See | Montepulciano, Pienza, Chianciano Terme, La Foce Gardens

There is plenty to do in this area of Tuscany that my advice is to choose a few places without overpacking your itinerary. It’s not really feasible to visit all Bagno Vignoni, Siena, Montalcino, Montepulciano and Pienza in one short weekend. Since I’ve been to most of these places already we focused on staying nearby, namely Montepulciano and Pienza with a side trip to Chianciano Terme for a dip in the thermal pools.

Montepulciano is perched prettily upon a high tufa ridge with a well-preserved historical center that makes you feel a bit like you’ve entered another world as soon as you cross through Porta al Prato. Montepulciano has Etruscan and Roman roots and according to legend it was founded by king Porsena, and was long fought over by the cities of Florence and Siena. Ruled by nobles families for centuries, it blossomed during the 16th century under Medici rule. Don’t miss the Church of Sant’Agostino — designed by Michelozzo, the  Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and outside the city walls, the Church of San Biagio. 

The valleys below (Val di Chiana and Val d’Orcia) responsible for producing bottles of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano I love slowly strolling the Corso to Piazza Grande, an easy (uphill) walk to the gorgeous main square, the almost sober looking Duomo and its Renaissance palazzos. The day we were there coincided with an antique car show, so imagine my delight and seeing vintage convertibles (and the people matched) parked one by one on the ancient cobblestones. It almost felt too good to be true. After our lazy walk around town, we settled in the historic Caffè Poliziano, a wood-paneled bar with a view that will excite even the most jaded traveler. It’s the perfect place for a before-dinner drinks or simply a rest on that uphill walk I mentioned before. 

We made it to Pienza this trip, a place I haven’t stepped foot in years, its name deserved from a 15th century pope, Pope Pius II, meaning “the city of Pius.” He sought to turn his hometown into a Renaissance dream with the help of architect Bernardo Rossellino.  Construction upon the ancient hamlet begun around 1459 and in 1996 UNESCO awarded Pienza’s historical center a World Heritage Site. Examples of its superb Renaissance architecture include the Cattedrale dell’Assunta, Palazzo Piccolomini, Palazzo Borgi, Palazzo Gonzaga and Palazzo del Cardinale Atrebatense. 

The Saturday we were there was sun-drenched but far from being uncomfortably warm (why it pays to visit before June) but as it is a popular town we certainly weren’t alone. People were milling about, grabbing coffee, taking photos under the romantic signs of Via dell’Amore and sampling some of its award-winning pecorino (sheep) cheese.

Another fun stop was in the thermal baths of Chianciano Terme close to the small town in the rolling coutryside of south-east Tuscany. We opted to wade in the pools of Piscine Termali Theia (Theia, “she who shines far”, was the mother of Selene in Etruscan mythology), outdoor and indoor pools filled with the water from the nearby Sillene spring located in Via della Foresta, behind the Sillene structure. Thermal waters are considered a health benefit in Italy and the water here is enriched with minerals offering anti-inflammatory benefits among other therapeutic properties.

To visit, you can pay for a day pass (prices vary from 19 Euros for 4 hours plus family passes) which gains you access to this pools, lounge chairs, and various hydromassage jets throughout. The downer is that you have to wear a swim cap and it can get crowded but I honestly had a great time bobbing in the water among our beautifully green surroundings. There are of course facilities to take showers, buy food and whatnot and I spotted plenty of people in the garden picnicking as well. 

We made it a point to stop at La Foce gardens, You can only visit via private tour (it costs 10€ and lasts 45 minutes) but it is very worth any detour  The Villa itself (available to rent) was built in the late 15th century as a hospice for pilgrims and merchants traveling on the Via Francigena, it was later bought by Antonio Origo and his Anglo-American wife Iris in 1924. Their tireless efforts helped bring prosperity to this poverty-stricken area of Val d’Orcia and they hired Cecil Pinsent to design the villa’s green spaces which is why we were there to visit. In fact nowadays, La Foce’s gardens are considered one of best kept early 20th century gardens in all of Italy.

There are three levels to the garden, a formal Italian garden mingled with a more English style divided into geometrical ‘rooms’ by box hedges with lemon trees in terra-cotta pots, various terraces and a wisteria-covered pergola. After our tour we were utterly fascinated by Iris’s story and I purchased her books Images and Shadows: Part of a Life and War in Val d’Orcia, stayed tuned for my Summer 2018 reading list, this will feature heavily. 

Info for La Foce: You can visit every Wednesday afternoon: 3pm, 4pm, 5pm, 6pm or every weekend (Sat. and Sun.) and national holidays (April 2, April 25, May 1, June 2, August 15, November 1): 11:30am, 3pm, 4:30pm. The gardens are open for visitors from March 24th to November 4th.

Eat | Stay Close to Home

The favorite part of any trip is choosing where were going to eat, so I typically make a few reservations and leave a few meals up for last minute decisions or changes. However two places, I knew I wanted to try. One was dinner at nearby Ristorante Osteria La Botte Piena in Montefollonico, a lovely slow-food recognized place serving up more modern Tuscan fare recommended to us by a friend who owns a winery in the area. We dug into a lovely plate of Cinta Senese cold cuts from the area and pickled veggies before I inhaled an asparagus and truffle pasta dish (all pasta is made in house). Nico went for the classic tagliatelle. 

Lunch instead was at Podere il Casale, a rather well-known organic cheese farm, the brainchild of Sandra and Plisse, located not far from the city of Pienza. This place is nothing short of a delight and I was very happy I called because the place was packed when I arrived and we also spotted the resident peacock. This ancient farm is 100% organic, home to a farm-to-table restaurant serving authentic, seasonal fare and one of the best damn cheese plates we’ve had in Tuscany. The wines were equally as delightful, careful suggestions from nearby wineries — we opted for an organic rose near Montepulciano. Everything was delicious, fresh and memorable, this place completely lives up to its great reputation but make sure to call ahead and specify a nice table with a view.

On our last night we chose to stay close to Follonico and go with Fabio’s suggestion of Piccola Trattoria Guastini in Torrita di Siena. Part of the old stone walls of the town, this old-school restaurant is a delight if you want to fit in with the locals, also the view wasn’t bad either. The menu is strictly Tuscan, plenty of offal, lampredotto and tripe to be had or a simple risotto if you were hankering for some vegetables at this point like me. Don’t skip out on dessert, our panna cotta was simply legendary: worth the drive solely to return for dinner.