English so… it would be better to have a guide with you or somebody speaking English).

From there you can go to Panzano in Chianti and have a little stop at the famous butcher shop, Cecchini (he is organizing interesting lunches and dinners based on his meat. Keep in mind that you’ll be served JUST meat… so… it’s better if you like beef! You’ll taste all parts and all kinds of it).

The drive is very scenic and in the vally close by there is house – Vignamaggio – where possibly Leonardo met the Monnalisa…

For a winetasting in the area you can go to Verrazzano or to Cennatoio (on the gravel road to Volpaia). The first is a beautiful estate, very famous and very busy, the other one is a family owned and run winery with a completely different setting.

 

In any case, I’d suggest you to take the gravel road (dusty in the summer!) that goes from Panzano – right from the butcher shop – to Volpaia, a charming and authentic village of the Middle Ages where everything was bought by a big brand producing Volpaia wine, but a couple of flats, where two sisters are still living and run the two most interesting spots for a snack or lunch: Paola and Carla.

Paola is usually speaking loud and looking tired… she is a character. She runs the coffee bar in the middle of the square, with wooden tables outside.

The sister Carla is running the restaurant with a lovely garden called La Bottega di Volpaia.

Jummy home made ravioli and home made prosciutto. Good veggies and a good dish of wildboar. Lovely setting in the garden on a sunny and hot day under the linden trees.

 

Proceed your day towards Castellina in Chianti, get lost looking for the Etruscan tumbs, taste a great gelato. On your way back don’t take the winding road SS222 but drive down to Monteriggioni, have a look at the interesting fortress and take the 4 lanes fast way back to Florence.

 

Other possible wineries to go and visit are: Brancaia (nice spot and very good wines), Fonterutoli, Monsanto, Volpaia itself, Montefioralle, Dievole.

Now…

Have you started planning?