Lonely Planet Publications
234 l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena 235
SIENA take advantage of its location and excellent
pop 54,330 bus connections to stage jaunts to nearby
Central Tuscany The rivalry between historic adversaries Siena enticements such as San Gimignano and
and Florence continues to this day, and every Volterra.
traveller seems to strongly identify with one
over the other. It often boils down to aesthetic History
preference: while Florence saw its greatest According to legend Siena was founded by
flourishing during the Renaissance, Siena s Senius, son of Remus; the symbol of the wolf
Buildings the colour of ripe corn, hills with gentle curves and folds, scored here and there
enduring artistic glories are largely Gothic. feeding the twins Romulus and Remus is as
by steep ravines, as scarred and eroded as any cowboy badlands; here in the central Tuscan
Though there is also the eternal question of ubiquitous in Siena as it is in Rome. In real-
who has the best patron saint (Siena, obvi- ity, the city was probably of Etruscan ori-
countryside, especially around Le Crete with its impressionist-style landscape, beats the heart
ously). gin, although it wasn t until the 1st century
of rural Tuscany. Lofty cypresses form a dramatic border to fields speckled with sheep and,
One of Italy s most enchanting cities, Si- BC, when the Romans established a military
if you pass by in spring, you have the additional treat of brilliant red poppy fields, sweep-
ena s medieval centre bristles with majestic colony here called Sena Julia, that it began to
ing to the sun-hazed green horizon. Gentle on the eye and feet, the region is ideal family
buildings, such as the Palazzo Comunale grow into a proper town. Even so, it remained
walking country and do get a first overview on the scenic Treno Natura (Nature Train), if on Piazza del Campo, the main square, and a minor outpost until the arrival of the Lom-
its stupefyingly ornamented cathedral. The bards in the 6th century AD. Under them,
your visit coincides with one of the summer days when it s running.
profusion of churches and small museums Siena became a key point along the main route
harbour a wealth of artwork, though your from northern Italy to Rome, the Via Franci-
Outstanding abbeys will satisfy ecclesiastical wonder and restorative waters harnessed by
day can be equally effectively filled by simply gena. The medieval town was an amalgama-
a handful of spas will satisfy other things.
wandering the snarled lanes of the historic tion of three areas (Cittą, Camollia and San
centre, a Unesco World Heritage Site, spend- Martino) that would come to be known as
Some of Tuscany s most attractive towns poke up hereabouts: steep, straggling Montepul-
ing nary a euro on admission fees or untold the terzi (thirds). The city was next under the
ciano and the one-time defensive bulwark of Monteriggioni with its 14 defensive towers,
hours standing in queues. control of local bishops before power passed
the pilgrim-route bastion of San Gimignano, with still more medieval towers, and Volterra,
Budget a couple of days to digest the city s to locally elected administrators, the consoli
the ancient brooding successor to an Etruscan settlement, standing aloof and watching over
rich treasures and exceptional cuisine, then (consuls).
the lunar expanses to the south.
0 20 km
CENTRAL TUSCANY
0 12 miles
Siena s remarkable comeback after a centuries-long time-out enforced by Florence is some-
SS429
Pncole SS2
thing to see. Its glorious piazza, cobbled streets and alleys counter the lamentably overtrafficked
Pestella
Poggibonsi
Radda in
Collegiata
SS429
streets of Florence and its black-and-white striped cathedral is as striking as Florence s. Capitalis- Chianti
San Gimignano
Castellina Arezzo
in Chianti
A1
ing on the Gothic identity that once marked it as a conquered slum within the grand duchy of
I l C h i a n t i
Colle di Val d'Elsa Poggio
San Polo
SS73
Tuscany is an irony that has caused Florentine cadavers to spin in their tombs. Volterra
SS222
SS68
Monteriggioni
SS408
SS540
Saline di Volterra SS2
Casole d'Elsa SS73 Castiglion
HIGHLIGHTS
Monteaperti
Fiorentino
SS439
Monte San
Siena
Castello di
Pievescola Savino
Pomarance SS326
Montecchio
Climb (but don t count) the 400 steps of
Mensano Rapolano
San Gimignano SS71
SS438
Terme
Siena s Torre del Mangia (p240), then invert SS541
Le Crete Cortona
SS73
Siena
those glorious views from a seat in Piazza Larderello
Monteroni
Asciano
del Campo (p237) with a well-earned cold
Castelnuovo di d'Arbia
Sinalunga
Abbazia di
Valle di Cecina
SS223 Trequanda
Monte Oliveto
beverage Le Crete
Maggiore SS327
Montisi
Abbazia di
Castelmśzio A1
Attain Gothic enlightenment in Siena s Murlo SS2
San Galgano
SS398
San Giovanni d'Asso
Buonconvento
ornate cathedral (p240)
Sant'Anna
Umbria
Tocchi
Montepulciano
in Camprena
Montalcino
Tour the striking abbeys of Sant Antimo and
SS146
Lago di
Bagni di Montepulciano
Pienza
Monte Oliveto Maggiore while cruising the SS73 Chiusi
Petriolo
Monticchiello
San Quirico
Montalcino
Massa
pastureland of Le Crete (p250) d'Orcia
Marittima Chianciano
Bagno
Rocastrada
Terme
Abbazia di Vignoni
Imagine the awe of your medieval predeces- Chiusi
SS223 SS2
Sant'Antimo
SS439
Castiglione
sors as you approach the towers of San
Sant'Angelo
Sarteano
d'Orcia
Castelnuovo
in Colle
SS1
Gimignano (p254)
dell'Abate
Cetona
SS478
Bagni San
Let the enoteca s Brunello wine be your guide through Montalcino s fortezza (p266)
Filippo Radicófani
Scarlino
M Amiata
Burn off some of those carbs as you scale the steep, beautiful streets of Montepulciano (p273)
(1738m)
To Grosseto
Campagnatico
Abbadia San Salvatore
Vetulonia (14km) Arcidosso
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
CENTRAL TUSCANY
Monti del Chianti
236 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena l onel ypl anet. com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena 237
By the 13th century, Siena had become a nomic downturn in the wake of the Medici EMERGENCY If you find the piazza irksomely congested
wealthy trading city, producing textiles, saf- takeover was a blessing that resulted in Police station (%0577 20 11 11; Via del Castoro) at lunch time on a summer day, you ll need
fron, wine, spices and wax, and its traders and the city s present-day, matchless allure. Its a powerful sedative to cope with the running
bankers did deals all over Western Europe. predominantly Gothic surroundings have INTERNET ACCESS of the Palio (see the boxed text, p246), when
Its rivalry with neighbouring Florence also survived largely intact as no one could be Internet Train (Via di Cittą 121; per hr Ź 4; h8am-8pm the astonishing crush and vigour of revellers
grew proportionately, leading to numerous bothered to undertake (or fund) demolition Sun-Fri) A popular caf with cables for laptop hook-ups. will alarm all but the most fearless.
wars between Guelph Florence and Ghibelline or new construction. Furthermore, unlike the There s another branch at Via di Pantaneto 57.
Siena, each intent upon controlling ever more poundings endured by neighbouring cities in Netrunner (%0577 4 49 46; www.netrunnersiena.net; PALAZZO COMUNALE
Tuscan territory. In 1230 Florence besieged WWII, the French took Siena virtually unop- Via Pantaneto 132; per hr Ź 6; h10am-11pm Mon-Sat, At the lowest point of the square (or the tap
Siena and catapulted dung and rotting donkey posed, sparing it discernible damage. 3-9pm Sun) Has a prepaid discount card scheme for regular of the aforementioned metaphorical sink),
flesh over its walls in an inspired, medieval Mr As the population began to grow again customers. stands the spare, elegant Palazzo Comunale,
Science attempt to spread the plague. Siena s in the years after WWII (it had dropped to conceived by the Council of Nine as a nerve
revenge came at the Battle of Montaperti in 16,000 in the latter half of the 18th century), LAUNDRY centre for the republican government, unit-
1260 but victory was short-lived. Nine years Siena was the first European city to banish Onda Blu (Via del Casato di Sotto 17; h8am-10pm) ing the offices and courts in one building,
later the Tuscan Ghibellines were defeated by motor traffic from its heart (in 1966). An overt Wash & Dry (Via di Pantaneto 38; h8am-10pm) thus greatly reducing the symbolic and actual
Charles of Anjou and, for almost a century, divergence from Florence s vehicle congestion power of the feudal nobles.
Siena was obliged to toe the Florentine line and carbon monoxide fug, strolling Siena s MEDICAL SERVICES Dating from 1297, the palazzo is one of
in international affairs, becoming a member historic centre without fear of flatten toes or Hospital (%0577 58 51 11; Viale Bracci) Just north of the most graceful Gothic buildings in Italy.
of the Tuscan Guelph League (supporters of side-view mirror contusions (scooters not- Siena at Le Scotte. The ground level was constructed in stone,
the pope). withstanding) is not the least of the town s the upper, crenulated levels in brick, with an
Siena reached its peak under the republi- pleasures. POST ingeniously designed concave faade to mir-
can rule of the Consiglio dei Nove (Council Post office (Piazza Matteotti 1) ror the opposing convex curve formed by the
of Nine), an elected executive dominated Orientation piazza. Also known as the Palazzo Pubblico,
by the rising mercantile class. Many of the Historic Siena, still largely surrounded by its TELEPHONE or town hall, the palazzo was purpose-built as
finest buildings in the Sienese Gothic style medieval walls, is small and easily tackled on Telecom office (Via di Cittą 113) The office is unstaffed, the piazza s centrepiece, resulting in a won-
were constructed during this period, includ- foot, although the way in which streets swirl as is the other Telecom office at Via di Pantaneto 44. derful amphitheatre effect.
ing the cathedral, the Palazzo Comunale and in semicircles around the city s heart, Piazza The attached Torre del Mangia (1344), with
the Piazza del Campo. The Sienese school of del Campo (also known as Il Campo ), may TOURIST INFORMATION a crown designed by painter Lippo Memmi,
painting was born at this time, with Guido da confuse you. Tourist office (%0577 28 05 51; www.terresiena was designed in the veritable Sienese spirit of
Siena, and flowered in the early 14th century, The names of two of Siena s main central .it; Piazza del Campo 56; h9am-7pm) Can help reserve the era: to be bigger and better than stupid
when artists such as Duccio di Buoninsegna streets, Banchi di Sopra and Banchi di Sotto, accommodation. Florence s. An undisputed success, at 102m it
and Ambrogio Lorenzetti were at work. recall its once-thriving banking activity. An-
A plague outbreak in 1348 killed two-thirds other artery is Via di Cittą, which joins the Sights
SAFE COMBINATIONS
of the city s 100,000 inhabitants and led to a others just behind Piazza del Campo. PIAZZA DEL CAMPO
period of decline. From Piazza Gramsci, where most buses Resembling a colossal, medieval bathroom Siena has a bewildering permutation of
At the end of the 14th century, Siena came call, walk south along Via dei Montanini, sink, the sloping Piazza del Campo has been combined tickets. The distribution when
under the control of Milan s Visconti family, which turns into Banchi di Sopra and leads Siena s civic and social centre ever since it we visited was as follows:
followed in the next century by the autocratic to Piazza del Campo. was staked out by the Council of Nine in the
Museo Civico and Torre del Mangia
patrician Pandolfo Petrucci. Under Petrucci mid-14th century.
(Ź 12)
the city s fortunes improved, until the Holy MAPS The piazza was the site of a former Roman
Museo Civico, Santa Maria della Scala
Roman Emperor Charles V conquered it in If the complimentary tourist office map isn t marketplace, and its pie-piece paving design
and Palazzo delle Papesse (Ź 11, valid for
1555 after a two-year siege that left thousands adequate for you, invest in Siena (Ź 5.50) by is divided into nine sectors to represent the
two days)
dead. He handed the city over to Cosimo I Litografia Artistica Cartografia; at a scale of number of members of the ruling council.
de Medici, who barred the inhabitants from 1:7000, this map comes complete with a street This is the city s primary gathering point Museo dell Opera Metropolitana, crypt,
Oratorio di San Bernardino, Museo Dioc-
operating banks, thus severely curtailing Si- index. locals sun themselves and gossip here, while
esano (Ź 10 valid for three days)
ena s power. tourists parade through, awestruck, often
Siena was home to St Catherine (Santa Ca- Information stopping for a good sit-down and a beverage
Museo Civico, Santa Maria della Scala,
terina), one of Italy s most venerated saints. BOOKSHOPS at a terrace table.
Palazzo delle Papesse, Museo dell Opera
But saints don t make money. Siena today Book Shop (%0577 22 65 94; www.bookshopsiena In 1346 water first bubbled forth from the
Metropolitana, Battistero di San Gio-
relies for its prosperity on tourism and the .com; Via San Pietro 19) And how. Run by a NYC expat, Fonte Gaia (Happy Fountain) in the upper part
vanni, Museo Diocesano, Chiesa di
success of its Monte dei Paschi di Siena bank, restock your suitcase library of traveller favourites at this of the square. The fountain s panels are repro-
Sant Agostino and Oratorio di San Ber-
founded in 1472 and now one of the city s emporium of English-language books. ductions; the severely weathered originals,
nardino the bumper bundle though
largest employers. Libreria Senese (%0577 28 08 45; Via di Cittą 62-6) sculpted by Jacopo della Quercia in the early
not including Torre del Mangia (Ź 17,
Though the hapless residents that endured Stocks English, French and German books and international 15th century, are on display in the Complesso
valid for seven days)
it may not agree, Siena s centuries-long eco- newspapers. Museale di Santa Maria della Scala (p242).
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
CENTRAL TUSCANY
238 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena l onel ypl anet. com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena 239
0 400 m
was a remarkable engineering feat and one of
SIENA
0 0.2 miles
the tallest nonsecretarian towers in Italy.
Entry to the palazzo s ground-floor central
INFORMATION Baptistry...........................................15 C4 Oratorio di San Bernardino...............28 E3 SLEEPING
courtyard is free. Adjacent is the entrance
Book Shop..........................................1 C5 Basilica di Santa Maria dei Servi........16 F6 Palazzo Chigi-Saracini....................(see 13) Albergo Bernini................................42 C4
to the Museo Civico (%0577 29 22 63; adult/student
Internet Train.....................................2 C5 Casa di Santa Caterina.....................17 C4 Palazzo Comunale............................29 D5 Albergo Cannon d'Oro....................43 C3
Internet Train...................................... E5 Cathedral.........................................18 C5 Palazzo delle Papesse.......................30 C5 Antica Residenza Cicogna................44 C4
3
Ź 7.50/4.50, museum & tower Ź 12; h10am-6.15pm mid-
Libreria Senese...................................4 C5 Chiesa de Sant'Agostino..................19 D6 Palazzo Piccolomini..........................31 D4 Chiusarelli.........................................45 B4
Main Post Office................................5 C3 Chiesa di San Domenico...................20 B4 Palazzo Salimbeni.............................32 C3 Grand Hotel Continental..................46 C3 Mar Oct, 10am-5.30pm or 6.30pm Nov mid-Mar), with
Netrunner........................................... E5 Chiesa di San Francesco...................21 D3 Palazzo Spannocchi..........................33 C3 Hotel Antica Torre............................47 F5
6
a series of rooms containing frescoes by art-
Onda Blu...........................................7 D5 Cinema Moderno.............................22 D4 Palazzo Tantucci...............................34 C3 Hotel Le Tre Donzelle.......................48 D4
Police Station.....................................8 C5 Crypt...............................................23 C5 Palazzo Tolomei...............................35 C4 Locanda Garibaldi............................49 D5 ists of the distinctive Sienese school. These
Telecom Office..................................9 D4 Duomo Nuovo...............................(see 27) Pinacoteca Nazionale.......................36 C5 Palazzo Bruchi................................... E5
50
frescoes are unusual in that they were com-
Telecom Office................................10 C5 Fonte Gaia.......................................24 D4 Porta Romana...................................37 F6 Pensione Palazzo Ravizza.................51 B6
Tourist Office..................................11 D4 Fortezza Medicea.............................25 A3 Santa Maria della Scala....................38 C5 Piccolo Hotel Etruria.........................52 D4 missioned by the governing body of the city,
Wash & Dry.....................................12 D4 Loggia dei Mercanzia.......................26 D4 Scuola Leonarda da Vinci.................39 C3 Siena Hotels Promotion....................53 B4
rather than the Church, and many depict sec-
Museo Archeologico......................(see 38) Societą Dante Alighieri.....................40 C6 Vacanze Senesi..............................(see 11)
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Museo Civico.................................(see 29) Torre del Mangia...........................(see 29)
ular subjects instead of the favoured religious
Accademia Musicale Chigiana..........13 C5 Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana.....27 C5 Universitą per Stranieri......................41 E4 EATING
themes of the time. As in other great buildings
Associazione Siena Jazz....................14 A3 Al Marsili.........................................54 C5
To Train Station (750m);
76 Antica Osteria da Divo.....................55 C5
Albergo-Residence Borgo of Siena and elsewhere in the province (for
58 Grondale (1km); Hospital Conad Market..................................56 C3
(2km); Ostello Guidoriccio example the Palazzo Comunale and Collegiata
Consorzio Agrario Siena...................57 C3
(2km); Siena Colleverde
V
Enzo.................................................58 B2
a
(Camp Site, 2km); Villa in San Gimignano), the decoration here tends
Via dei
Scacciapensieri (2.5km) Il Carroccio.......................................59 D5
Gazzani
to be rich and full, often with a foundation of
Kopa Kabana...................................60 D3
Piazza
L'Osteria..........................................61 D3
a La Lizza
deep-blue hues on the ceiling, leaving scarcely
a
La Pizzeria di Nonno Mede...............62 C4
Piazza
Nannini............................................63 D4 a millimetre uncovered.
d'Ovile
Piazza Osteria Boccon del Prete..................64 C5
Upstairs are five rather nondescript rooms
Gramsci
Osteria Castelvecchio.......................65 C6
14
75 Osteria da Cice................................66 C5 filled with equally unarresting paintings,
71
21
Osteria Le Logge.............................67 D4
mostly by Sienese artists of the 16th to the
Pizzicheria de Miccoli.......................68 C5
Piazza
25
San Ristorante il Capriccio.....................(see 51)
18th centuries. Check out the Sala del Risorgi-
Francesco 28
Taverna del Capitano.......................69 C5
Piazza
Stadio mento to your left with its more impressive
43
5 Salimbeni 61
Comunale
Pizza 34
DRINKING
late-19th-century frescoes serialising key
Matteotti
32 CaffŁ Ortensia..................................70 E5
39
56
events in the campaign to unite Italy.
Enoteca Italiana................................71 A3
Costa dell 60
57
Incrociata 46 33
Next is the Sala di Balia (or Sala dei Priori).
ENTERTAINMENT
Piazza
45
Provenzano The 15 scenes depicted in frescoes around the
Al Cambio........................................72 E5
53 Salvani
S
CaffŁ del Corso................................73 D4
22 Piazza walls recount episodes in the life of Pope Al-
42
Piazza
44 Tolomei
62
San Domenico
g exander III (the Sienese Rolando Bandinelli),
SHOPPING
17
20
35
Costa di Sant Siena Ricama....................................74 C5
including his clashes with the Holy Roman
Antonio
48
63
TRANSPORT Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.
73
52
Piazza i Local Bus Station..............................75 C3
You then pass into the Anticamera del Con-
Indipendenza
11 Perozzi Noleggi.................................76 B2
a
26
cistoro, remarkable for the fresco (moved
31
24
67
41
here in the 19th century) of Santi Caterina
Piazza
12
15 del Campo
9
d Alessandria, Giovanni e Agostino (Saints
70
Piazza San 4
29 72
Piazza Catherine of Alexandria, John and Augus-
Giovanni
3 50
27 Jacopo
della
55 tine), executed by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.
23 74
Quercia
18 7
Piazza
The following hall, Sala del Concistoro, is
8 del
Piazza del 13
49
59 Mercato 6
47
Duomo 30
dominated by the allegorical ceiling frescoes
69 54
38 68
of the Mannerist Domenico Beccafumi.
Piazza
10
di Selva
2 Back in the Anticamera del Concistoro,
Piazza
di Postierla you pass to your right into the Vestibolo (Ves-
64
1
tibule), whose star attraction is a bronze
36
66
wolf, the symbol of the city. Next door in
Piazza
65
delle
the Anticappella are frescoes of scenes from
Due Porte
16
Greco-Roman mythology and history, while
Prato di S
Agostino
the Cappella (Chapel), contains a fine Sacra
19
51 Famiglia e San Leonardo (Holy Family and
40
To Hotel Santa
St Leonardo) by Il Sodoma, and intricately
Caterina (400m);
Hotel Palazzo
carved wooden choir stalls.
di Valli (600m)
37
The best is saved for last. From the Cap-
To Il Campo
pella, you emerge into the Sala del Mappamondo
Parking To Bombo
(300m) (16km)
where you can admire the masterpiece of the
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240 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena l onel ypl anet. com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena 241
Italy s largest places of worship. Known as the (Ź 0.50 gets you a generous minute of illu-
EXTREME PLUMBING
Duomo Nuovo (New Cathedral), the remains of mination).
In 1556 Emperor Charles V apparently claimed that Siena is as beautiful under the ground as it
this unrealised project are on Piazza Jacopo Other significant works of art include a
is above it . As he had spent the two previous years plundering the city and slaughtering most
della Quercia, at the eastern side of the main bronze statue of St John the Baptist by Do-
of its inhabitants, this observation did not go down well at the time. Yet his seemingly wacky
cathedral. The daring plan, to build an im- natello, situated in a chapel off the north
observation had an element of truth.
mense new nave with the present cathedral transept.
Beneath Siena lies an incredible 24km network of underground tunnels and interconnecting
becoming the transept, was scotched by the
passages dating back to the 13th century. Back then, Siena was the main city on the much-
plague of 1348. Libreria Piccolomini
travelled route through northern Italy to Rome. As the city prospered, the shortage of water
Off the north aisle, the Libreria Piccolomini is an-
became critical.
Interior other of the cathedral s great treasures. Pope
The resulting underground tunnels were an incredible feat of engineering. Two teams of work-
The cathedral s interior is truly stunning. Pius III built this compact hall to house the
ers started from opposite directions: one some 16km away at the source of the water in the hills,
Walls and pillars continue the black-and- books of his uncle, Enea Silvio Piccolomini
the other underneath Siena. There was no communication and the only instruments the medieval
white-stripe theme of the exterior, while the (see the boxed text, p271), who became Pope
builders had were plumb lines and pick axes. They also worked in the dark, apart from the flickering
vaults are painted blue with gold stars. High Pius II; only a series of huge choral tomes
light of oil lamps. The tunnels were built with absolute precision, at a very low, constant gradient
along the walls of the nave is a long series of remains on display.
that kept the water flowing at a regular rate. More than 700 years later, the network of tunnels is
papal busts. The walls of the hall have vividly coloured
still working, flowing into many of Siena s fountains. Water from the main tunnel is also used to
After looking up, look down& and you ll narrative frescoes by Bernardino Pinturicchio.
cool the fridge of Nannini (see p248 ), the famous ice-cream and pastry shop; a fitting example
see the cathedral s most precious feature the They depict events in the life of Piccolomini,
of how Siena s history lives on, complementing the medieval with the modern.
inlaid-marble floor, decorated with 56 glori- starting from his early days as a secretary to an
ous panels, by about 40 artists over the course Italian bishop on a mission to Basle, through
of 200 years (14th to 16thcenturies), depicting to his ordination as pope and eventually his
entire building Simone Martini s powerful TORRE DEL MANGIA historical and biblical subjects. The older, rec- death in Ancona while trying to mount a cru-
and striking Maestą (Virgin Mary in Majesty) Climb all 400 steps of this graceful bell tower tangular panels, including Ruota della Fortuna sade against the Turks.
fresco, his earliest known work and one of the (admission Ź 7; h10am-7pm mid-Mar Oct, to 4pm Nov mid- (Wheel of Fortune; 1372) and Lupa senese e In the centre of the hall is a group of statues
most important works of the Sienese school. Mar) for splendid views across the city. The simboli delle cittą alleate (The She-Wolf of known as the Tre Grazie (Three Graces), a
Other large frescoes along the inside long wall ticket office closes 45 minutes before the tower Siena with the emblems of the confederate 3rd-century Roman copy of an earlier Hel-
depict famous Sienese victories. shuts and only 30 people are allowed up at cities; 1373) are graffiti designs by unknown lenistic work.
The next room, the Sala dei Nove (or Sala any time. artists, both restored in 1864, created by chis-
della Pace), contains a three-panelled fresco elling into white marble and filling the holes MUSEO DELL OPERA METROPOLITANA
series recently nominated by Francesco da CATHEDRAL with bitumen or mineral pitch. Domenico di This museum (%0577 28 30 48; Piazza del Duomo 8;
Mosta as one of Italy s most interesting works Siena s cathedral (Piazza del Duomo; admission Ź 3; Niccoló dei Cori was the first known artist to admission Ź 6; h9.30am-7pm Mar-May & Sep-Nov, to 8pm
of art. Painted by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, the work on the cathedral, contributing several Jun-Aug, 10am-5pm Dec-Feb), also known as Museo
h10.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat, 1.30-6.30pm Sun Mar-Oct,
compelling, didactic frescoes depict the Effetti 10.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 1.30-5.30pm Sun Nov-Feb) is one panels between 1413 and 1423, followed by dell Opera del Duomo, is next to the cathe-
del Buon e del Cattivo Governo (Allegories of of Italy s great Gothic structures. Building renowned painter Domenico di Bartolo, who dral, in what would have been the southern
Good and Bad Government), allegedly created begun in 1196, and was largely completed by contributed Imperatore Sigismundo in trono aisle of the nave of the Duomo Nuovo. Among
as a constant reminder to those in power of 1215, although work continued on features (Emperor Sigismund Enthroned) in 1434. It its great works of art, which formerly adorned
the value of a committed republican govern- such as the apse and dome well into the 13th wasn t until the tenures of director Alberto the cathedral, are the 12 statues of prophets
ment. The central Allegory fresco portrays century. Aringhieri (1480 1504) and celebrated Sien- and philosophers by Giovanni Pisano that
scenes with personifications of Justice, Wis- ese artist Domenico Beccafumi (1518 47) that decorated the faade. Their creator designed
dom, Virtue and Peace, all unusually depicted Exterior the floor scheme saw swift, dramatic expan- them to be viewed from ground level, which
as women, rendered along with scenes of After the cathedral s completion, work began sion. These later panels were done in more is why they look so distorted as they crane
criminal punishment and rewards for right- on changing, enlarging and embellishing the advanced multicoloured marble, inlaid with uncomfortably forward.
eousness. Set perpendicular from the Allegory structure. The magnificent faade of white, hexagon and rhombus frames. Unfortunately, On the 1st floor is Duccio di Buoninsegna s
are the frescoes Effects of Good Government green and red polychrome marble was begun all but a few are obscured by unsightly, pro- striking early-14th-century Maestą (Majesty),
and Effects of Bad Government, which hold by Giovanni Pisano who completed only tective covering, revealed only from 7 to 22 painted on both sides as a screen for the ca-
intensely contrasting scenes set in the recog- the lower section before his death and was August each year. thedral s high altar. The front and back have
nisable environs of Siena; the good, a sunlit, finished towards the end of the 14th century. Seek out the exquisite 13th-century mar- now been separated and the panels depicting
idyllic, serene city, with joyous, dancing citi- The mosaics in the gables were added in the ble and porphyry pulpit by Nicola Pisano, the Story of Christ s Passion hang opposite the
zens and a countryside filled with crops; and 19th century. The statues of philosophers who was aided by his equally talented son, Maestą. Duccio s narrative genius is impres-
the bad, vices, widespread crime, disease and and prophets by Giovanni Pisano, above the Giovanni. Intricately carved with vigorous, sive. Take the lower half of the bottom big
decimation. lower section, are copies; the originals are realistic crowd scenes, it s one of the master- middle panel. In one shot , three scenes take
Finish the visit by doing a little backtrack- preserved in the adjacent Museo dell Opera pieces of Gothic sculpture. You can t inch as place: Christ preaches to the Apostles in the
ing and climbing the stairs to the loggia, which Metropolitana. close as you might like as barriers keep you Garden of Gethsemane; he then asks them to
looks southeast over Piazza del Mercato and In 1339 the city s leaders launched a plan at a respectful distance. To shed a little light wait up for him; and then is portrayed while
the countryside. to enlarge the cathedral and create one of on the subject, stick coins into the machine in prayer. In the half-panel above, he is kissed
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242 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena l onel ypl anet. com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena 243
by Judas while Peter lops off a soldier s ear and Brunelleschi s dome and Giotto s Campanile MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO 13th century. Stock religious images and epi-
the remaining Apostles flee. in Florence. Could this be a nasty little anti- This museum (h10.30am-6.30pm Apr-Oct, to 4.30pm sodes predominate, typically pasted lavishly
To the right of the Maestą, a door leads Florentine dig suggesting Siena s rival as the Nov-Mar) is within Santa Maria della Scala. Most with gold and generally lacking any of the
into a back room with statues by Jacopo della source of Christ s tribulations? of the collection consists of pieces found near advances in painting, such as perspective,
Quercia, while on the left is a room with 19th- The centrepiece, literally and figuratively, Siena, ranging from elaborate Etruscan ala- emotion or movement, that artists in Flor-
century illustrations of the entire collection of is a marble font by Jacopo della Quercia, baster funerary urns to gold Roman coins. ence were exploring.
marble floor panels in the cathedral. decorated with bronze panels in relief de- In between you ll see some statuary, much Start your tour on the 2nd floor where, in
On the upper floors other artists repre- picting the life of St John the Baptist. The of it Etruscan, a variety of household items, the first two rooms, you can see some of the
sented include Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Simone panels, executed by several top-notch art- votive statuettes in bronze and even a pair of earliest surviving pre-Gothic works from the
Martini and Taddeo di Bartolo, and there s ists, include Lorenzo Ghiberti s Baptism of playing dice. The collection is well presented, Sienese school, including pieces by Guido
also a rich collection of tapestries and manu- Christ and St John in Prison, and Donatello s and the surroundings twisting, arched tun- da Siena. Rooms 3 and 4 are given over to a
scripts. Herod s Feast. nels perfectly complement it and are a cool few works by Duccio di Buoninsegna and his
For a great panoramic view and a touch of blessing on stifling-hot summer days. followers. The most striking exhibits in Room
physical exertion to counterbalance so much COMPLESSO MUSEALE DI SANTA MARIA Admission to the museum is included in 3 are Simone Martini s Madonna della Mis-
aesthetic exercise haul yourself up the 131 DELLA SCALA the price for Santa Maria della Scala. ericordia (Madonna of Mercy), in which the
steps that lead, via a very narrow, corkscrew Originally a hospice for pilgrims and until Virgin Mary seems to take the whole of society
stairway, to the Panorama del Facciatone (admis- quite recently a working hospital with almost PALAZZO DELLE PAPESSE protectively under her wing, and his Madonna
sion Ź 6), at the top of the faade of the putative a millennium of history, the Santa Maria della Change eras with a visit to this contemporary col Bambino (Madonna and Child).
Nuovo Duomo. A combined admission ticket Scala (%0577 22 48 11; Piazza del Duomo 2; admission art gallery (%0577 2 20 71; Via di Cittą 126; adult/child The two brothers Pietro and Ambrogio
for the museum and panorama costs Ź 10 and Ź 6; Ź 5/free; hnoon-7pm Tue-Sun) if you ve had your fill Lorenzetti feature in Rooms 7 and 8, while
h10.30am-6.30pm Apr-Oct, to 4.30pm Nov-Mar) has
is valid for three days. as its main attraction the vivid, secular fres- of medieval religious art. The gallery houses a the following three rooms contain works by
coes (quite a relief after so much spirituality number of permanent pieces from the likes of several artists from the early 15th century.
CRYPT all around town) by Domenico di Bartolo, Micha Ullman, Perino Vele and Antonio Cate- Rooms 12 and 13 are mostly devoted to
Just north of the cathedral and down a flight lauding the good works of the hospital and lani, mixed in with ever-changing exhibitions. Giovanni di Paolo; a couple of his paintings
of steps is the crypt (admission incl audio guide Ź 6; its patrons. The rooftop terrace has stunning views. show refreshing signs of a break from strict
Before entering the hospital proper, pass tradition. His two versions of the Presentazi-
h9.30am-6.30pm), a room below the cathedral s
pulpit discovered in 1999 during restoration by the Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata, a PALAZZO CHIGO-SARACINI one nel Tempio (Presentation of Jesus in the
work. After a period of clean-up and study 13th-century church remodelled two centu- The magnificent curving Gothic faade of Temple) have virtually no gold and introduce
the room had been filled to the roof with de- ries later. the Palazzo Chigo-Saracini (Via di Cittą) is in part a new architectural themes, a hint of perspective
bris in the 1300s and forgotten it was opened Turn right into the Cappella del Manto, deco- travesty, the result of restoration in the 18th and a discernible trace of human emotion in
to the public in 2003. The walls are completely rated with frescoes; the most striking is by and 19th centuries to re-create the medieval the characters depicted.
covered with pintura a secco ( dry painting , Beccafumi (1514) and portrays the Meeting of feel. From the tower, which is the genuine Down on the 1st floor, the Sienese roll call
better known as mural painting , as opposed St Joaquim and St Anna, the supposed parents article apart from its brick crenellations, continues and, although there are some ex-
to frescoes which are painted on wet plaster, of the Virgin Mary. they say a young boy with particularly good ceptions, the interest starts to fade. Rooms
making them more durable) dating from the You will pass into a long hall where, to the eyesight watched the Battle of Montaperti in meriting a visit include 27 to 32 and 37,
1200s. There s some 180 sq metre, depicting left, is the remarkable 14th-century Sala del 1260 and shouted down details of the home which are dominated by works of the Man-
several biblical stories, including the Passion Pellegrinaio, the pilgrim hall and subsequently side s progress against the Florentines to eager nerist Domenico Beccafumi and Il Sodoma.
of Jesus and the Crucifixion. the hospital s main ward. The bulk of its fresco crowds in the streets below. Particularly striking is Il Sodoma s Cristo alla
series was done by di Bartolo in the 1440s. The palazzo is the headquarters of Ac- Colonna (Christ Tied to the Pillar) in Room
BATTISTERO DI SAN GIOVANNI The first panel, by Il Vecchietta, depicts get- cademia Musicale Chigiana (see p244). 31, where, in a particularly human touch, tears
Opposite the crypt is the baptistry (Baptistry of tatelli (orphans) ascending to heaven. Taking trickle down Jesus cheeks.
St John; Piazza San Giovanni; admission Ź 3; h9.30am-7pm in orphans was frequently one of the tasks of PINACOTECA NAZIONALE
mid-Mar Sep, 9am-6pm Oct, 10.30am-5pm Nov mid-Mar). hospitals throughout Tuscany. Later panels This gallery (%0577 28 11 61; Via San Pietro 29; adult/ CHIESA DI SANT AGOSTINO
Its Gothic faade, although unfinished on the show balie (wet nurses) suckling orphans and child Ź 4/free; h8.15am-7.15pm Tue-Sat, to 1.15pm Sun, This 13th-century church (%0577 38 57 86; Prato di
upper levels, is quite a remarkable extrava- other needy children. One jolly panel depicts 8.30am-1.30pm Mon), within the 14th-century Pal- San Agostino; admission Ź 2.50; h11am-1.30pm & 2-5.30pm
gance in marble. a doctor nodding off as his patient describes azzo Buonsignori, displays the world s great- mid-Mar Oct), a few streets south of the Pina-
Inside, the ceiling and vaults are lavishly his symptoms. est concentration of Gothic masterpieces from coteca Nazionale, was originally designed
decorated with frescoes. The life of Jesus is Downstairs you ll find the Fienile, once the Sienese school. But the collection also by the Dutch Vanvitelli, chief architect to
portrayed in the apse of this oddly shaped storage space for the hospital. The original demonstrates the subsequent gulf cleaved the King of Naples. Its richly rococo interior
rectangular baptistry. The one on the right panelling of the Fonte Gaia (and a few repli- between artistic life in Siena and Florence dates from the 18th century, after the church
showing Christ carrying the cross is of par- cas) is now housed here. Through the Fienile in the 15th century. While the Renaissance had been gutted by fire. The second altar on
ticular interest. If you look at the city from is the Oratorio di Santa Caterina della Notte (Ora- flourished 70km to the north, Siena s masters the south aisle has a superb Adoration of the
which it appears he and the crowd have come, tory of St Catherine of the Night), a gloomy and their patrons remained firmly rooted in Crucifix by Perugino while the Piccolomini
it is hard to escape the feeling that among little chapel for sending up a prayer or two the Byzantine and Gothic precepts that had chapel s jewel is Il Sodoma s Adoration of
the imaginary buildings have been illustrated for the unwell upstairs. stood them in such good stead from the early the Magi.
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244 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena l onel ypl anet. com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena 245
CHIESA DI SAN DOMENICO deals, is just northwest of Il Campo. From
MOM! CATHERINE S CONSECRATING HER VIRGINITY TO JESUS AGAIN!!
This imposing 13th-century Gothic church here, strike east along Banchi di Sotto to pass
St Catherine of Siena (1347 80), copatron saint of Italy and one of only two female Doctors of
(Piazza San Domenico; h7.30am-1pm & 3-6.30pm) has Palazzo Piccolomini, a Renaissance palazzo hous-
the Church, was born in Siena, the 23rd child out of 25 (her twin sister died at birth). Like a true
been altered time and time again over the ing the city s archives. Further east are the
prodigy, she had a religious fixation at a very early age. She is said to have entertained plans to
centuries. 13th-century Basilica di Santa Maria dei Servi,
impersonate a man so she could be a Dominican friar and occasionally raced out to the road to
The bare, barnlike interior is in keeping with frescoes by Pietro Lorenzetti in a chapel
kiss the place where Dominicans had walked.
with the Dominican order s ascetic spirit. off the north transept, and the 14th-century
At the dubious age of seven, she consecrated her virginity to Christ, much to her family s
Near the entrance is the raised Cappella delle Porta Romana.
despair. At 18 she assumed the life of a Dominican Tertiary (lay affiliate) and, as wayward teens
Volte, where Santa Caterina di Siena took her North of Loggia dei Mercanzia on Banchi
are wont to do, chose initially to live as a recluse in the family s basement, focused on devotion
vows and, according to tradition, performed di Sopra, the 13th-century Palazzo Tolomei
and spiritual ecstasy. She was noted for her ability to fast for extended periods, living only on
some of her miracles. In the chapel is a por- dominates Piazza Tolomei. Further north,
the Blessed Sacrament, which as nutritionists might attest, probably contributed to a delirium or
trait of the saint painted during her lifetime. Piazza Salimbeni is bounded by Palazzo Tan-
two. Catherine described one such episode as a mystical marriage with Jesus. Feeling a surge
In the Cappella di Santa Caterina, off the south tucci, Gothic Palazzo Salimbeni (prestigious head
of humanity (or possibly boredom), she emerged from her cloistered path and began caring for
aisle, are frescoes by Il Sodoma depicting office of Monte dei Paschi di Siena bank), and
the sick and poor.
events in Santa Caterina s life and her head, the Renaissance Palazzo Spannocchi, from where
Another series of visions set in Hell, Purgatory and Heaven, compelled Catherine to take her
in a 15th-century tabernacle above the altar. 29 finely carved busts stare down at you from
work to the next level. Though it s said she didn t actually learn to write until near the end of her
She died in Rome, where most of her body is beneath the eaves.
life, she began an ambitious and fearless letter-writing campaign dictating up to three letters
preserved, but, in keeping with the bizarre Northeast of here, along Via dei Rossi,
to three secretaries simultaneously to all variety of influential people, including lengthy cor-
practice of collecting relics of dead saints, her is Chiesa di San Francesco, with its vast single
respondence with Pope Gregory XI. She beseeched royalty and religious leaders for everything
head was returned to Siena. nave. It s suffered over the years from a
from peace between Italy s republics to reform within the clergy. This go-getting, early form of
Another bit that managed to find its way devastating 17th-century fire and use as
activism was considered highly unusual for a woman at the time and her no-holds-barred style,
here is her desiccated thumb, on grisly dis- army barracks. Beside the church is the 15th-
sometimes scolding cardinals and queens like naughty children, was gutsy by any standard. And
play in a small window box to the right of the century Oratorio di San Bernardino (%0577 28 30 48;
yet, rather than being persecuted for her insolence, she was admired, her powers of persuasion
chapel. Also on show is a nasty-looking chain Piazza San Francesco 9; admission Ź 3; h10.30am-1.30pm &
often winning the day where so many others had failed.
whip with which she would apply a good flog- 3-5.30pm mid-Mar Oct), notable for its frescoes by Il
She is said to have experienced the stigmata, but this event was suppressed as it was considered
ging to herself every now and then for the Sodoma and Beccafumi, plus a small museum
bad form at the time to associate the stigmata with anyone but St Francis.
well-being of the souls of the faithful. of religious art.
Acting as an ambassador to Florence, she went to Avignon and was able to convince Pope
Gregory XI to bring the papacy back to Rome after a seven-pope, 73-year reign in France. A few
CASA DI SANTA CATERINA Courses
years later she was invited to Rome by newly elected Pope Urban VI to campaign on his behalf
If you want more of Santa Caterina figu- LANGUAGE & CULTURE
during the pope/anti-pope struggle (the Great Western Schism) where she did her best to undo
ratively speaking visit Casa di Santa Caterina Scuola Leonardo da Vinci (%0577 24 90 97; www
the effects that his temper and shortcomings were having on Rome. This heroic, utterly exhaust-
(%0577 22 15 62; Costa di Sant Antonio 6; admission free; .scuolaleonardo.com; Via del Paradiso 16) A reputable
ing effort likely contributed to her untimely death in 1380 at the age of 33.
h9am-6.30pm Mar-Nov, 10am-6pm Dec-Feb), where the Italian-language school that offers supplementary cultural
Catherine s abundant postmortem accolades started relatively soon after her death when
saint was born and lived with her parents plus, and culinary lessons.
Pope Pius II canonised her in 1461. More recently, Pope Paul VI bestowed Catherine with the
says legend, 23 siblings. The rooms, converted Societą Dante Alighieri (%0577 4 95 33; www.dan
title of Doctor of the Church in 1970 and Pope John Paul II made her one of Europe s patron
into small chapels in the 15th century, are deco- tealighieri.com; Via Tommaso Pendola 37) Offers courses in
saints in 1999. Additionally, despite having received no formal education, her letters (over 300
rated with frescoes of her life and paintings by Italian language and culture.
have survived) are considered to be great works of Tuscan literature.
Sienese artists, including Il Sodoma. A crowded Universitą per Stranieri (University for Foreigners;
adjacent room contains some of St Catherine s
%0577 24 01 15; www.unistrasi.it; Via di Pantaneto 45)
personal effects. The lower-level bedroom, fres- Offers various courses in Italian language and culture.
coed in 1893 by Alessandro Franchi, includes March to October) take around two hours and leave from the service from Florence. They only run for about 20 days
her untouched, nearly bare cell. MUSIC outside the Chiesa di San Domenico at 3pm. Reserve at a year so check the website or ask at the tourist office.
Accademia Musicale Chigiana (%0577 2 20 91; Siena Hotels Promotion (p246). Round-trip tickets cost Ź 15 if you go by diesel, Ź 25 if it s a
FORTEZZA MEDICEA www.chigiana.it; Via di Cittą 89) Offers classical music Hortibus (%348 910 07 83; www.hortibus.com) Leads steam train.
Northwestof the Chiesa di San Domenico, this courses every summer as well as seminars and concerts tours of private gardens and villas around Siena every
fortress, also known as the Forte di Santa Bar- performed by visiting musicians, teachers and students as Thursday and Saturday for Ź 25 per person or Ź 150 per Festivals & Events
bara, is typical of those built in the early years part of the Settimana Musicale Senese (opposite). group. Settimana Musicale Senese Held in July and run by
of the grand duchy. The Sienese could not have Associazione Siena Jazz (%0577 27 14 01; www Treno Natura (%0577 20 74 13; www.ferrovieturis the Accademia Musicale Chigiana (opposite).
been given a more obvious reminder of who was .sienajazz.it; Piazza Libertą) Within the Fortezza Medicea. tiche.it; Il Palio The most spectacular event on the Sienese
hMay, early Jun, Sep & Oct) A great way to see
in charge than this Medici bastion, raised on the One of Europe s foremost institutions of its type, it offers the stunning scenery of the Crete Senese, south of Siena. calendar, held in July and August each year. See the boxed
orders of Cosimo I de Medici in 1560. courses in jazz. The line dates back to the 19th century but trains now run text, p246.
exclusively for tourists and are staffed by volunteers. The Siena Jazz In July and August the city hosts this inter-
OTHER CHURCHES & PALAZZI Tours route loops from Siena, through Asciano, across to the Val national festival promoted by the Associazione Siena Jazz
The 15th-century triple-arched balcony Loggia Ecco Siena (%0577 4 32 73) Runs city tours for groups d Orcia and Stazione di Monte Antico and back to Siena. (opposite) with concerts at the Fortezza Medicea and
dei Mercanzia, where merchants used to plot and individuals. Group tours (Ź 15; Monday to Saturday, Trains stop at Asciano and Monte Antico and connect with various sites throughout the city.
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
CENTRAL TUSCANY
246 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena 247
Estate Musicale Chigiana The Accademia Musicale you can book on its website. Ditto Siena Hotels when we passed by and was closed indefi- consistent. There s a shared kitchen and a
Chigiana (p244) mounts this event in July, August and Promotion (%0577 28 80 84; www.hotelsiena.com; Piazza nitely. Call and confirm that they ve reopened peaceful inner-courtyard. Breakfast is served
September. Concerts in the series are frequently held in San Domenico 5; h9am-8pm Mon-Sat). You can book before arriving. To get there take bus 3 or 8 in the rooms.
the magnificent settings of the Abbazia di San Galgano online, or in person near the San Domenico from Piazza Gramsci or Viale Tozzi. Piccolo Hotel Etruria (%0577 28 80 88; www.hotel
(p252), about 20km southwest of the city, and Abbazia di church. There s an in-person Ź 2 administra- Ostello Guidoriccio (%0577 5 22 12; Via Fiorentina etruria.com; Via delle Donzelle 3; s/d/tr Ź 53/86/114, s without
Sant Antimo (p269), near Montalcino. For information, call tion charge. 89, Localitą Stellino; per person Ź 14.30) All rooms are bathroom Ź 48) Another equally welcoming family
Accommodation can be difficult to find in doubles at Siena s Hostelling International hotel, just off Il Campo. The rooms are rather
%0577 2 20 91.
Festa di Santa Cecilia In November a series of concerts summer and is nearly impossible during the affiliated youth hostel, about 2km northwest plain, with zero soundproofing, but there s a
and exhibitions takes place to honour Cecilia, patron saint famous twice-yearly festival, Il Palio. of the city centre. Regrettably, thin walls and central light, airy sitting area and the location
of musicians. the unremitting traffic on Via Fiorentina make is outstanding.
BUDGET for challenging sleeping conditions. Take bus Antica Residenza Cicogna (%0577 28 56
o
Sleeping Siena Colleverde (%0577 28 00 44; Via Scacciapensieri 47; 10, 15 or 35 from Piazza Gramsci, or bus 4 or 13; www.anticaresidenzacicogna.it in Italian; Via dei Termini 67;
Vacanze Senesi (%0577 4 59 00; www.vacanzesenesi.it) per person/site Ź 7.75/7.75; hmid-Apr mid-Oct; s) This 77 from the train station. s/d Ź 70/90, incl buffet breakfast; pai) Springless
has a representative in the tourist office who camp site, 2km north of the historical centre, Hotel Le Tre Donzelle (%/fax 0577 28 03 58; Via delle beds, ornate frescoes, wi-fi and antique furni-
can arrange all forms of accommodation, or was going through a change of ownership Donzelle 5; s/d without bathroom Ź 38/49, d with bathroom Ź 60) ture make this central option, with a mere five
Central, friendly and popular, this hotel was rooms, justifiably popular. Class exudes from
originally constructed as a tavern in the 13th prominent elements such as the four-poster
IL PALIO
century. Rooms are clean and simple and the bed and the breakfast space (enormous buf-
shared bathrooms are spotless. fet style), to subtle touches such as elaborate,
This spectacular event, held twice yearly on 2 July and 16 August, in honour of the Virgin Mary,
thick-framed mirrors. Reception has limited
dates back to the Middle Ages and features a series of colourful pageants, a wild horse race
MIDRANGE core hours (8am to 1pm), so arrange your
around Piazza del Campo and much eating, drinking and celebrating in the streets.
Albergo Cannon d Oro (%0577 4 43 21; www.cannon arrival in advance. Parking Ź 15.
Il Palio is one of very few major medieval spectacles of its type in Italy that has survived through
doro.com; Via dei Montanini 28; s Ź 48-80, d Ź 60-99, tr Ź 77-128; Hotel Antica Torre (%0577 22 22 55; www.anticator
the sheer tenacity of Sienese traditionalism. Most other displays of medieval folk tradition have
Trim, attractive and excellent value. resiena.it; Via Fieravecchia 7; d Ź 90-113; a) With only
pa)
in fact been brought back to life in the 20th century out of a combination of nostalgia and the
Don t be deterred by the golden cannon (the eight rooms, you ll need to reserve weeks in
urge to earn a few more tourist bucks. The Sienese place incredible demands on the national
very one that gave the place its name) trained advance. This is a snug place with exposed
TV network, RAI, for rights to televise the event.
upon you as you debouch from a narrow alley beams and brickwork, tucked into a 16th-
Ten of Siena s 17 town districts, or contrade, compete for the coveted palio, a silk banner. Each
to face the otherwise amicable reception desk. century tower hidden down a side street. Haul
has its own traditions, symbol and colours, and its own church and palio museum. As you wander
A few rooms have air-con and parking costs yourself to the top floor for the best views.
the streets you ll notice the various flags and plaques delineating these quarters, each with a
Ź 15. Skip the breakfast. There s also a second property, Hotel Palzzo
name and symbol relating to an animal. On the downside, competition is so fierce that fist fights
Locanda Garibaldi (%0577 28 42 04; Via Giovanni di Valli (see below).
sometimes break out between contrade and Il Palio jockeys often live in fear from rival contrade.
Dupr 18; d Ź 75) Pro: a dozen metres from the Chiusarelli (%0577 28 05 62; www.chiusarelli.com;
Scheming rivals have been known to ambush jockeys and even drug their horses.
spectacle of Piazza del Campo. Con: a dozen Viale Curtatone 15; s Ź 70-85, d Ź 95-125, all incl breakfast;
On festival days Piazza del Campo becomes a racetrack, with a ring of packed dirt around its
metres from the noise of Piazza del Campo.
pai) Functioning continuously since its
perimeter. From about 5pm, representatives of each contrada parade in historical costume, each
Rooms are big, bright, and furnished with construction in 1870, this hotel has a pleas-
bearing their individual banners.
a funky flair. The twinkly eyed, jovial host ant, spacious breakfast room and attractive,
The race is run at 7.45pm in July and 7pm in August. For not much more than one exhilarating
and his wife also run the well-patronised though somewhat dark, bedrooms. The rear
minute, the 10 horses and their bareback riders tear three times around Piazza del Campo with
ground-floor restaurant (meals Ź 20; closed ones are for lovers of quiet and lucky football
a speed and violence that makes your hair stand on end.
Saturday). fans they overlook the stadium where Siena
Even if a horse loses its rider it is still eligible to win and, since many riders fall each year, it
Albergo Bernini (%0577 28 90 47; www.alber plays home matches on alternate Sundays in
is the horses in the end who are the focus of the event. There is only one rule: riders mustn t
gobernini.com; Via della Sapienza 15; s with bathroom Ź 55-78, season. It has a popular restaurant (meals Ź 20)
interfere with the reins of other horses.
d Ź 75-85, d with shared bathroom Ź 45-65; i) This is a where you ll be dodging elbows to find a seat
Book well in advance for a room and join the crowds in the centre of Piazza del Campo at
welcoming, family-run hotel (owner Mauro among the locals.
least four hours before the start for a good view. Surrounding streets are closed off well before
is a professional accordion player who often Albergo-Residence Borgo Grondaie (%0577 33
the race begins, except for Via Giovanni Dupr, which stays open right up until the flag drops.
squeezes his box for guests). Its simple rooms 25 39; www.borgogrondaie.com; Via delle Grondaie 15; s Ź 85-
If you arrive late you can try your luck reaching the Piazza via this street but don t count on
may be a hair overpriced, but the tiny ter- 100, d Ź 97-145, incl breakfast; 6-person apt without breakfast
it as everyone else has the same idea. If you prefer a more comfortable seat overlooking the
race has lovely views of the cathedral and the Ź 185-219; A couple of kilometres
pais)
race from one of the buildings lining the piazza, ask in the cafs and shops. They re as rare as
Chiesa di San Domenico. For space and views, north of the centre, is a former farm and olive
hen s teeth but, if you do manage to find one, expect to pay around Ź 220 for the privilege. If
choose room 11. oil producer. Rooms are simple and tasteful,
you can t find a good vantage point, don t despair the race is televised live and then repeated
Palazzo Bruchi (%0577 28 73 42; www.palazzobruchi with lots of terracotta and earthy colours. The
throughout the evening on TV.
.it; Via Pantaneto 105; s Ź 75-90, d Ź 85-150, all incl breakfast) exquisite apartments are in the former stables.
If you happen to be in town in the few days immediately preceding the race, you may get to see
Seven rooms in the ancient and noble Landi- There is a special-needs unit, saltwater pool
the jockeys and horses trying out in Piazza del Campo almost as good as the real thing. Between
Bruchi family home in central Siena. Rooms and free bicycles for guests.
May and October, Cinema Moderno (%0577 28 92 01; Piazza Tolomei; admission Ź 5.50; h10am-5pm)
vary in quality, but the hospitality of Maria Hotel Palzzo di Valli (%0577 22 61 02; Via Piccolomini
runs a mini-epic 20-minute film of Siena and Il Palio that will take your breath away.
Cristina and her daughter Camilla is warmly 135; d Ź 120-130; p) A snazzier property by the
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248 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena l onel ypl anet. com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Si ena 249
same people as Hotel Antica Torre. It s located BUDGET Taverna del Capitano (%0577 28 80 94; Via del Capi- a library (there are over 18,000 more in the
600m outside Porta Romana, with the added Nannini (Banchi di Sopra 22) Always crowded, this tano 6-8; meals Ź 29; hWed-Mon) A grand little spot cellars so you won t go thirsty); there s also a
perk of free parking. is something of a Sienese institution, baking for local food with friendly service. Speciali- large streetside terrace.
its finest cakes and serving good coffee with ties include zuppa di farro (barley soup) and
TOP END speed and panache. ossobuco al sienese (marrowbone stew). The Drinking
Hotel Santa Caterina (%0577 22 11 05; www.hscsiena Kopa Kabana (Via dei Rossi 54) Flout the places tables outdoors are pleasant in summer. Enoteca Italiana (%0577 28 84 97; Fortezza Medicea;
.it; Via Piccolomini 7; s Ź 85-115, d Ź 98-175, all incl breakfast; with enviable locations and be rewarded here Il Carroccio (%0577 4 11 65; Via del Casato di Sotto
hnoon-1am Tue-Sat, to 8pm Sun) Within the fortress
with absurd mountains of Siena s freshest ge- 32; meals Ź 32; hclosed Tue dinner & Wed) Exceptional walls, the former munition cellars have been
pa) This renovated 18th-century elegant
villa, just outside the city walls, is a stone s lato, starting at Ź 1.70 for a small. pasta and exceptionally busy, so arrive early artfully transformed into a classy enoteca that
throw beyond the Porta Romana. It s a tran- Conad Market (Galleria Metropolitan, Piazza Matte- for lunch and call ahead for dinner. Try the carries over 1500 labels. The Italian wine dis-
quil haven: its 22 rooms are tastefully fur- otti; pici, a kind of thick spaghetti typical of Siena, play includes some dusty reservas, the oldest
h8.30am-8.30pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm & 4-8pm Sun)
nished, the breakfast room is light and airy Self-caterers can stock up on piazza picnic followed by the tegamate di maiale (pork with dating back to 1944.
and there s a lovely garden with open views to nosh here. fennel seeds) and select something a little CaffŁ Ortensia (Via di Pantaneto 95) Among several
the surrounding hills. Parking is Ź 15. special from the long and carefully nurtured pleasantly poky bars along Via di Pantaneto,
Villa Scacciapensieri (%0577 4 14 41; www.villascac MIDRANGE wine list. The restaurant is a member of the this place is small, crowded and much fa-
ciapensieri.it; Via Scacciapensieri 10; s Ź 85-116, d Ź 130-245, all L Osteria (%0577 28 75 92; Via dei Rossi 79/81; Slow Food Movement (see p21) always a voured by students, both local and visiting.
o
incl breakfast; good sign.
pais) Around 2.5km north meals Ź 25) We promised a local we wouldn t put
of Siena is a 19th-century villa with carved this one in the book. We lied. It was just too Al Marsili (%0577 4 71 54; Via del Castoro 3; meals Ź 33- Entertainment
wooden ceilings, oil paintings, antiques, for- good. Plus the place was half-filled with tour- 38;
hTue-Sun) One of the city s classiest restau- As elsewhere in Italy, the big dance venues are
mal gardens and an old family chapel. There ists when we visited, so it s not exactly a secret. rants, here you ll find white-smocked waiters generally well outside town.
are tennis courts, bicycles to rent and wi-fi No nonsense, but savoury dishes at prices dishing up traditional Sienese cuisine such CaffŁ del Corso (Banchi di Sopra 25) During the
available. locals will pay. Pop over to Kopa Kabana for as pici all aglione (fresh Sienese pasta, with a day, this is the place for an espresso and
Pensione Palazzo Ravizza (%0577 28 04 62; www something dolce afterward. garlic and tomato sauce). The restaurant also croissant. At night the action moves upstairs
.palazzoravizza.com; Pian dei Mantellini 34; s/d/tr incl break- Osteria da Cice (%0577 28 80 26; Via San Pietro 32; offers more innovative dishes such as stuffed to the moody plum-coloured music bar.
fast Ź 140/180/260; pai) Pensione is far too meals Ź 25, tourist menus Ź 12; hTue-Sun) In the hands panzerotti with truffle. Al Cambio (Via di Pantaneto 48; hclosed Sun) One
modest a title for this intimate, sumptuous of a friendly team, reflecting its mainly youth- Ristorante il Capriccio (%0577 28 17 57; Pian dei Man- of the few dance spots in Siena where you
place. Occupying a delightful Renaissance ful clientele, this is the place for an informal, tellini 32; meals Ź 35-40; hdinner) The restaurant of can indulge in a little frenetic all-night air-
palazzo, frescoed ceilings and antique furni- relaxed meal. The menu has plenty of vege- Pensione Palazzo Ravizza (opposite) offers fine punching.
ture coexist with flat-screen TVs and compre- tarian options among its primi piatti (first cuisine and the chance to eat in its wood-pan-
hensive wi-fi coverage. Service is courteous courses). elled dining room or outside in the garden. Shopping
and efficient, there s a small, leafy garden and Osteria Castelvecchio (%0577 4 95 86; Via di Cas- Antica Osteria da Divo (%0577 28 43 81; Via Franciosa Via di Cittą is a chic shopping street where
the Ristorante il Capriccio (opposite) is worth telvecchio 65; meals Ź 27; hMon-Sat) Highly regarded 29; meals Ź 37) Here you ll find background jazz you can buy ceramics, food items, antiques,
crossing town for. by locals, this eatery has a couple of attractive that s as smooth as the walls are rough-hewn. jewellery and so on. If you re after clothes, go
Grand Hotel Continental (%0577 5 60 11; www bare-brick rooms. Rumbling tummies should At the lower, cellar level you re dining amid window-shopping along Banchi di Sopra with
.royaldemeure.com; Banchi de Sopra 85; s/d Ź 295/390; i) opt for the constantly changing menł degus- Etruscan tombs. The inventive menu includes its stylish boutiques and designer emporia.
Siena s only five-star hotel has taken over the tazione (Ź 25). It s also a good spot for veggies, dishes such as rolled pork, stuffed with black Pizzicheria de Miccoli (%0577 28 91 64; Via di Cittą
gloriously ornate, richly frescoed Palazzo Gori with at least four meatless dishes normally cabbage and truffle, followed by girth-widen- 93-5) Richly scented, this is a great place to
Pannilini. If nothing else, poke your nose into on offer. ing goodies such as vanilla and pistachio pie stock up on picnic fodder. Its windows are
the magnificent 1st-floor reception room and Osteria Boccon del Prete (%0577 28 03 88; Via San with raspberry sauce. festooned with sausages, piled-up cheeses and
reward yourself with a drink in the stylish Pietro 17; meals Ź 28) A small, reasonably priced, porcini mushrooms by the sackful.
ground-floor wine bar, open to all-comers. typical Sienese place, offering a daily chang- TOP END Consorzio Agrario Siena (Via Pianagini 13) A rich
Wi-fi in lobby only. ing menu. Pumpkin soup with almonds and Enzo (%0577 28 12 77; Via Camollia 49; meals Ź 37-40, emporium of local food and wines.
toasted bread, chestnut gnocchi with truf- tasting menus without wine Ź 35-55) Classic pictures of Siena Ricama (%0577 28 83 39; Via di Cittą 61)
Eating fle sauce, and sirloin beef slices with roasted Siena decorate the walls, while classy settings Promotes the crafts of Siena, in particular
According to the Sienese, most Tuscan cui- potatoes and olive oil are on the permanent decorate the tables. A variety of tasting menus embroidery.
sine has its origins here, though Tuscans else- menu. The dessert menu will annihilate all relieve one from the need to choose from the Siena s Wednesday market (h7.30am-1pm)
where may well dispute such boasting. Among self-control, particularly the white-chocolate lengthy menu, while curiosities like the de- spreads all around Fortezza Medicea and
many traditional dishes are ribollita (a rich mousse with coffee sauce. constructed cannoli will keep you seated for seeps towards the Stadio Comunale. One of
vegetable soup), panzanella (summer salad of La Pizzeria di Nonno Mede (%0577 24 79 66; Cam- dessert. Dinner reservations a must. Tuscany s largest, it s great for foodstuffs and
soaked bread, basil, onion and tomatoes) and poregio 21; meals Ź 29) Drop a coin into the well in Osteria Le Logge (%0577 4 80 13; osterialelogge@tin cheap clothing, or just aimless browsing.
pappardelle con sugo di lepre (ribbon pasta the floor, then dive into the Ź 7.80 buffet lunch .it; Via dei Porrione 33; mains Ź 40-45; hMon-Sat) This
moistened with hare ragł). Panforte (liter- or choose from the exhaustive pizza menu. place changes its menu of creative Tuscan Getting There & Away
ally, strong bread ) is a rich cake of almonds, The reasonably priced menu has a consistent cuisine almost daily. In the downstairs din- BUS
honey and candied fruit, originally created as spread of Tuscan favourites and the fantastic ing room, once a pharmacy, bottles are ar- The hub for buses is Piazza Gramsci. Tra-in
sustenance for Crusaders to the Holy Land. view from the terrace is also reliably Tuscan. ranged in cases, floor to ceiling, like books in and SITA express buses race up to Florence
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250 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Around Si ena l onel ypl anet. com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Around Si ena 251
(Ź 6.50, 1ź hours, up to 30 daily). Other you can yell Where the *&@! s my car? Try Signorelli, reputed to be a widely respected, Around 2km past Castelmuzio on the road
regional Tra-in destinations include San the large car parks at the Stadio Comunale kind man, had previously done minor work to Pienza is the 14th-century monastery of
Gimignano (Ź 5.20, 1ź hours, 10 daily either and around the Fortezza Medicea, both just on the Sistine Chapel and would later produce Sant Anna in Camprena (%0578 74 80 37), one of
direct or changing in Poggibonsi), Montal- north of Piazza San Domenico, or the one at Il his masterpiece Resurrection of the Flesh in the the settings for the film The English Patient,
cino (Ź 3.20, 1 hours, six daily), Poggibonsi Campo, south of the centre, though even here Chapel of San Brizio, in Orvieto s Duomo. with some lovely frescoes by Il Sodoma in the
(Ź 3.60, one hour, up to 10 daily), Montepul- locating a spot is like running the Palio. He started work in the monastery in 1497, refectory (admission free;h9.30am-12.30pm & 3-6pm
ciano (Ź 4.50, 1 hours) and Colle di Val d Elsa producing nine frescoes. In stark contrast, mid-Mar Oct).
(Ź 2.50, 30 minutes, hourly), with connections TAXI Il Sodoma, born Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, The route from Monte Oliveto Maggiore to
for Volterra. Other destinations in the Crete For a taxi, call %0577 4 92 22. was purported to have been something of a Pienza runs almost entirely along a high ridge,
Senese and Chianti area include San Quirico character dressing flamboyantly, keeping offering great views of Le Crete.
d Orcia (Ź 3.20), Pienza (Ź 3.60) and Grosseto AROUND SIENA a Noah s Ark of unusual pets, singing origi-
(Ź 6.20). Le Crete nal ditties of dubious taste and, according to MONTISI
SENA buses run to/from Rome (Ź 18, three Southeast of Siena, this area of rolling clay Giorgio Vasari in the book The Lives of the Little more than a one-street, medieval blip
hours, eight daily) and Milan (Ź 25.50, 4ź hills scored by steep ravines is a feast of clas- Artists, earning the moniker Sodoma be- capping a steep hill some 20km southeast of
hours, three daily) and there are seven buses sic Tuscan images bare ridges topped by a cause he always surrounded himself with boys Asciano, Montisi has an allure that speaks to a
daily to Arezzo (Ź 5, 1 hours). solitary cypress tree and hills silhouetted one and beardless youths whom he loved beyond certain disposition, particularly its expat artist
Both Tra-in (%0577 20 42 46) and Sena (%0577 against another as they fade into the misty measure . He added 17 frescoes, completing community. So retiring it s almost comatose,
28 32 03; www.sena.it) have ticket offices under- distance. The area of Le Crete changes colour the series around 1505. the abundance of activities in town and the
neath the piazza, where there s also a left- according to the season from the creamy The fresco series wraps around the four- surrounding area is remarkable, ranging from
luggage office. violet of ploughed clay to the green of young sided Great Cloister, illuminated naturally English movies shown every Friday at Cinema
wheat, which then turns to gold. by an inner courtyard. To the right of the Hall (hSep-May), to contemporary art exhibi-
CAR & MOTORCYCLE Hire a car or bike in Florence or Siena and entrance, on the west wall, the fresco cycle tions, to eight-day ballooning tours. Get a taste
For Florence take the SS2, the superstrada (ex- spend a few days pottering around Le Crete, a begins with Il Sodoma s work and continues of the possibilities at www.montisi.com.
pressway), or the more attractive SS222, also word in the Tuscan dialect meaning clay. And along the south wall of the cloisters. The nine You can t miss La Locanda di Montisi (%0577
known as the Chiantigiana, which meanders should your visit coincide, book your pas- frescoes by Signorelli line the east side and Il 84 59 06; www.lalocandadimontisi.it; Via Umberto I 39; s/d/tr
its way through the hills of Chianti. sage on the spectacular Treno Natura (p245), Sodoma picks up again on the northern wall. incl breakfast Ź 60/90/110; i), bang in the centre of
which runs on certain days in summer. The decorations on the pillars between some a 200m long town. All seven rooms are warm
TRAIN of Il Sodoma s frescoes are among the earliest and tastefully rustic and the most searing day
Siena isn t on a major train line and buses ASCIANO examples of grotesque art, copied from deco- can t penetrate the cool cellar cantina. Not
are generally a better alternative. By train, This pretty little hamlet has a trio of small rations found in the then-newly excavated far away is Taverna Montisi (%0577 84 51 59; www
change at Chiusi for Rome and at Empoli for museums dedicated to Sienese art and Etrus- Domus Aurea of Nero in Rome. .tavernamontisi.com; Via Umberto I 3; meals Ź 25), with a
Florence. Trains arrive at Piazza F Rosselli, can finds in the area. It s most easily reached The baroque interior of the church adjoin- varying menu dependent on the seasons and
north of the city centre. along the scenic SS438 road running southeast ing the cloister is a pleasingly sober play of organic farmers in the immediate area. Rob-
from Siena; the occasional slow local train perspective and shape. It has further works erto, the force behind the food, is something
Getting Around from Siena also passes through. Asciano is by Il Sodoma and some wonderfully intricate of a Montisi tourism facilitator, coordinating
BICYCLE & SCOOTER at the heart of Le Crete, so the journey there marquetry choir stalls. accommodations, cheese tastings, horseback
Perozzi Noleggi (%0577 28 83 87; www.perozzi.it; and beyond (such as south to the Abbazia From the monastery, head for San Giovanni riding, wine tours and emergency dental ap-
Via dei Gazzani 16-18) rents mountain bikes (per di Monte Oliveto Maggiore) is a treat in it- d Asso, where there s an interesting 11th-century pointments, to name a few.
day/week Ź 10/50) and 50cc scooters (per self. There s a small tourist office (%0577 71 88 church with a Lombardic-Tuscan faade, and a
day/week Ź 26/150). If there s no one in the 11; Corso Matteotti 78;h10.30am-1pm & 3-6pm Tue-Sat, picturesque hamlet with the remains of a castle. BUONCONVENTO
showroom, pop round the corner to Via del 10.30am-1pm Sun Apr-Oct, 10.30am-1pm & 3-6pm Fri & Sat, Continue on to Montisi and the pretty village On first approaching Buonconvento down the
Romitorio 5. 10.30am-1pm Sun Nov-Mar). of Castelmuzio, its entrance lined with chest- SS2 highway, you could be forgiven for think-
nut trees, to take a look at the 16th-century ing it a large roadside rest stop. Lying perfectly
BUS ABBAZIA DI MONTE OLIVETO MAGGIORE Chiesa di Santa Maria with its Romanesque flat in a rare stretch of plain, the low-slung
Tra-in operates city bus services (Ź 0.90). Bus This 14th-century monastery (%0577 70 76 11; Gothic faade. Along a side road just outside fortified walls of this farming centre hide a
8, 9 and 10 run between the train station and admission free; h9.15am-noon & 3.15-6pm Apr-Oct, to 5pm Castelmuzio is the abandoned Pieve di Santo quiet little town of medieval origins. One of
Piazza Gramsci. Nov-Mar) is still a retreat for around 40 monks. Stefano in Cennano, a 13th-century church. its historical moments came when the Holy
Though the congregation was founded in Opened in 2001, La Locanda della Moscadella Roman Emperor Henry VII, having shortly
CAR & MOTORCYCLE 1313 by John Tolomei, construction didn t (%0577 66 53 10; www.lamoscadella.it; Castelmuzio; d incl before captured the town, died here in Au-
Cars are banned from the town centre, though begin on the monastery until 1393. Visitors breakfast Ź 120; i) is a former 16th-century farm- gust 1313 and so put an end to any hopes the
visitors can drop off luggage at their hotel, come here for the wonderful fresco series in house that has been resurrected as a secluded Empire might have had of reasserting direct
then get out (don t forget to have reception the Great Cloister, painted by Luca Signore- hotel, restaurant and wine bar with sublime control over Tuscany.
report your licence number or risk receiv- lli and Il Sodoma, illustrating events in the views. The venue has just unveiled a new well- The Museo della Mezzadria Senese (%0577 80 90
ing a souvenir fine). Park illegally inside the life of the ascetic St Benedict, founder of the ness centre, with sauna, Turkish bath, cryo- 75; Via Tinaia del Taja; admission Ź 2; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun),
city and you ll be towed away quicker than Benedictine order. massage , sun track and sea-salt treatment. with its lifesize figures and antique farm tools
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252 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Around Si ena l onel ypl anet. com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Around Si ena 253
and machinery, offers a multimedia presenta- hermit. A real-life sword in the stone is under children under 14 are not permitted due to The most engaging part of town is historic
tion of what life was like living off the land glass in the floor of the chapel, plunged there, the delicate nature of these items. Though Colle Alta, perched up on a ridge. An elevator
until quite recently. legend has it, by San Galgano to indicate his geared for large groups (six to 32 people) and deep in the hillside eases the journey between
You might want to slip into the local Museo renunciation of worldly life. events, couples are welcome during select pe- the lower to upper sections of the city. Its
d Arte Sacra (%0577 80 71 90; Via Soccini 18; adult/child The bus service between Siena and Massa riods. Self-cater or request full board. Special tourist office (%0577 92 27 91; proloco.colle@tin.it; Via
Ź 3.50/free; h10am-1pm & 3-6pm Tue-Sun Apr-Sep, 10am- Marittima passes nearby. touches include an infinity pool, welcome Campana 43; h10am-1pm & 2-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1pm &
1pm & 3-5pm Sat & Sun Oct-Mar). It contains religious bottles of wine with personalised labels and 3-6pm Sun) is run by amiable people determined
art collected in the town and from neighbour- BAGNI DI PETRIOLO a private trail from the property through un- to answer any question. Park in the free lot
ing churches and hamlets. About halfway along the SS223 highway be- dulating fields to Monteriggioni. near Porta Nova at the western end of town.
tween Siena and Grosseto, a side road leads Ristorante Il Pozzo (%0577 30 41 27; Piazza Roma 2; At the eastern end of Via del Castello,
Abbazia di San Galgano & Around down to the hot sulphur springs of Bagni di meals Ź 40; hclosed Sun dinner & Mon) is on the main there s a medieval casa torre (tower house;
About 20km southwest of Siena on the SS73 Petriolo. Steaming spring water cascades into square and passed daily by invading hordes No 63), birthplace of Arnolfo di Cambio, ar-
is the ruined 13th-century San Galgano abbey a few small natural basins. Anyone can come but The Well retains its individuality and chitect of Florence s Palazzo Vecchio. Piazza
(%0577 75 67 00; admission free; h8am-7.30pm), one and sit in them, and there s usually a motley character, offering delicious food, including del Duomo, overshadowed by the cathedral s
of the country s finest Gothic buildings in its assortment of permanent campers making use homemade desserts such as the dulce di ricotta bell tower with its giant clock, is about half-
day and now a ruin that still speaks strongly of of the natural shower. (sweet ricotta cheese) and zuppa Inglese (tri- way along.
its past. The monks of this former Cistercian fle with holy wine, fresh cream and melted Nearby are three small museums. Admis-
abbey were among Tuscany s most powerful, Val d Elsa chocolate). There s a pleasant patio for din- sion to each costs Ź 3 or you can buy a com-
forming the judiciary and acting as account- MONTERIGGIONI ing alfresco. bined ticket for Ź 6. The Museo Archeologico
ants for the comuni (municipalities) of Volt- This famous walled medieval stronghold is (%0577 92 29 54; Piazza Duomo 42; h10.30am-12.30pm &
erra and Siena. They presided over disputes just off the SS2, about 12km north of Siena. COLLE DI VAL D ELSA 4.30-7.30pm Tue-Sun May-Oct, 3.30-5.30pm Tue-Fri, 10.30am-
between the cities, played a significant role in First raised in 1203 as a forward defensive pop 20,230 12.30pm Sat & Sun Nov-Apr) is on the square. The
the construction of the cathedral in Siena and position against Florence, the walls and tow- All that most visitors do here is change buses Museo Civico and Museo d Arte Sacra (%0577 92
built themselves an opulent church. ers today are the most complete example of for Volterra. That s a shame because Colle 38 88; Via del Castello 31; h10am-noon & 4-7pm Tue-Sun
As early as the 14th century, Sir John such a fortified bastion in Tuscany. Seven of has long been Italy s major centre for fine May-Oct, 3.30-6.30pm Tue-Sun, 10am-noon Sat & Sun Nov-Apr)
Hawkwood, the feared English mercenary, the 14 towers were reconstructed in the 20th glass and crystal production and, unburdened share premises. Most interesting is the Museo
sacked the abbey on at least two occasions. century but you have to peer pretty closely to by any notable church, museum or work of d Arte Sacra, with some worthwhile paintings
By the 16th century the monks wealth and make out which ones. According to descrip- art, the place has kept its character as a rural by Sienese masters.
importance had declined and the church had tions by Dante a writer not averse to a little market town. The old one-street town up on In Colle Bassa you ll find the Museo del
deteriorated to the point of ruin, and in 1786 hyperbole they were considerably higher its hill is fun for its own sake and for the views. Cristallo (%0577 92 41 35; www.cristallo.org; Via dei Fossi
the bell tower simply collapsed, as did the when the Florentines had reason to fear them Down below, the Friday market in and around 8a; admission Ź 3; h10am-noon & 4-7.30pm Tue-Sun Apr-
ceiling vaults a few years later. and their Sienese defenders. Piazza Arnolfo is a vast bustling affair sell- Oct, 3-7pm Tue-Fri, 10am-noon & 3-7pm Sat & Sun Nov-Mar),
The great, roofless, stone and brick mono- Monteriggioni has real charm but it s in ing everything from great wheels of cheese which illustrates the history and production
lith stands silent in the fields. Come on a rainy danger of being overheritaged to appeal to to frilly knickers. of crystal and displays some stunning pieces
winter s day and you feel more like you are in the tsunami of tourists that flows in each sum- A tourist office (%0577 92 13 34; Piazza Arnolfo 9; (leave your toddler at home). All descriptions
France or England, surrounded by glistening mer s day. are in Italian.
h11am-7.45pm, closed Sun afternoon) is in the main
green fields and confronted by this grey ruin, Hotel Monteriggioni (%0577 30 50 09; www.hotel square of Colle Bassa, the lower town, sharing La Vecchia Cartiera (%0577 92 11 07; cartiera@
its style strongly reminiscent of French Gothic monteriggioni.net; Via Primo Maggio 4; s/d incl breakfast space with the bus station ticket office. Be- chintiturismo.it; Via Oberdan 5-9; s Ź 60-81, d Ź 75-121, all incl
architecture. Ź 120/230; was originally two tween March and October, it offers a crystal buffet breakfast; pa) was once just that. But The
pais)
Next door to the church are what remain stone houses, now fused together. The inte- tour (Ź 20) with visits to glass-blowing, shap- Old Papermill has been so comprehensively
of the monastery buildings, as well as a brief rior is lavishly decorated with antiques, apart ing, cutting and engraving workshops and overhauled that you d scarcely guess it. This
stretch of cloister housing a small tourist office from the sparkling-new bathrooms, and all crystal showrooms. hotel has all the extras and is well situated
(%0577 75 67 38; h10.30am-7pm Easter-Oct). rooms have picture-postcard views. There s
The Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena the added perk of a small pool within the
NAILING THE NAIL
sponsors concerts at the abbey during sum- lovely gardens, bordered by the original city
mer (see p246). walls. The hotel is open between March and
There are some 30 reputedly authentic nails from the one true cross around Tuscany. But Colle
On a hill overlooking the abbey is the tiny, December.
di Val d Elsa s has a special distinction. Brought back from the Holy Land during the Crusades,
round Romanesque Cappella di Monte Siepi. This Borgo Stomennano (%0577 30 40 33;
o
so the story goes, it was given to a local priest, who placed it in the town s otherwise quite
is the site of the original Cistercian settle- www.stomennano.it; q per week Ź 900-1000; is),
unremarkable cathedral. It disappeared or was stolen several times (on one occasion washed
ment from it came the impulse to build the is a sprawling unforgettable property 2km
downstream by spring floods) but always made its independent way back.
great abbey below. Inside the chapel are badly outside Monteriggioni. This historic collec-
Nowadays it undergoes a degree of protection worthy of Fort Knox. Under lock and key ac-
preserved frescoes by Ambrogio Lorenzetti tion of farmhouses dating from the 1600s has
tually four locks with four differing keys held by four different citizens it s only allowed out of
depicting the life of local soldier and saint, been converted into apartments, furnished
the cathedral once a year, on the second Sunday of September, when it s taken in procession
San Galgano, who had a vision of St Michael and decorated with an amazing collection of
around Colle Alta in, appropriately, a finely wrought crystal vessel.
on this site and lived his last years here as a heirlooms dating back hundreds of years
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
CENTRAL TUSCANY
254 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " San Gi mi gnano l onel ypl anet. com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " San Gi mi gnano 255
for an overview of the town s Friday mar- 90 for Ź 500. The menu includes such goodies is surrounded by lush, productive land and COLLEGIATA
ket. The multilingual owner is a charmer and as quail salad and pecorino cheese souffl with the setting is altogether enchanting. The area Access to the town s Romanesque basilica (adult/
the breakfast buffet more lavish than most. pear slices in chestnut honey sauce. They also around San Gimignano is famous for the cul- child Ź 3.50/1.50; h9.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-5pm Sun
Parking costs Ź 7. have apartments to rent (doubles Ź 80). tivation of saffron; see p69. Apr-Oct, 9.30am-5pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-5pm Sun Nov mid-Jan
Hotel Arnolfo (%0577 92 20 20; www.hotelarnolfo & Mar) is up a flight of steps from Piazza del
.it; Via Campana 8; s/d incl breakfast Ź 56/80) The only POGGIBONSI History Duomo. Its bare faade belies the remarkable
hotel in Colle Alta has 32 comfortable, siz- pop 28,700 Originally an Etruscan village, the town 14th-century frescoes that stripe the interior
able rooms. A buffet breakfast is served in the WWII managed to take care of what little was named after the bishop of Modena, San walls like some vast medieval comic strip,
warmly decorated cellar, with coffee barista at was interesting about Poggibonsi, which takes Gimignano, who is said to have saved the city stretching amid the black-and-white striped
the ready. The hotel is closed in February. line honours as one of the ugliest places in from Attila the Hun. It became a comune in arches and columns that separate the three
Il Frantoio (%0577 92 36 52; www.risorante- central Tuscany. It has a distinct port town 1199, but fought frequently with neighbour- naves.
o
ilfrantoio.com; Via Castello 40; meals Ź 38) There s cheaper feel, minus the port lots of people passing ing Volterra. Internal battles between Ard- A fresco by Taddeo di Bartolo covers the
places in town, but this is the only place where through, and doing so quickly. If you re trav- inghelli (Guelph) and Salvucci (Ghibelline) upper half of the rear wall and depicts the Last
you ll be pampered, from the complimen- elling by bus between Florence (Ź 4.30, 50 min- families over the next two centuries caused Judgment, while the lower half is dominated
tary champagne and small tasting appetizer utes, half-hourly) or Siena (Ź 3.60, one hour, deep divisions. Most towers were built during by Benozzo Gozzoli s rendering of the martyr-
to the main events of liver-filled ravioli with up to 10 daily), heading for San Gimignano or this period in the 13th century, one podestą dom of St Sebastian. Still facing the rear wall,
walnut sauce and duck (very rare) with fruit Volterra, you can t avoid the place. (town chief) forbade the building of towers on the upper-left side is a fresco depicting
sauce, roasted potatoes and a spinach tartlet. There s a tourist office (%0577 93 51 13; h9am- higher than his own 51m pile. Paradiso (Heaven) and on the upper-right
Tears of joy have been known to accompany 1pm & 3-6.30pm) outside the train station that In 1348 plague wiped out much of the Inferno (Hell). Both are by Taddeo di Bartolo,
the chocolate cake. Set in a multiroom cellar will do an admirable job of selling the area s population and weakened the nobles power, who seems to have taken particular delight
and equipped with an original grain grinder meagre attractions, including what s left of leading to the town s submission to Florence in presenting the horrors of the underworld.
and grape press. A fixed-price lunch menu the village and castle of Staggia Senese, the in 1353. Today, not even the plague would Remember that many of the faithful in those
is available. Fortezza Medicea and some walking/biking deter the summer swarms. times would have taken such images pretty
Hourly buses run to/from Siena (Ź 2.50, 30 routes. much at face value.
minutes) and Florence (Ź 4.70, 1ź hours). Up Albergo Italia (%0577 93 61 42; www.albergo-italia Orientation Facing the altar, along the left (north) wall,
to four Compagnia Pisana Trasporti (CPT; Piazzale dei Martiri di Montemaggio, at the are scenes from Genesis and the Old Testa-
%800 570 .it; Via Trento 36; s 35-40, d Ź 50-60, all incl breakfast; pi),
530) connecting buses head west to Volterra across the piazza from the train station, has southern end of the town, lies just outside ment by Bartolo di Fredi, dating from around
daily, except Sunday. simple, bright rooms some with noisy ter- the medieval wall and next to the main gate, 1367. The top row runs from the creation
races with hostel-quality beds and tiny Porta San Giovanni. Via San Giovanni heads of the world through to the forbidden fruit
CASOLE D ELSA & AROUND all-in-one toilet/showers. The staff are very northwards to central Piazza della Cisterna scene. This in turn leads to the next level and
Casole d Elsa, a quiet fortified backwater, was pleasant, there s an attached caf and you ll and the connecting Piazza del Duomo. From fresco, the expulsion of Adam and Eve from
a key part of Siena s western defences against likely be allowed access to the reception com- here the other major thoroughfare, Via San the Garden of Eden, which has sustained some
Volterra and Florence during the Middle puter for quick emailing. Matteo, extends to the principal northern war damage. Further scenes include Cain kill-
Ages. Little remains to detain you but those gate, Porta San Matteo. ing Abel, the story of Noah s ark and Joseph s
with romantic tastes and a Swiss bank account SAN GIMIGNANO coat. The last level picks up this story with the
could stick to the tiny road that winds south pop 7400 Information tale of Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt,
out of town, call by pretty hilltop Mensano, As you crest the hill coming from the east, Lo Spuntino (%0577 90 72 99; Via XX Settembre 4b; and the story of Job.
then swing east to Pievescola. the 14 towers of this walled town look like a per hr Ź 4.50; h10am-8pm Apr-Oct, 2-7pm Nov-Feb) Has On the right (south) wall are scenes from
Relais La Suvera (%0577 96 03 00; www.lasuvera medieval Manhattan. And when you arrive a few internet points. the New Testament by the school of Simone
.it; Pievescola; d incl breakfast Ź 385-560; you might well feel that half of Manhattan s Post office (Piazza delle Erbe 8) Martini, completed in 1336. Again, the fres-
hmid-Apr Oct;
population has moved in. Within easy reach Tourist office (%0577 94 00 08; www.sangimignano coes are spread over three levels, starting in
pa) is a 12th-century former fortress and
palace, still run by the Marchese Ricci family. of both Siena and Florence, San Gimignano .com; Piazza del Duomo 1; h9am-1pm & 3-7pm Mar- the six lunettes at the top. Commencing with
The dcor is heavily brocaded opulence with is a tourist magnet. Come in winter or early Oct, 9am-1pm & 2-6pm Nov-Feb) Hires out audio guides the Annunciation, the panels proceed through
tapestries, dark and enormous oil paintings, spring to indulge your imagination a little; in of town (Ź 5). episodes such as the Epiphany, the presenta-
rococo mirrors and four-poster beds. There summer you ll spend your time dodging fel- tion of Christ in the temple and the massacre
is a health centre with a Jacuzzi bubbling out low visitors. Even then though, you ll discover Sights of the innocents on Herod s orders. The sub-
of the palace s original well. a different, almost peaceful San Gimignano, Start in triangular Piazza della Cisterna, sequent panels on the lower levels summarise
Il Colombaio (%0577 94 90 02; Localitą Il Colombaio; once the last bus has pulled out. named after the 13th-century cistern at its the life and death of Christ, the Resurrection
meals Ź 50-55; hclosed Tue lunch & Mon), opposite There s good reason for such popularity. centre. The square is lined with houses and and so on. Again, some have sustained dam-
vineyards with a distant view of Casole, is an The towers, which once numbered 72, were towers from the 13th and 14th centuries. In age, but most are in good condition.
elegant Michelin-starred place with stained symbols of the power and wealth of the city s the Piazza del Duomo, the Collegiata (ba- The Cappella di Santa Fina, off to the right,
glass, paintings and a canopy of chandeliers. medieval families. San Gimignano delle Belle silica) looks across to the late-13th-century has a pair of naive and touching frescoes by
Set menus range from Ź 30 to Ź 49. It takes wine Torri (meaning of the Fine Towers though Palazzo del Podestą and its tower, the Torre della Domenico Ghirlandaio depicting events in the
seriously 1400 varieties at last count, includ- they re actually almost devoid of design and Rognosa. The Palazzo Comunale, right of the life of the saint and a quite superb alabaster
ing Japanese, Israeli and a Bodegas Vega Sicilia rather dull unless sheer height impresses you) basilica, is the town hall. and marble altar picked out in gold.
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
CENTRAL TUSCANY
256 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " San Gi mi gnano l onel ypl anet. com Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " San Gi mi gnano 257
0 400 m
can t miss the Maestą, a masterful 1317 fresco
SAN GIMIGNANO
0 0.2 miles
MONEYSAVERS
by Lippo Memmi depicting the enthroned
AC D
B
Virgin Mary and Christ child with angels and If you re an assiduous sightseer, two com-
To Certaldo 4
saints. Other frescoes portray jousts, hunting bined tickets may be worth your while. One
(10km); Pisa
To Hotel La
(60km); Livorno
Collegiata
Piazza Porta San Jacopo
scenes, castles and other medieval goings-on. (adult/child Ź 7.50/5.50) gives admission to
(68km)
(3km)
Sant'Agostino
7
1 Upstairs, the collection of medieval reli- the Palazzo Comunale and its Museo Civico,
Via XX 14
Settembre
INFORMATION
gious works includes a crucifix by Coppo di the archaeological museum, Torre Grossa
Porta H H
San Matteo Lo Spuntino............................ B1
1
24
Marcovaldo, notable for its age (c 1261) and and some secondary sights. The other
Post Office.............................2 B2
1
Tourist Office.........................3 B2
Porta delle Fonti quality, said to be superior to those of Giotto, (adult/child Ź 5.50/2.50) gets you into the
28
27
and a pair of remarkable tondi (circular paint- Collegiata and nearby Museo d Arte Sacra.
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Chiesa di Sant'Agostino.......... B1
4
17 ings) by Filippino Lippi.
Collegiata...............................5 B2
Via
Also on this level, there s a small frescoed
Galleria Continua...................6 C2
Piazza del
Mainardi
Piazza
Duomo Museo Archeologico............... B1
7
21
room. Opinion is divided on what these fres- OTHER SIGHTS
delle Erbe
H H
H H Museo d'Arte Sacra................8 B2
H H H H
H H
H H
H H
20 coes, showing wedding scenes, are all about. Just west of the Piazza del Duomo, the Rocca
Museo del Vino......................9 B2
2
12 Via Santo
26
2 6 Museo Ornitologico.............10 B2
5 Stefano It all looks like great fun, with the newlyweds is the crumbling shell of the town s fortress
18
Palazzo Comunale................11 B2
13 11
8
9 Palazzo del Podestą..............12 B2 taking a bath together and then hopping into with great views across the valley, a small
3 23
Piazza
Pinacoteca.........................(see 11)
22
Piazza 16 della the sack. playground and not much else.
10 25
Rocca...................................13 A2
Pecori Cisterna
29
Speziera di Santa Fina..........(see 7) Climb up the palazzo s Torre Grossa for a Due south of the fort is the Museo Ornitolog-
Torre della Rognosa...........(see 12)
spectacular view of the town and surrounding ico (%0577 94 13 88; Via Quercecchio; adult/child Ź 1.50/1;
H H
H H
H H H H
H
H H
H H
SLEEPING
Porta countryside.
h11am-5.30pm Apr-Sep). Its mournful collection
Quercecchio
Foresteria Monastero di
of stuffed birds dates back to 1886 and cer-
San Girolamo...................14 C1
Hotel Bel Soggiorno.............15 B3
MUSEO DEL VINO tainly looks it.
Hotel La Cisterna..................16 B2
15 In an unmarked gallery just outside the At the northern end of the town is the Chiesa
Hotel L'Antico Pozzo............17 B2
3 Hotel Leon Bianco................18 B2
town s fortress is San Gimignano s wine mu- di Sant Agostino (Piazza Sant Agostino; h7am-noon &
Siena Hotels Promotion........19 B3
19
seum (%0577 94 12 67; Parco della Rocca; admission free; 3-7pm Apr-Oct, 7am-noon & 3-6pm Nov-Mar), which has
EATING
H H a Benozzo Gozzoli fresco cycle in the apse
H
h11.30am-6.30pm Thu-Mon, 3-6.30pm Wed Mar-Oct). A
Dorando...............................20 B2
Porta San
Enoteca Gustavo..................21 B2 sommelier is on hand to lead an informed depicting the life of St Augustine.
Giovanni
Via di Santa Margherita
Gelateria di Piazza................22 B2
and paying tasting of some of the choice Housed in the city s old theatre, Galleria
Il Castello.............................23 C2
Piazzale
31 Il Pino...................................24 A1 local white wines. This is a one-man show Continua (%0577 94 31 34; www.galleriacontinua.com; Via
dei
Le Vecchie Mura..................25 C2
Martiri di
when the sommelier is sick or on holiday, the del Castello 11; admission free; h2-7pm Tue-Sat) shows
Montemaggio
Osteria al Carcere................26 C2
Osteria delle Catene.............27 A1
place unceremoniously shuts. its collection of contemporary art by famous
Trattoria La Mangiatoia........ B1
28
artists at virtually every major international
H H
4
DRINKING
MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO & SPEZIERA DI art fair. It rarely represents Italian artists, so
DiVinorum...........................29 B2
SANTA FINA why they ve kept this peculiar location in San
To Poggibonsi (8km);
30
TRANSPORT
There are actually two museums (%0577 94 03 48; Gimignano is something of a mystery. Or
Colle di Val d'Elsa (8km);
Bruno Bellini........................30 A4
SS68 (9.5km); Siena (40km);
Via Folgore da San Gimignano 11; adult/child both museums maybe it s a trend. The new gallery is in Bei-
Florence (62km) Bus Terminal........................31 B4
To Camping Boschetto
di Piemma (2km)
Ź 3.50/2.50;
h11am-5.30pm mid-Mar Dec) and a gal- jing. Exhibitions change approximately every
lery in this complex. The Speziera section in- two months.
MUSEO D ARTE SACRA ures, looking suspiciously like KKK members, cludes ceramic and glass storage vessels from
Across the square, the Museo d Arte Sacra kneel at the feet of a smartly dressed Jesus on the 16th-century Speziera di Santa Fina, a Tours
(%0577 94 03 16; Piazza Pecori 1; adult/child Ź 3/1.50; the cross. reconstructed 16th-century pharmacy and If you d prefer to sip your Vernaccia di San
herb garden. Many are beautifully painted Gimignano on the spot, the tourist office or-
h9.30am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5pm Sat, 12.30-5pm
Sun Apr-Oct, 9.30am-5pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-5pm Sun Nov mid- PALAZZO COMUNALE and still contain curative concoctions. Fol- ganises vineyard visits (Ź 26). Two-hour tours
Jan & Mar) has some fine works of religious art, San Gimignano s other principal sight is this low your nose to the side room in Gallery 7, leave at 11am on Tuesday and 5pm on Thurs-
including a collection of medieval painted seat of secular power, which was founded in called the kitchen , which is filled with herbs day from June to October. Advance reserva-
wooden statues, vestments, hangings, crosses 1288, expanded in the 14th century and with and spices used for elixirs. All descriptions tions are essential.
and finely illuminated manuscripts culled, in a neogothic faade tacked on in the late 19th are in Italian.
the main, from the town s churches. Those century. Beyond is a small archaeological museum Sleeping
who specialise in medieval religious objects From the internal courtyard climb the stairs divided into Etruscan/Roman and medieval In high summer San Gimignano can be as un-
will appreciate the items made from precious to the Pinacoteca (%0577 99 03 12; Piazza del Duomo; sections with exhibits found locally. promising for accommodation as Christmas
metals, including beautifully crafted chalices adult/child museum & tower Ź 5/4; h9.30am-7pm Mar-Oct, The museum also houses a good modern Eve in Bethlehem. But a couple of organisa-
and thuribles (censers), as well as some exqui- 10am-5.30pm Nov-Feb). art gallery that in itself merits a visit. Perma- tions will help to find you a roof.
sitely embroidered textiles. One curiosity is In the main room, the Sala di Dante, the great nent works include the distinctive swirly ab- Siena Hotels Promotion (%0577 94 08 09; www
Sebastiano Mainardi s Il Volto Santo Adorato poet addressed the town s council, imploring stracts of Renato Guttuso and some excellent .hotelsiena.com; Via San Giovanni 125; hclosed Tue & Thu
on the ground floor, where two hooded fig- it to join a Florentine-led Guelph League. You oils on canvas by Raffaele de Grada. mornings & Sun) will book hotels and some very
Viale dei Fossi
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
CENTRAL TUSCANY
Via Ghiacc
iaia
Via Folgore da San Gimignano
Via Cellolese
Via delle
Via delle
Fonti
Via San Matteo
Romite
Viale dei Fossi
Castello
Via del
Quercecchio
Via
Piandornella
Via
Giovanni
Via Berignano
Via di Bonda
Via San
Via Vecchia
Via Roma
258 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " San Gi mi gnano Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " San Gi mi gnano 259
affordable affittacamere (rooms for rent) via lent budget choice with basic but spacious, ceilings and modest chandeliers. Be sure to Gelateria di Piazza (%0577 94 22 44; Piazza della
its website or for callers-in (Ź 2 surcharge for comfortable rooms with bathrooms, sleeping request a room with a view of the square or Cisterna 4; hMar mid-Nov) As the pictures around
the latter). The tourist office, for its part, will two to five people. Breakfast is Ź 3. Ring ahead the valley or risk getting one facing a dull the wall attest, many celebrities have closed
reserve a wider range of affittacamere and as it is perpetually booked. If you don t have a courtyard. Nearly 100 years in business, it their lips around one of Gelateria di Piazza s
also agriturismi (tourism accommodation on reservation, arrive between 9am and 12.30pm offers truly 21st-century comfort in quiet, rich ice creams ( all the family thought the
farms) if you call by in person. or between 3pm and 5.45pm and ring the spacious rooms. ice cream was delicious attested one Tony
monastery bell (not the Foresteria one, which Hotel Leon Bianco (%0577 94 12 94; www.leonbi Blair). Master Sergio uses only the choicest
BUDGET is never answered). anco.com; Piazza della Cisterna 13; s Ź 65-80, d Ź 85-140, tr ingredients: pistachios from Sicily and cocoa
Camping Boschetto di Piemma (%0577 94 03 52; www Ź 110-150, all incl breakfast; ai) Faces Hotel La from Venezuela. There s a variant based on
.boschettodipiemma.it; per car/tent/person Ź 3.30/7.30/9.30; MIDRANGE Cisterna across the square and also occupies Vernaccia, the local wine, and, if you want to
Two highly recommended hotels flank Piazza a 14th-century mansion. This smoothly run be more adventurous, saffron cream.
hEaster-Oct) Located at Santa Lucia, 2km south
of town, this is the nearest camp site. Buses della Cisterna, the main square. In both, you hotel is equally welcoming and friendly with Each Thursday morning there s a produce
stop right outside. pay a little more for superb views. a ground-floor abundance of plants, pretty market (Piazza della Cisterna & Piazza del Duomo).
Foresteria Monastero di San Girolamo (%0577 Hotel La Cisterna (%0577 94 03 28; www.hotel inner courtyard, breakfast patio, billiard table
94 05 73; monasterosangimignano@gmail.com; Via Folgore cisterna.it; Piazza della Cisterna 24; s Ź 60-78, d Ź 85-95, tr and fitness room. Wi-fi (extra charge) is avail- MIDRANGE
da San Gimignano 26-32; per person Ź 25; p) Run by Ź 110-128, all incl breakfast; Located in a able in common spaces. Le Vecchie Mura (%0577 94 02 70; www.vecchiemura.it;
ai)
friendly Benedictine nuns, this is an excel- splendid 14th-century building with vaulted Hotel Bel Soggiorno (%0577 94 03 75; www.hotel Via Piandornella 15; meals Ź 30; hdinner Wed-Mon) This
belsoggiorno.it; Via San Giovanni 91; d incl breakfast Ź 90-130; is a wonderful spot, especially if you snap up
With an upbeat dcor, every room a terrace table on a warm summer s night. The
ai)
CHEAPER THAN WATER
here is different, but each has lots of colour. food competes with the phenomenal view of
Try to go for one with a countryside view. rolling green hills and the wine list has more
It s true, a glass of house wine in an Italian restaurant will usually undercut the price of a bot-
The restaurant (meals Ź 40, set menus Ź 38) has than a dozen varieties of Vernaccia di San
tle of water. You really have no choice but to imbibe. Since you re saving all that money, you ll
received rave reviews from readers. The hotel Gimignano. Choose from a delicious selection
be able to splash out and order a special glass now and again. Save those occasions for the
is closed in January and February. of primi piatti, such as gnocchi con tartufo e
following top drops.
Hotel L Antico Pozzo (%0577 94 20 14; www.ant formaggio (gnocchi with truffles and cheese),
It kisses, licks, bites, thrusts and stings. That s how Michelangelo, clearly drawing upon the
icopozzo.com; Via San Matteo 87; s Ź 80-100, d Ź 110-135, tr and you can t go wrong with the perfectly pre-
purple end of his palate, described San Gimignano s Vernaccia white wine. Smooth and aro-
Ź 145-160, all incl breakfast; ai) Named after the pared beef options. Book ahead to guarantee
matic with a slightly bitter aftertaste and pale golden yellow in colour, it was Italy s first DOC
old, softly illuminated pozzo (well), just off that panorama.
wine and the second white to be awarded DOCG (see p74 ). But these are only its most recent
the lobby. Each room has its own personality, Osteria al Carcere (%0577 94 19 05; Via del Castello
accolades. It s been around, though scarcely unsung, for centuries. Dante in his Divine Comedy
with thick stone walls, high ceilings, wrought- 5; soups Ź 8, meals Ź 30-35;
hclosed Thu lunch & Wed) A
banished Pope Martin IV to purgatory because of it, Boccaccio fantasised about flowing streams
iron beds, frescoes, antique prints and peach- fine osteria that offers great food at moderate
of cool Vernaccia, Pope Paul III reputedly bathed in it and the ever-demure St Catherine of Siena
coloured walls. Room 20 has a magnificent prices. The reassuringly brief menu has a half-
used it as medicine.
domed ceiling. The hotel is closed the first dozen soups, including zuppa di farro e fagioli
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano dates back to 1350, and is noted in documents illustrating the
two weeks of November and all of January. (local grain and white bean soup) and creative
terms and conditions governing trade and the exportation of area wines in the Politian Archives.
Wi-fi is Ź 3 per hour. flashes like tacchina al pistacchi e arance (tur-
Pope Paul III presumably after towelling off from a good soak in Vernaccia gushed about this
key with pistachios and orange sauce).
red in his late 16th-century poem Bacchus in Tuscany , and Francesco Redi described it as the
TOP END Osteria delle Catene (%0577 94 19 66; osteriadelle
king of all wines in his 1685 poem Bacco in Toscana . It was granted the description of noble
Hotel La Collegiata (%0577 94 32 01; www.lacollegiata catene.oster@tin.it; Via Mainardi 18; menł degustazione Ź 13-
in the second half of the 18th century, about the same time that Voltaire was dropping the name
.it; Localitą Strada 27; s Ź 120-180, d Ź 210-345; pas) 31, meals Ź 33-38; Wed & mid-Dec Feb) The
hclosed
in his 1759 novel Candide. More recent admirers have included the American presidents Martin
A serious money-no-object place, you ll need windows are plastered with the guidebook
Van Buren and Thomas Jefferson. Currently some 250,000 cases of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
a car to get here as it s outside town. A former accolades it has justifiably received. The brick-
are produced each year, more than might be deemed noble , but still few enough to make a
Franciscan convent, its formal gardens are barrelled interior is softly lit while the menu is
bottle a special occasion.
magnificent and are surrounded by park- heavy on strong meats hare, boar, duck and
Brunello di Montalcino ranks among the world s top wines. Collectors pay hundreds of dol-
land, while the rooms are conservative yet rabbit. Alongside many Tuscan stalwarts and
lars for a respectable bottle at auction. The price tag skyrockets into the thousands for select
elegant. saffron experimentation such as the zuppa
bottles from the 1940s and a bottle of the Biondi-Santi 1955 Brunello, voted as one of the top
medievale, there s the spaghetti dell Ostria
dozen wines of the century, could put a small nation s budget into a deficit. Brunello is the
Eating (spaghetti with zucchini, sausages and chilli
name used for a handful of mutations of the sangiovese grape found around Montalcino, the
BUDGET pepper in pured sauce) and a small, but sub-
result of horticultural tinkering by Clemente Santi and his grandson, Ferruccio Biondi-Santi, in
Enoteca Gustavo (%0577 94 00 57; Via San Matteo 29; lime carrot and leek souffl.
the mid-19th century. Brunello almost immediately developed an exalted reputation, its grapes
snacks & wine from Ź 2.50) There isn t much elbow Il Castello (%0577 94 08 78; enotecailcastello@iol.it; Via
coming from select boutique vineyards, creating a product known for its borderline outlandish
space inside, so go for one of the outside del Castello 20; meals Ź 35; hMar mid-Jan) Both wine
exclusivity and price as much as for its extraordinary quality. It was the first wine appellation in
tables if you can. Snacks include bruschetta bar and restaurant, this place has a delightful
Italy to be granted the coveted DOCG ranking in 1970. Total annual Brunello production, grown
and a plate of cheese with honey to go with patio with views and an all-brick, glass-domed
from grapes almost entirely within a 26-sq-km radius around Montalcino, is about 350,000 cases
your choice from the impressive selection of courtyard. Most dishes are macho-meaty, like
not even equal to a medium-sized winery.
wines. the frighteningly large bistecca alla fiorentina
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
CENTRAL TUSCANY
260 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " San Gi mi gnano l onel ypl anet. com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Vol terra 261
(grilled T-bone steak) and cinghiale alla fectioned on the premises, are dinner s final more-extensive network of mysterious al-
DETOUR: SAN GIMIGNANO TO
sangimignanese con polenta (wild boar with temptation. leys to explore and higher calf-blasting stone
VOLTERRA
polenta and tomato salad), though there s less Dorando (%0577 94 18 62; www.ristorantedorando.it; stairways to scale all that and slightly more
macho fallbacks like the pennette with broccoli, Vicolo dell Oro 2; mains Ź 55-60; hdaily Easter-Oct, Tue-Sun Instead of driving the heavily trafficked elbowroom. The surrounding gentle Tuscan
wild mushrooms and saffron. Oct-Easter) Recognised by the Slow Food Move- SS68 between San Gimignano and Volt- countryside provides the perfect contrast.
Trattoria La Mangiatoia (%0577 94 15 28; Via Main- ment, Dorando runs a classic five-course erra, choose this back route that passes People looking for that perfect alabaster
ardi 5; meals Ź 36-40; hWed-Mon Feb-Oct) A highly re- menu with dishes based on authentic Etruscan through some stunning countryside and figurine for their garden, or simply wanting
garded trattoria serving tempting, regional recipes such as carrot dumplings with zuc- potential picnic areas. Turn left out of the to see alabaster artists in action, will have
fare like the small, but tasty saccottini di chini, and pecorino blue cheese with a pure San Gimignano car park (just outside Porta plenty of shops to choose from and the local
pecorino al tartufo (ravioli filled with pota- of shallots. The atmosphere is swanky yet cool, San Giovanni). At 2.3km, just past Hotel San collection of Etruscan artefacts is arguably
toes and pecorino cheese with truffle sauce). with intimate corners and works of art. Michele, turn left again at the signposted unmatched.
With candles flickering and classical music roundabout heading for Montaione and
in the background, share it with that special Drinking Gambassi. Carry on along this road through History
someone. Or hold hands after dark on the DiVinorum (Piazza della Cisterna 30; h11am-midnight green rolling valleys, wooded areas and The Etruscan settlement of Velathri was an
delightful summer patio. daily Mar-Oct, Fri-Sun Nov-Feb) Housed in cavernous vineyards. At 6.8km, beyond the turn, take important trading centre and senior partner
Il Pino (%0577 94 04 15; Via Cellolese 8-10; former stables is this cool wine bar run by local a left (signed Volterra 15km , though it s of the Dodecapolis. It is believed that as many
o
meals Ź 37-42; hFri-Wed) The atmosphere here is lads. In summer, sip your drink on the tiny actually 22km, but who s counting?). After as 25,000 people lived here in its Etruscan
spruce, vaulted and airy. Service is friendly outdoor terrace with stunning valley views. around 10km 10 actual kilometres turn heyday. Partly because of the surrounding
and attentive and the menu, which includes right onto the SS68 for the final stretch inhospitable terrain, the city was among the
several truffle-based specialities, is a winner. Getting There & Around into town. last to succumb to Rome it was absorbed
The raviolone di pecorino delle crete con lin- BUS into the Roman confederation around 260
gua stufata e carote e porri all aneto (sheep s Buses arrive in Piazzale dei Martiri di Monte- BC and renamed Volaterrae.
milk cheese ravioli with stewed meat, carrots maggio, beside Porta San Giovanni. Services daily). A few are direct but most require a The bulk of the old city was raised in the
and leeks) may be the most singular pasta run to/from Florence (Ź 5.90, 1ź hours, 12 change at Poggibonsi. The tourist office car- 12th and 13th centuries under a fiercely
adventure in Tuscany. The desserts, all con- daily) and Siena (Ź 5.20, one to 1 hours, 10 ries timetables. independent free comune. The city first en-
For Volterra (Ź 4.30, 1 hours, four daily tered into Florence s orbit in 1361, but it was
except Sunday), you need to change in Colle some time before Florence took full control.
ROSSELLA BRACALI
di Val d Elsa, and maybe also in Poggibonsi, When this domination was first threatened,
Rossella Bracali works at Galleria Continua (p257 ).
which has the closest train station. Lorenzo Il Magnifico made one of his few
Since most of your artists are non-Italian you could be located anywhere, so why San Gimig-
big mistakes and created lasting enemies in
nano? Why not in San Gimignano? Why not in a town with such a long tradition of art? Galleria
CAR & MOTORCYCLE the people of Volterra; in 1472 he marched
Continua was founded in 1990 by Mario Cristiani, Lorenzo Fiaschi and Maurizio Rigillo with the
From Florence or Siena, take the SS2 to in and ruthlessly snuffed out every vestige
intention evident in the name to give continuity to contemporary art in a landscape rich
Poggibonsi, then the SS68 via Colle di Val of potential opposition to direct Florentine
with the signs of ancient art. The gallery seeks to act as a bridge between past and present,
d Elsa. From Volterra, take the SS68 east rule.
looking for connections between current Italian research and the language of the international
and follow the turn-off signs north to San Since Etruscan times, Volterra has been a
circuit, by bringing important but lesser known artists into Italy and by helping and promoting
Gimignano. centre of alabaster extraction and workman-
young Italian artists abroad.
There are car parks (per hour Ź 2 or per day ship. During the Middle Ages, its quarries lay
On the subject of eccentric locations, what made you choose Beijing as the location for
Ź 5 to Ź 15) outside the city walls, and beside fallow for several centuries until their soft,
your new gallery? Our first contact with Chinese culture was during the solo exhibition Field
and below Porta San Giovanni. There s free semitransparent, easily worked stone again
of Synergy (2000) by Chen Zhen, a Chinese artist living in Paris since 1986. Subsequently, we
parking in the new parts of town, just north- became a popular material for sculpture dur-
decided to open a gallery in China because we were completely fascinated by what we saw
west of the old centre, but this is quite a hike ing the Renaissance.
and experienced during our first visit to Beijing in April 2004, when we participated in the first
and competition is fierce.
international contemporary art fair and visited the incredible 798 Art Zone. We felt the desire
Bruno Bellini (%0577 94 02 01; www.bellinibruno.com; Orientation
to be there while many things are happening in the art scene. Many galleries opened in Beijing
Via Roma 41) rents mountain bikes (per day Ź 15) Whichever of the four main gates you use
because they were working with Chinese artists, but what we want to do is exactly the opposite:
and scooters (per day from Ź 31). to enter Volterra, the road will lead you to
show Western artists in China. In this way we would like to open an exchange that will let the
central Piazza dei Priori.
West get closer to China.
VOLTERRA
We know Giovanni Ozzola is from Florence, do you represent any other Tuscan artists? We
pop 11,400 Information
have had other Italian artists that have a relationship with Tuscany: Luca Pancrazi was born at
A nippy 29km drive from San Gimignano, Web & Wine (p265) also has web access.
Figline Valdarno near Florence, Loris Cecchini lives and works from Prato and Beijing.
Volterra s well-preserved medieval ramparts Enjoy Caf (Piazza Martiri della Libert 3; per hr Ź 3) Has
Considering that you represent a number of major artists ranging from high-concept to
give the windswept town a proud, forbidding wi-fi and a loaner laptop for those not packing wi-fi-
formal works, other than fame, is there a relationship to the variety of artists that you
air particularly if you re trying to drive up capable devices.
represent? The high quality of their research and work but primarily the passion of artists such as
to your hotel to drop off your luggage (for- Post office (Piazza dei Priori)
Daniel Buren, Anish Kapoor, Ilya Kabakov, Mona Hatoum to exhibit in such eccentric galleries!
get it). Where San Gimignano has its towers, Tourist office (%0588 8 72 57; www.volterratur.it;
Volterra has its modest archaeological sites, Piazza dei Priori 19-20; h10am-1pm & 2-6pm) Offers
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
CENTRAL TUSCANY
262 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Vol terra l onel ypl anet. com Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Vol terra 263
a free hotel-booking service and rents out a good town for its collection of ecclesiastical vestments, figure that would fit harmoniously in any
COMBINED TICKETS
audio guide (Ź 5). gold reliquaries and works by Andrea della museum of modern art, and the urn of the
An Ź 8 ticket covers visits to the Museo
Robbia and Rosso Fiorentino. Sposi, a terracotta rendering of an elderly
Etrusco Guarnacci, the Pinacoteca Comu-
Sights The Pinacoteca Comunale (%0588 8 75 80; Via couple, their wrinkled features depicted in
nale and the Museo Diocesano d Arte
PIAZZA DEI PRIORI & AROUND dei Sarti 1; h9am-7pm mid-Mar Oct, 8.30am-1.45pm portrait fashion rather than the usual stylised
Sacra. A similar Ź 2 ticket allows entry to
Piazza dei Priori is ringed by austere medieval Nov mid-Mar), in the Palazzo Minucci Solaini, manner.
both the Roman theatre and the seriously
mansions. The 13th-century Palazzo dei Priori houses a modest collection of local, Sienese
(Piazza dei Priori; admission Ź 1; h10.30am-5.30pm mid- dilapidated Etruscan necropolis within the
and Florentine art. A scholarly highlight is FORTEZZA MEDICEA & PARCO
Mar Oct, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun Nov mid-Mar), the old- Parco Archeologico.
Rosso Fiorentino s Deposition, due to its ARCHEOLOGICO
est seat of local government in Tuscany, is emotional content and similarities with the The 14th-century Fortezza Medicea, later altered
believed to have been a model for Florence s works of Goya. It is considered Fiorentino s by Lorenzo Il Magnifico, is nowadays a prison
Palazzo Vecchio. Highlights are a fresco of the away in the oratory at the beginning of the masterpiece, straddling late-Renaissance and (admission one felony).
Crucifixion by Piero Francesco Fiorentino on north aisle. An exquisite 15th-century alabas- Mannerism. To its west is the pleasant Parco Archeologico
the staircase, the magnificent cross-vaulted ter tabernacle by Mino da Fiesole rises above (h8.30am-8pm May-Sep, to-5pm Oct-Apr), site of the
council hall and a small antechamber on the the high altar. Laterally and overhead, the ECOMUSEO DELL ALABASTRO ancient Acropolis (open 10.30am to 5.30pm
1st floor giving a bird s-eye view of the piazza black-and-white marble banding and Renais- As befits a town that has hewn the precious mid-March to October). Little of archaeo-
below. sance coffered ceiling, gilded and gleaming, rock from nearby quarries since Etruscan logical interest has survived, apart from a few
The Palazzo Pretorio is from the same era. both make their mark. times, Volterra has its own alabaster museum battered Etruscan tombs, but the park has
From it thrusts the Torre del Porcellino (Piglet s Just west of the cathedral is the 13th- (%0588 8 75 80; Via dei Sarti 1; admission Ź 3; h11am- swings and things for kids, and it s a good
Tower), so named because of the wild boar century baptistry with a small marble font by 5pm mid-Mar Oct, 9am-1.30pm Sat & Sun Nov mid-Mar), place for a picnic.
protruding from its upper section. Andrea Sansovino. On the west side of Pi- which shares the same building as the Pi-
The cathedral (Piazza San Giovanni; h8am-12.30pm azza San Giovanni, the porticoed Ospedale di nacoteca. On the ground floor are contem- OTHER SIGHTS
& 3-6pm) was built in the 12th and 13th centu- Santa Maria Maddalena was once a foundlings porary creations, including a finely chiselled On the city s northern edge is a Roman theatre
ries. Highlights include a small fresco, the hospital. Nearby, the Museo Diocesano d Arte mandolin and a bizarre fried egg, while on the (h10.30am-5.30pm mid-Mar Oct, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun
Procession of the Magi by Benozzo Gozzoli, Sacra (%0588 8 62 90; Via Roma 1; h9am-1pm & 3-6pm two upper floors are choice examples from Nov mid-Mar), a well-preserved complex, com-
behind a terracotta nativity group tucked mid-Mar Oct, 9am-1pm Nov mid-Mar) merits a peek Etruscan times onwards and a re-created arti- plete with a Roman bath house.
san s workshop. From the top-floor windows, Le Balze, a deep, eroded limestone ravine
0 400 m there are gorgeous views of the surrounding about 2km northwest of the city centre, has
VOLTERRA
0 0.2 miles
countryside. claimed several churches since the Middle
To Le Balze
AC D
B
Ages as the buildings tumbled into its deep
(1.5km);
Camping
INFORMATION Fortezza Medicea..........6 C3 Torre del Porcellino...(see 11) Pizzeria da Nanni...........22 B2 MUSEO ETRUSCO GUARNACCI gullies. A 14th-century monastery, perched
Le Balze
(1.5km) Enjoy Caf.....................1 B3 Museo Diocesano d Arte Ristorante Don Beta.......23 B3
In terms of content, this museum (%0588 8 63 near the precipice, seems perilously close to
Post Office.....................2 B2 Sacra..........................7 B3 SLEEPING Trattoria del Sacco
Tourist Office................3 B2 Museo Etrusco Albergo Etruria............15 C3 Fiorentino..................24 C3 47; Via Don Minzoni 15; adult/student Ź 8/5; h9am-7pm continuing the tradition. To get there, head
1
Guarnacci..................8 D3 Albergo Nazionale.......16 B3 Trattoria Il Poggio..........25 B3
mid-Mar Oct, 8.30am-1.45pm Nov mid-Mar) is one of out through Porta San Francesco, the city s
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Ospedale di Santa Maria Appartamenti L'Etrusca..17 B3
Baptistry........................4 B3 Maddalena................9 B3 Hotel La Locanda........18 C2 DRINKING
Italy s finest Etruscan museums. Much of northwestern gate, along Via San Lino and
Cathedral.......................5 B3 Palazzo dei Priori..........10 B3 Seminario di Quovadis.......................26 B2
the collection is displayed in the old-style follow its continuation, Borgo Santo Stefano,
Ecomuseo Palazzo Pretorio...........11 B2 Sant'Andrea............ 19 D2 Web & Wine.................27 B3
dell Alabastro........(see 13) Parco Archeologico &
didactic manner badly labelled, mostly in then Borgo San Giusto.
Playground..............12 C3 EATING TRANSPORT
To Albergo Villa
Italian, and stuffy though some exhibits on
Pinacoteca Comunale..13 B2 Il Porcellino..................20 B2 Bus Terminal..................28 B3
Nencini (200m)
Roman Theatre............14 B2 Osteria dei Poeti..........21 B2 Underground Car Park..(see 28)
Porta San the upper levels have been artfully enriched. Festivals & Events
Francesco
Viale Francesco Ferrucci
19
The multilingual audio guide (Ź 3) is worth the On the third and fourth Sundays of August,
Porta
investment for much-needed descriptions and the citizens of Volterra roll back the calendar
Florentina
2 to boost the overall pep factor. some 600 years, take to the streets in period
18
14
Via Lungo
26
Le Mura del
All exhibits were unearthed locally. They costume and celebrate Volterra A.D. 1398 with
Porta
Mandorlo Via delle
Piazza
13
San Felice
Prigioni
San Michele include a vast collection of some 600 funer- gusto and all the fun of a medieval fayre.
Piazza Via
dei Priori Porta di
22
2 11
H H
ary urns carved mainly from alabaster and
Docciola
20 21
Via Roma
3 tufa and displayed according to subject and Sleeping
Porta
Marcoli
Piazza San 7 23
10
5
period. The tiny casket-shaped urns typically Camping Le Balze (%0588 8 78 80; Via di Mandringa
15
Giovanni
4
Via dei
9
Piazza XX have human figures lying in repose on the 15; per car/tent/person Ź 3/7/8; hEaster-Oct; s) The
25 Marchesi
16 Settembre
1
top with a scene captured on the front, often closest camp site to town, has a pool, new
24 Via del
27 Poggetto
28 8
military in theme. Be selective; they all start to bathrooms and sits right on Le Balze. Buses
17 12
Piazza Martiri
3 look the same after a while. The best examples depart for Piazza Martiri every hour.
Parco
H H
H H H
H H H H
della Libertą
Porta Archeologico
all'Arco (those dating from later periods) are on the Seminario di Sant Andrea (%0588 8 60 28; semv
6
To Park Hotel 2nd and 3rd floors. escovile@diocesivolterra.it; Viale Vittorio Veneto 2; d Ź 36, d
Porta
Le Fonti (400m);
a Selci
Saline di Volterra Original touches are the Ombra della Sera with shared bathroom Ź 28; p) Still an active church
(10km); Osteria Il Ponte To Agriturismo San
San Lorenzo (13km) Lorenzo (3km)
bronze ex voto, a strange, elongated nude retreat, this is a peaceful, if a mite dilapidated,
H H
H H H
H H H H
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
CENTRAL TUSCANY
Strada
Provinciale
Pisana
Viale Vittorio Veneto
Via
Via Gu
San Lino
arnacci
Via Franceschini
Via S Felice
Via
dei Sarti
Ricciarelli
Via di
Via Gramsci
Sotto
atteotti
M
Viale Trento e Trieste
Via Giacomo
Via Turazza
Arco
all'
Via Porta
Via Don
Via di Castello
Minzoni
Via
Mazzini SS68
Viale
Garibaldi
Viale dei Ponti
264 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " Vol terra l onel ypl anet. com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " South Of Vol terra 265
Hotel La Locanda (%0588 8 15 47; www.hotel- with asparagus and ham in a parmesan cream Getting There & Away
VOLTERRA BY DAY, FROGS &
lalocanda.com; Via Guarnacci 24-28; s Ź 70-92, d Ź 85-115; a) sauce. The tourist office carries bus and train time-
SALAMANDERS BY NIGHT
This is well worth flexing your credit card for. Trattoria del Sacco Fiorentino (%0588 8 85 37; tables.
oAgriturismi San Lorenzo (%0588 In a former nunnery, there is nothing austere Piazza XX Settembre 18; meals Ź 28-32, menł degustazione Ź 23-
3 90 80; www.agriturismosanlorenzo.it; B&B d Ź 85,
about its classy rooms, most with a choice of 30;
hThu-Tue) A great little vaulted trattoria that BUS
apt without breakfast Ź 90-110; s) This giddy- massage shower or whirlpool. A suite with serves up imaginative dishes with a happy se- The bus terminal is on Piazza Martiri della
ing fusion of sustainable tourism, country- sauna will cost you a cool Ź 250 and a handi- lection of local wines. Try the piccione al vino Libertą. CPT (%0588 8 61 86) buses connect
side vistas, mod cons and wonderful food
capped-equipped double is Ź 80 to Ź 105. santo e radicchio rosso (pigeon baked with red the town with Saline (Ź 1.70, 20 minutes,
is an easy 3km outside Volterra on the road
Park Hotel Le Fonti (%0588 8 52 19; www.park radicchio and holy wine) or the mouthwater- frequent) and its train station. From Saline,
to Siena. See our special agriturismi section
hotellefonti.com; Via Fontecorrenti 8; s Ź 85-125, d Ź 110-165; ing gnocchi with baby veg. 9km southwest, there are bus connections
for more detail (p316 ).
Abundant mod cons punctuate Osteria dei Poeti (%0588 8 60 29; Via Giacomo Matte- for Pisa (direct Ź 4.80, two hours, or change
pis)
this four-star option, about 15 minutes walk otti 55; meals Ź 30, tourist menus Ź 12; hFri-Wed) Get here at Pontedera Ź 3.35) and Cecina (Ź 3.35), to
from the centre. Money that might have gone right at midday, before the business lunch- where there s also a train link. Buy tickets in
place with vaulted ceilings and 20 large, clean to making the rooms a bit fancier has been ers fill the last seat. Equally hectic at dinner, the tabacchi shops, as buying on the bus is
rooms. Open to all comers, it s a mere 600m lavished all over the public areas, with classy typical Tuscan fare is served to a backdrop of more expensive.
or so from Piazza dei Priori, has free park- furniture, plants, art, wi-fi and diversions pleasing mellow brickwork and golden arches. For San Gimignano (Ź 4.35, 1 hours),
ing and makes an excellent budget choice. such as the alabaster chessboard. The onsite The antipasto del poeta, a rich assortment of Siena (Ź 4.50, 1 hours) and Florence (Ź 7, two
Breakfast is Ź 3. restaurant (meals Ź 45) is an all-swank affair canaps, cheeses and cold cuts, is an unex- hours), change at Colle di Val d Elsa (Ź 2.40, 50
Albergo Villa Nencini (%0588 8 63 86; www.villa with 200 types of wine. pected delight, and the veal is a juicy good minutes), to where there are four runs daily
nencini.it; Borgo Santo Stefano 55; s Ź 60, d Ź 68-83, all incl value. Wine pours are generous, possibly to from Volterra, except on Sunday. The rare, di-
breakfast; ps) This is a tranquil family hotel, Eating dull the sting of the frosty service. rect run to Florence from Volterra is Ź 7.10.
a mere 200m beyond Porta San Francesco yet Pizzeria da Nanni (%0588 8 40 47; Via delle Pregioni 40; Ristorante Don Beta (%0588 8 67 30; Other buses head south in the direction of
o
a world away from the town s summer bustle. pizzas Ź 5.80-7.50; hMon-Sat) This is a hole-in-the- Via Giacomo Matteotti 39; meals Ź 30-35, menus Ź 13-18; Massa Marittima but only go as far as Poma-
Choose the original 17th-century mansion wall-plus the plus being the excellent piz- With four truffle-based rance (Ź 2.30, 12 daily) and Castelnuovo di
hclosed Mon Oct-Apr)
or the recently constructed new wing. The zas that Nanni spatulas from his oven, while primi piatti, and five secondi enhanced by Valle di Cecina (Ź 3.40, 10 daily).
grounds are shady, the views across the valley sustaining a vivid line of backchat, notably their fragrance, this is the place to sample
are magnificent and, with access to its restau- with his long-suffering wife. the prized fungus, which abounds in so CAR & MOTORCYCLE
rant and impressive collection of wines, you re Il Porcellino (%0588 8 63 92; Via delle Prigioni 10; far as it abounds anywhere in the woods By car, take the SS68, which runs between
fully self-sufficient. meals Ź 22-26; hWed-Mon) Despite its dangerous around Volterra. Do check on the prices first, Cecina and Colle di Val d Elsa. A couple of
Appartamenti L Etrusca (%0588 8 40 73; proximity to Piazza dei Priori and its tourist though they are generally reasonable. Alter- back routes to San Gimignano are signposted
letrusca@libero.it; Via Porta all Arco 37-41; apt for 1/2/3 persons beacon, postersized menu, this place dishes natively, choose the local ciandoli alle noci, north off the SS68.
Ź 40/70/80) Unlike most such rental companies, out decent meals at very reasonable prices. little, spring-shaped whorls of curly pasta in Driving and parking inside the walled town
this place is happy to take you in for even a The menu includes game dishes, seafood and a walnut sauce. are more or less prohibited. Park in one of the
single night. The exterior of this late Renais- some surprises, like boar with olives. A variety designated parking areas around the circum-
sance building gives no hint of all the mod of set menus go for Ź 13 to Ź 23. Drinking ference, most of which are free. There s a four-
cons within. Osteria Il Ponte San Lorenzo (%0588 4 41 60; Web & Wine (%0588 8 15 31; Via Porta all Arco 11-13; level paying underground car park beneath
Albergo Nazionale (%0588 8 62 84; www.hotelna Via Massetana, San Lorenzo; pizzas from Ź 4.50, meals Ź 24; Piazza Martiri della Libertą.
h8.30am-1am Mar-Jan, closed Thu) This is one of
zionale-volterra.com; Via dei Marchesi 11; s Ź 59, d Ź 78-83, tr those splendid places that defy guidebook
hWed-Mon) Around 15km out of town, you
Ź 94-98, all incl buffet breakfast) DH Lawrence once can get superb, home-style cooking and am- characterisation. It s at once internet point TRAIN
stayed in this late-19th-century hotel. Rooms bitious set menus (Ź 25 to Ź 40) at this rustic (web access per hour Ź 4), a stylish enoteca From the small train station in Saline, you
vary in size and style and some have balconies; restaurant. Take the SS439 road south, head- (with a good selection of tipples), a snack can catch a train to Cecina on the coast and
Room 403, with a pair of them, is your best ing towards Pomarance. About 3km beyond stop and a hip designer caf (it s not every change to the Rome Pisa line.
option. Meals in its summertime restaurant Saline di Volterra you enter San Lorenzo; the day you step across a glass floor, revealing
are simple, solid and uncomplicated; the re- osteria is the highlight of this tiny, blink-and- under-lit Etruscan remains and a 5m-deep SOUTH OF VOLTERRA
ception desk betrays the same qualities. you ll-miss-it village. They have a few rooms Renaissance grain silo). Surf your way If you have a car and want to head for Massa
Albergo Etruria (%0588 8 73 77; www (singles/doubles Ź 35/60, includes breakfast) if through a creamy cappuccino while check- Marittima (a worthwhile objective see
o
.albergoetruria.it; Via Giacomo Matteotti 32; s Ź 60-70, d Ź 80- you re too bloated to drive back to Volterra. ing your in-box. p282), the ride south from Volterra is very
90, all incl breakfast; i) This is a good value, cosy Trattoria il Poggio (%0588 8 52 57; Via Porta all Arco Quovadis (%0588 8 00 33; Via Lungo Le Mura del scenic.
hotel, realised by two friendly English-speak- 7; meals Ź 28; hWed-Mon) A popular restaurant Mandorlo 18) If you can t survive without a shot The SS68 drops away to the southwest
ing ladies. There s a self-catering kitchen and, where the cheery waitresses bustle around and of the dark nectar, this is the only place for from Volterra towards Cecina. At Saline di
of all things, an ice machine! Look for the find time to chat with the regulars between miles around where you can get draught Volterra, the SS439 intersects the SS68 on its
remains of an Etruscan wall upstairs and sa- dashes to the electric dumbwaiter raising Guinness (pint Ź 5). The garden is pleasant way from Lucca, south towards Massa Marit-
vour the fine views from the roof garden a food from the subterranean kitchen. There s on hot summer nights and rumour has it tima. Saline di Volterra takes its name from the
genuine garden with lawns and bushes. The a good set menu, an outdoor terrace and rich there s even an Irish owner somewhere in nearby salt mines; a source of wealth in the
hotel is closed in January. dishes such as scampi and rocket, or ravioli the background. 19th century.
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
CENTRAL TUSCANY
266 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " South Of Si ena Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " South Of Si ena 267
0 200 m
The lunar-landscape ride south passes Tourist office (%0577 84 93 31; www.prolocomon
MONTALCINO
0 0.1 miles
through Pomarance, an industrial town. To the talcino.it in Italian; Costa del Municipio 1; h10am-1pm
AC D
B
south, take the hilly road for Larderello, Italy s & 2-5.40pm)
Porta
Bureli
most important boric acid producer. The road EATING
Osteria Il Giardino................12 B2
out of here winds its way south to Massa. SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Osteria Les Barriques............13 B3
Osteria Porta al Cassero......14 C4
If you purchase a combined ticket (Ź 6), it 1
Re di Macchia......................15 C3
SOUTH OF SIENA will give you entry to Montalcino s principal 8
Taverna Il Grappolo Blue......16 B2
You may already have had a taste of the gentle, sights, the fortezza and the Museo Civico e Piazza
Cavour DRINKING
seductively undulating countryside of Le Crete. Diocesano d Arte Sacra.
Alle Logge di Piazza.............17 C3
21
Bar Circolo Arci....................18 B3
For a while, similar countryside persists as you The fortezza (%0577 84 92 11; Piazzale Fortezza;
Enoteca La Fortezza di
roam south amid the classic Tuscan landscape courtyard free, ramparts adult/child Ź 3.50/1.50; h9am-8pm 11 12
Montalcino......................19 C4
Fiaschetteria.........................20 B3
of rolling hills of hay topped with a huddle of Apr-Oct, 10am-6pm Nov-Mar), an imposing 14th-
cypress trees. Gradually the landscape gives century fortress that was later expanded TRANSPORT
H H
Bus Terminal......................... B1
21
way to more unruly territory. This part of the under the Medici dukes, dominates the town
1
2
province offers everything: the haughty hill- from a high point at its southern end. You
top medieval wine centres of Montalcino and can sample and buy local wines in the enoteca
16
Montepulciano; hot sulphurous baths in spa (p268) inside and also climb up to the fort s
towns such as Bagno Vignoni; the Romanesque ramparts (though the view is almost as mag-
splendour of the Abbazia di Sant Antimo; and nificent from the courtyard). Buy a ticket
the Renaissance grace of Pienza, an early ex- at the bar. Piazza del
13
Popolo
ample of idealised town planning. The Museo Civico e Diocesano d Arte Sacra 17
20
(%0577 84 60 14; Via Ricasoli 31; adult/child Ź 4.50/3;
4 3
Montalcino
h10am-1pm & 2-5.50pm Tue-Sun), in the former con-
3
pop 5100 vent of the neighbouring Chiesa di Sant Agostino,
Piazza
5
9
Garibaldi
Formerly known as the Republic of Siena contains an important collection of religious
7
18
2 15
INFORMATION
in Montalcino , the last wily holdout against art from the town and surrounding region.
Essepi Informatica..................1 B2
Florence, even after Siena had fallen, these Jewels include a triptych by Duccio di Buon-
Friday Market.........................2 B3
Tourist Office........................3 C3
days Montalcino is a retiring hill town over- insegna and a Madonna with Child by Simone
14
looking the Orcia valley. While this is a per- Martini. Other artists represented include the
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Piazzale
Cathedral...............................4 A3
fectly nice place to wander and bulk up your Lorenzetti brothers, Giovanni di Paolo and Fortezza
Chiesa di Sant Agostino.........5 B3
10
calf muscles while climbing inhumanly steep Sano di Pietro and the museum has a fine
Fortezza.................................6 C4
6
Museo Civico e Diocesano
streets , the real attraction is its internation- collection of painted wooden sculptures by 19
H
d Arte Sacra.......................7 B3
4 Porta
ally coveted wine, Brunello (see the boxed text, the Sienese school.
Cerbaia
SLEEPING
p258). You can also savour unpedigreed, more The cathedral, alas, is an ugly 19th-century
Hotel dei Capitani................... B1
8
modest but very palatable local reds such as neoclassical travesty of what was once a fine Hotel Il Giglio.........................9 C3
Porta al
Hotel Vecchia Oliviera.........10 D4
Rosso di Montalcino. Romanesque church. Cassero
Il Giardino............................11 B2
To Siena (19km)
Plenty of enoteche around town allow you If you want to visit vineyards in the Montal-
to taste and buy Brunello (a bottle costs a cino area, the tourist office can provide you
minimum of Ź 20; we did say it was special!) with a list of 183 producers (many smaller friendly, two-star hotel overlooking Piazza view, so take a look first. There s a pretty ter-
and restaurant servers will impetuously as- ones have little more than a hectare or two of Cavour. race with a pool to splash around in.
sume you mean Brunello when you ask for a land). It can also advise on which vineyards Hotel Il Giglio (%0577 84 81 67; www.gigliohotel Hotel Vecchia Oliviera (%0577 84 60 28; www.vec
glass of red , because why else would you be are open to the public and those that have an .com; Via Soccorso Saloni 5; s/d/tr Ź 70/100/115, annexe s/d chiaoliviera.com; Angolo Via Landi 1; d incl breakfast Ź 150-175;
in Montalcino? Glasses start at Ź 5, while a bot- English speaker to help you. Ź 50/70, apt 2-4 people Ź 90-110; Montalcino s
p) pais) Just beside the Porta Cerbaia,
tle from an excellent year comes with a price If you re a jazz-loving oenophile, you ll sa- oldest hotel, recently and substantially reno- this is a former olive mill, tastefully restored
tag of well over the Ź 105 mark. Beware rash, vour the annual Jazz & Wine festival, held in the vated, is another family concern. Rooms have with earthy colours and terracotta tiles. Tran-
dismissive ordering of any Brunello; a bottle second and third weeks of July and attracting comfortable wrought-iron beds each gilded quil it s at the very limit of the town each of
from the 1940s (Ź 5000) will double the price of national and international acts. with a painted giglio (lily) and all doubles its rooms is individually decorated. The back
your month in Tuscany with the pop of a cork. There s a vigorous Friday market on and have panoramic views. Il Giglio also has a patio has stunning views. Wi-fi costs extra.
There s no need to labour over prices however, around Via della Libertą. small annexe just up the street and a couple of
as all Brunello is made to strict standards and apartments. Room 1 has an enormous terrace EATING
any bottle will invariably be memorable. SLEEPING that comes at no extra cost. Osteria Porta al Cassero (%0577 84 71 96; Via Ricasoli
Both Il Giardino and Il Giglio have restaurants Hotel dei Capitani (%0577 84 72 27; www.deicapitani 32; meals Ź 24;
hThu-Tue) A simple place selling
INFORMATION that are well worth a visit. .it; Via Lapini 6; s/d incl breakfast Ź 100/115; ais) Set hearty peasant-style fare such as bean and
Essepi Informatica (%0577 84 61 05; Via Mazzini 30; Il Giardino (%/fax 0577 84 82 57; Piazza Cavour 4; s in a 15th-century building, rooms vary greatly, vegetable soup, and Tuscan pork sausage with
per hr Ź 6) Head here for internet access. Ź 40-53, d Ź 53) An excellent-value, family-run, ranging from superspacious to small with a white beans.
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
CENTRAL TUSCANY
Via Lapini
Via Padelletti
Lapini
Via
Via Delle Scuole
Via Castellana
Viale Roma
Via Cialdini
asd
Via Mazzini
Via Santa Lucia
Moglio
Via del Pino
Via Moglio
Scale di Via
Via Spagni
Viale Piero
Costa Spagni
Strozzi
Costa
Via M
del Municipio
Via Spagni
atteotti
Via Donnoli
Via Bandi
Via Ricasoli
Via Soccorso Saloni
Via Panfilo
Via della Libertą
Angolo Via Landi
Via Panfilo
dell'Oca
Via A Moro
Via del Poggiolo
268 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " South Of Si ena l onel ypl anet. com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " South Of Si ena 269
fort itself, this enoteca is perfect for trying out The exterior, built in pale travertine stone,
JENA PATTERSON
one of countless varieties of Brunello, buying a is simple but for the stone carvings, which
Born and raised abroad, American Jena Patterson has made Montalcino, home since 2001. A impas-
bottle and/or climbing up onto the ramparts. include various fantastical animals, set in the
sioned Brunello educator/promoter, she has worked for producer Ciacci Piccolomini d Aragona,
It also puts on informal tastings, accompanied bell tower and apsidal chapels. Inside study
wine shop Enoteca La Fortezza and is currently with wine estate Poggio Antico.
by delectable nibbles. the capitals of the columns lining the nave,
How long have you been living in Italy and why Montalcino? I had been working in the res-
Fiaschetteria (Piazza del Popolo 6) A fine tiled old especially the one representing Daniel in the
taurant business in New York and realised that it was the wine part of my job that really excited
caf full of crusty locals, this is the perfect lion s den (second on the right as you enter).
me. On a vacation with my sisters to Tuscany we had planned to visit great wine country but
place for putting the world to rights over a Below it is a particularly intense polychrome
were torn between the Vino Nobile of Montepulciano and the Brunello of Montalcino. In the
bottle of wine. 13th-century Madonna and Child and there s
end, having met a Montalcino producer at a wine tasting at the restaurant, I came to visit his
Alle Logge di Piazza (Piazza del Popolo 1; hclosed a haunting 12th-century Christ on the Cross
estate and was offered a job.
Wed Sep-Mar & all Jan) Across the square, this is above the main altar.
Where did you come from and was the transition to Italy difficult? While I am American by
brighter and more consciously modern. Wine Concerts are sometimes held here as part of
passport, I was born and raised overseas due to my father s work. I consider New York City my
selection changes constantly, while the light Siena s Estate Musicale Chigiana (see p246).
home back home as it s where I lived last and where I still have family. My love affair with this
menu doesn t. Staff shake cocktails something Locanda Sant Antimo (%0577 83 56 15; www.lo
place has endured many things including cultural blunders and professional mishaps due to hav-
fierce; the choice is almost as long as the wine candasantantimo.it; Via Bassomondo 8; meals Ź 14-18), less
ing been raised with a different set of standards and values. The inequality of the sexes both in
list. Happy hour is 7pm to 9pm. than 1km away at Castelnuovo dell Abate,
the workplace and at home perseveres in this remote part of Tuscany. The first two years were
Bar Circolo Arci (Via Ricasoli 2) Defying the local serves solid traditional cooking. A three-
particularly trying because of difficulties with the language, which at best was very good for a
enoteche trend, this is a run-of-the-mill bar, course, fixed menu with wine and coffee is a
tourist but not for a working professional.
complete with pool table, where local pension- mere Ź 15. Should you wish to catch the early
How much wine do you drink in an average week? Be honest. First, we must distinguish
ers play cards and shamelessly flirt with the morning light over the abbey, there are four
between tasting wine for work (spitting it out) and drinking wine for pleasure. In an average
lovely staff. Housed within 16th-century Pal- rooms (single/double Ź 50/70).
work day I taste/spit about a glass worth of various wines. In an average week of dining with
azzo Pieri, it has a lovely cobbled courtyard. Agriturismo Aiole (%0577 88 74 54; www.agritur
friends, 90% of whom are in the wine business, I probably drink about two to three bottles of
ismo-aiole.com; Strada Provinciale 22 della Grossola; d/tr
wine. One thing s for sure though, for me and many in this profession, after a long day of tast-
GETTING THERE & AWAY incl breakfast Ź 70/90; s), 8km southeast of the
ings and talking about wine all you really want is a nice cold beer.
The bus terminal is on Piazza Cavour. Regular abbey and 900m down a signed dirt road,
How do you respond to people who say Wow, you re living my dream! My answer is this:
Tra-in buses run to/from Siena (Ź 3.20, 1 is a fabulous place to stop for one day or
be careful about moving to your paradise. Once you do, it will no longer be your paradise. It
hours, six daily). five. Family-friendly, it s in a restored 19th-
can certainly be an improvement on your quality of life for the natural beauty, art, food, wine,
century farmhouse with knockout views, a
the space and atmosphere for cultivating close relationships& the general rhythm of the Italian
Abbazia di Sant Antimo pool and a children s playground. There s a
way of life. It s a wonderful place to live, it s home, but unless you have some place to go back
This beautiful isolated Romanesque church kitchen available for groups or save yourself
to, Tuscany will no longer be your getaway.
(%0577 83 56 59; admission free; h10.30am-12.30pm the bother and enjoy your hostess s dinner
Florence or Siena? Grosseto! OK, it might lack culturally compared to the art centres of Tuscany
& 3-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 9am-10.30am & 3-6pm Sun) is (Ź 25, reserve in advance).
but it s got better shopping for my budget and it s less touristy.
best visited in the morning, when the sun, Three buses a day run from Montalcino
What single word best describes the Tuscan lifestyle? Passion.
streaming through the east windows, cre- (Ź 1.20) to Castelnuovo dell Abate, from where
ates an almost surreal atmosphere. At night it s a short walk to the church.
too, it s impressive, lit up like a beacon. Set You may want to consider an alterna-
Taverna Il Grappolo Blu (%0577 84 71 50; restaurant. If you don t fancy a full meal, the in a broad valley, just below the village of tive lunch or dinner excursion west from
o
Scale di Via Moglio 1; meals Ź 28) Does ingenious things menu includes bruschetta, crostini (toasted Castelnuovo dell Abate, its architecture is clearly Castelnuovo dell Abate along a dirt road to
with local ingredients try the juicy coniglio al bread brushed with olive oil) and at least five influenced by northern European versions of Sant Angelo in Colle. The views from the village
Brunello (rabbit cooked in Brunello wine). We different salads. Romanesque architecture, especially that of are wonderful. You can eat excellent home-
did. And we still remember that evening fondly. Re di Macchia (%0577 84 61 16; Via Soccorso Saloni the Cistercians. cooked food at Trattoria Il Pozzo (%0577 84 40 15;
Non-Brunello-enriched options are scant 21; meals Ź 32, menus Ź 19; hFri-Wed) This is a very Tradition tells that Charlemagne founded meals Ź 22), in the middle of Sant Angelo, just
which may be local law so save your server the agreeable small restaurant run by an enter- the original monastery here in 781. In sub- off the square.
disquiet and just stick with the theme. prising young couple. Roberta selects the sequent centuries, the Benedictine monks
Osteria Il Giardino (%0577 84 90 76; Piazza Cavour freshest of ingredients and the wine cellar is became among the most powerful feudal land- San Quirico d Orcia
1; meals Ź 30; Wed) All light wood and impressive; to sample a variety, try Antonio s lords in southern Tuscany, until they came Fortified. Compact. Medieval. San Quirico
hclosed
arches, this place has a good selection of tra- personal selection of four wines (Ź 15), each to into conflict with Siena in the 13th century. has the usual Tuscan adjectives and few
ditional dishes, including risotto al radicchio accompany a course. Until the mid-1990s, the church and abbey singular attractions, unless a tranquil, good-
rosso, Brunello e pecorino (risotto with red lay pretty much abandoned. Then a body of value stopover sounds attractive, in which
chicory, Brunello wine and pecorino cheese) DRINKING monks moved in and supervised restoration case you ve got yourself a winner. A one-time
and wild boar. We make no apologies for the disproportion- work. There are regular daily prayers and pilgrim pitstop on the Via Francigena, it s
Osteria Les Barriques (%0577 84 84 11; Piazza del ate number of recommended drinking dens Mass in the church, which are open to the now an atypical stopover, just off the SS2 at a
Popolo 20-22; meals Ź 30-34) Beyond the impulse-buy in this very wine-oriented town! public. This is a worthwhile exercise as the crossroads between Montalcino and Pienza.
enoteca, lined floor to ceiling with a dizzying Enoteca La Fortezza di Montalcino (%0577 84 92 monks sing Gregorian chants. If you can t Its Romanesque Collegiata is notable for its
selection of bottles, is a newly minted, full 11; Piazzale Fortezza; wine by the glass from Ź 4) Within the make it, they can sell you the CD. unusual three doorways, decorated with
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
CENTRAL TUSCANY
270 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " South Of Si ena l onel ypl anet. com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " South Of Si ena 271
bizarre stone carvings. Inside is a triptych by Inside Bar Centrale (Piazza della Libertą 6) the
THE NOTORIOUS P-I-U-S
Sano di Pietro. local menfolk play cards and knock back
Just off Piazza della Libertą, the main grappa, while the outside terrace is more Let s be honest, there s been a lot of popes over time and not all of them have been news-
square, the Horti Leononi are lovely formal popular with the younger ice-cream-and- worthy, or even popeworthy for that matter. Pope Pius II (1405 64) was both. Born Enea Silvio
Italian Renaissance gardens with clipped and cola set. Piccolomini, the man was everywhere, evidenced by how many times we drop his name in this
cropped geometrical boxwood hedges. There s a magnificent small cheese shop (Via chapter alone. He was a tireless traveller, writer of erotic and comic stories, poet laureate, diplo-
The tourist office (%0577 89 72 11; www.comune Dante Alighieri 113b), an outlet for the Fattoria Pi- mat, bishop, exhaustive autobiographer (13 volumes!) and medieval urban-planning trend-setter.
sanquirico.it in Italian; Via Dante Alighieri 33a; h10am-1pm anporcino cheesemakers, where you can pick And most of that occurred before he was even pope! His early faults in life being no secret,
& 3-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm & 2-5pm Sat & Sun Easter-Dec) up the renowned pecorino di Pienza and other that he redressed his motivations and developed into such a distinguished and likable leader
also acts as the information office for the richly aromaed delights. is particularly estimable. Noted above all for being human , an elusive papacy trait apparently,
Parco Artistico Naturale e Culturale della he s also remembered for his tireless diplomacy, even in the face of uncooperative leaders and
Val d Orcia. Bagno Vignoni insurmountable odds.
The harmonious Val d Orcia, a land of About 5km from San Quirico along the SS2
flat, chalky plains and gentle conical hills, towards Rome, this tiny spa town dates back
is the latest Italian area to be declared a to Roman times and was later a popular over- to a bridge and a set of hot tumbling cascades The square was designed by Bernardo Ros-
Unesco World Heritage Site. The equally night stop for pilgrims eager to soothe weary where you can enjoy a relaxing soak. It s a sellino, who left nothing to chance. The space
recent Parco Artistico Naturale e Culturale della limbs. The hot sulphurous water bubbles up pleasant if slightly whiffy spot for a picnic available to him was limited so, to increase the
Val d Orcia (www.parcodellavaldorcia.com), with its into a picturesque pool, built by the Medicis and best in winter, when the hotel s closed sense of perspective and dignity of the great
headquarters located in San Quirico d Orcia, and surrounded by mellow stone buildings. and the water pressure greater. edifices that would grace the square, he set the
protects this legacy. Some 36 springs cook at up to 51C and col- Palazzo Borgia and Palazzo Piccolomini off at
Affittacamere L Orcia (%0577 89 76 77; Via Dante lect in the pool, although in winter the water Pienza angles to the cathedral.
Alighieri 49; s/d Ź 30/50), right in the centre of town, is considerably cooler. pop 2230 The cathedral (h8.30am-1pm & 2.15-7pm) was
has a pleasantly old-fashioned Spartan feel You can t dunk yourself in the pool. To take If the primary road to Montepulciano didn t built on the site of the Romanesque Chiesa
about it, complete with drapes and religious to the waters, dive into nearby Hotel Posta pass right through town, little Pienza might di Santa Maria, of which little remains. The
pictures. In this case, no-frills also means no Marcucci s open-air Piscina Val di Sole (day ticket not inspire people to take their foot off the Renaissance faade, in travertine stone, is of
one in reception. Call ahead to arrange your adult/child Ź 12/8). accelerator. Fortunately it does, so pull over clear Albertian inspiration.
arrival. You can dip your fingers into the hot-water and take a few hours to absorb its few, but The interior of the building, a strange mix
Alternatively, you can do all-frills for a streams trickling through Il Parco dei Mulini di compelling attractions. Or stay longer and of Gothic and Renaissance, contains a col-
comparative bargain at Palazzo del Capitano Bagno Vignoni, just above the entrance to the benefit from its great-value food and accom- lection of five altarpieces painted by Sienese
(%0577 89 90 28; www.palazzodelcapitano.com; Via Poliziano hotel, and read at length about how the two modation. Self-caterers will love (or loathe) artists of the period, as well as a superb marble
18; d incl breakfast Ź 120-230; pi), in a beautifully vast cubes hewn into the rock were once hold- that virtually all shops here are geared towards tabernacle by Rossellino. The papal bull of
restored army captain s home, dating from ing tanks for water-driven windmills below. connoisseurs cheese, meats and preserves 1462 forbade any changes to the church, so
1400. All rooms are classically and individu- Albergo Le Terme (%0577 88 71 50; www.albergo are top choice and top price. revel in the thought that views are virtually
ally decorated and the huge garden invites leterme.it; s/d Ź 68/116; hclosed Dec; pai) is Urban-planning geeks will get a wicked the same now as they were for visitors in the
sustained repose. sumptuous, with lots of shiny wood and plush buzz from Pienza s Renaissance town blue- Middle Ages.
Trattoria Al Vecchio Forno (%0577 89 73 80; Via fabrics. This 15th-century building (the top print, instigated by Pope Pius II in an effort to Perhaps the most bizarre aspect of the
Piazzola 8; meals Ź 30; hThu-Tue) is a sister venture floors were added in the mid-20th century) jazz up his birthplace. He secured the services building is the state of collapse of the transept
of Palazzo del Capitano, with equal attention was built by Rossellino for Pope Pius II, who of architect Bernardo Rossellino, who applied and apse. Built on dodgy ground, the top end
to quality. Enjoy the intimate dining room used it as a summerhouse. Ask for a room at the principles of his mentor, Leon Battista of the church seems to be breaking off. The
with its mellow brick arches or savour the the front with views of the pool. Meals at their Alberti. The result was the superb Piazza Pio huge cracks in the wall and floor are matched
lovely mature garden. Famed for its roasts new restaurant are Ź 25. II and the surrounding buildings. by the crazy downwards slant of this part of
and grills, it also simmers a mean pollo al Osteria del Leone (%0577 88 73 00; Piazza del Moretto the church floor. Various attempts to prop
Brunello (chicken in a Brunello wine sauce). 28; meals Ź 29; hTue-Sun) is a pleasantly lit rustic INFORMATION it all up have failed to solve the problem, as
Just order the bottle, their glass pours are building with a heavy-beamed ceiling, back a Internet Caf (Via della Balzello 2; per hr Ź 5; h9am- is quite clear from the major cracking in the
light. block from the pool. You can eat solid Tus- 12.30pm & 2.30-7pm) Has internet points and wi-fi. walls and floor.
can country fare, such as coniglio con pere e Tourist office (%0578 74 99 05; Corso Il Rossellino; The Palazzo Piccolomini (%0578 74 85 03; adult/
mandorle tostate (rabbit cooked with pears
h10am-1pm & 3-7pm) Within the Museo Diocesano. child 30-min guided tour Ź 7/5; h10am-12.30pm & 3-6pm
REMOTENESS HAS ITS PRIVILEGES
and almonds). Tue-Sun), to your right as you face the cathe-
SIGHTS dral, was the pope s residence and is consid-
oLe Case (%0577 88 89 83; www.agri
Bagni San Filippo Stand in Piazza Pio II and spin 360 degrees. ered Rossellino s masterpiece. Built on the
turismolecase.com; Strada Provinciale 323; s/d/tr incl
Those who prefer free hot-water frolics could You have just taken in Pienza s major monu- site of former Piccolomini family houses, the
breakfast Ź 40/70/80) Just 1km south of Cas-
press on about 15km south along the SS2 to ments. Gems of the Renaissance and all con- building demonstrates some indebtedness
tiglione d Orcia, this is one the best-value
Bagni San Filippo. Just uphill from Hotel le structed in a mere three years between 1459 on Rossellino s part to Alberti, whose Pal-
agriturismi we ve seen. See our special agri-
Terme, the village s only hotel, follow a sign, and 1462, they re all grouped around Piazza azzo Rucellai in Florence it appears in part
turismi section for more detail (p311 ).
Fosso Bianco , down a lane for about 150m Pio II. to emulate.
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
CENTRAL TUSCANY
272 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " South Of Si ena Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com l onel ypl anet. com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " South Of Si ena 273
0 100 m
GETTING THERE & AWAY southwards from Porta al Prato to the Piazza
PIENZA
0 0.1 miles
Up to six buses run on weekdays between Grande and fortress beyond. The 750m walk
To Montepulciano
(13km)
Siena and Pienza (Ź 3.50, 1ź hours) and nine may leave you breathless but, bordered by
To San Quirico to/from Montepulciano. The bus terminal is the town s finest buildings, it s well worth
d Orca (9.5km) INFORMATION
just off Piazza Dante Alighieri. Buy tickets at the exercise.
11 Internet Caf......................................1 B2
Tourist Office...................................(see 3)
the nearby bar.
INFORMATION
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Cathedral............................................2 B2
Montepulciano Strada del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Informa-
Museo Diocesano...............................3 B2
Piazza
To
Dante Palazzo Borgia..................................(see 3) pop 14,100 tion Office (%0578 71 74 84; www.stradavinonobile
Monticchiello
Alighieri
Palazzo Piccolomini.............................4 B2
6 (5km)
After a day of walking through Montepul- .it; Piazza Grande 7; h10am-1pm & 3-7pm Mon-Sat) Can
SLEEPING ciano, you ll acquire a newfound appreciation book accommodation. Among other activities, it arranges
7
Hotel II Chiostro di Pienza..................5 B2
Piazza
8 for the term hotel restaurant , as any other cooking courses, slow food tours, wine tastings, bike rent-
di Spagna Il Giardino Segreto.............................. B1
6
To Pieve di
5
Oliviera Camere..................................7 B2
Corsignano option will mean climbing another hill. This als and unstrenuous country walks, culminating in lunch.
Chiesa
(100m)
di San
Piazza reclaimed narrow ridge of volcanic rock will Tourist office (%0578 75 73 41; www.prolocomonte
EATING
Francesco
Pio II
9
1 4 3 La Bottega del Naturalista..................8 A2
push your quadriceps to the failure-point. pulciano.it; Piazza Don Minzoni; h9.30am-12.30pm &
10
La Buca delle Fate..............................9 B2
2
When it happens, collapse against a centuries- 3-7pm Easter-Jul, Sep & Oct, 9.30am-8pm Aug, 9.30am-
Trattoria Latte di Luna......................10 C2
old stone wall, drink in the views over the Val- 12.30pm Mon-Sat & 3-6pm Sun Nov-Easter) This large
TRANSPORT
zi
dichiana countryside, then fall into the nearest and friendly resource can reserve accommodation without
Bus Terminal.....................................11 A1
cantina and treat yourself to a generous pour charge. It has internet points (per hour Ź 3.50), sells local
of the highly reputed Vino Nobile. bus and train tickets, and rents bikes and scooters.
Inside is a fine courtyard, from where stairs and apartments here have the added perk of A late-Etruscan fort was the first in a series
lead you up into the papal apartments, now a lovely, enclosed garden. of settlements here. During the Middle Ages, SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
filled with an assortment of period furnish- Hotel Il Chiostro di Pienza (%0578 74 84 00; www it was a constant bone of contention between Most of the main sights are clustered around
ings, minor art and the like. To the rear, a .relaisilchiostrodipienza.com; Corso il Rossellino 26; r incl break- Florence and Siena, until in 1404 Florence Piazza Grande, although the town s streets
three-level loggia offers a spectacular pano- fast Ź 160-290; hclosed Jan mid-Mar; ai) Come won the day. And so the Marzocco, or lion harbour a wealth of palazzi, fine buildings
rama over the Val d Orcia below. here to wallow in luxury and history; it oc- of Florence, came to replace the she-wolf of and churches.
To the left of the cathedral is the Palazzo Bor- cupies the former convent and cloister of the Siena as the city s symbol, atop a column just The Chiesa di Sant Agnese, with its beelike
gia (also known as Palazzo Vescovile), built by adjacent Chiesa di San Francesco. The dcor off Piazza Savonarola. The new administra- banding around the faade, lies just outside
Cardinal Borgia, later Pope Alexander VI, and is refreshingly unfussy and the manicured gar- tion introduced a fresh architectural style as the city walls. The original church was built
containing the Museo Diocesano (%0578 74 99 05; dens have views and definite romantic appeal. Michelozzo, Sangallo il Vecchio and others in the early 14th century but this version was
Corso Il Rossellino 30; adult/child Ź 4.10/2.60; h10am-1pm Access to internet points and wi-fi (common were invited in to do some innovative spring the result of a remake by Antonio da Sangallo
& 3-7pm Wed-Mon mid-Mar Oct, Sat & Sun only Nov mid- areas only) included. cleaning, imparting a fresh wind of Renais- il Vecchio in 1511. He may also have restruc-
Mar), which has an intriguing miscellany of La Buca delle Fate (%0578 74 82 72; Corso Il Rossel- sance vigour to this Gothic stronghold. That tured the medieval gate leading into the city
artworks, illuminated manuscripts, tapestries lino 38a; meals Ź 20; hclosed Mon & 15-30 Jun) Despite intriguing mix alone makes this town worth proper, the Porta al Prato.
and miniatures. its dress-for-dinner appearance, this eatery the sustained leg cramps. From the gate, walk southwards along Via
Make time to visit the Romanesque Pieve di is one for euro-economisers. There are no di Gracciano nel Corso. At the upper end of
Corsignano, leaving Pienza by taking Via Fonti surprises on the tiny menu but the standard ORIENTATION Piazza Savonarola is the Colonna del Marzocca,
from Piazza Dante Alighieri. This church is high for the price. Save room for the des- The town sheers off to left and right from erected in 1511 to confirm Montepulciano s
dates from the 10th century and boasts a sert trolley. the main street, which rises equally steeply allegiance to Florence. The splendid stone
strange circular bell tower. There are no fixed Trattoria Latte di Luna (%0578 74 86 06; Via San Carlo
visiting times but it is usually open between 6; meals Ź 25; hWed-Mon) On a kind of squarette
DETOUR: MONTICCHIELLO
Easter and November. where the street splits off from Corso Il Ros-
From Pienza main junction (northern gate) take the minor road south out of town signposted to
sellino, this trattoria has a lovely terrace with
San Lorenzo Nuovo and Monticchiello. Follow this road as it wiggles through green valleys and
SLEEPING & EATING plenty of shady umbrellas and a flirtatious,
farmland. At 6.2km, just after you cross a small bridge, take the left turn signposted to Montic-
Oliviera Camere (%0578 74 82 74, 338 952 04 59; www talking bird providing comic relief. Try the
chiello. At the 11km junction, turn right and continue for 500m until you reach the car park.
.nautilus-mp.com/oliviera; Via Condotti 4b; s/d incl breakfast anatra arrosto alle olive (roast duck with ol-
Don the best arch-support at your disposal and take an hour to wander around this pretty
Ź 30/50, apt without breakfast d/q Ź 60/70) Once an olive ives) topped off with homemade hazelnut ice
medieval village, stopping for an ice cream at Bar La Guardiola just outside the main gate or,
oil mill and squeezed into a side street, this cream.
better yet, a memorable meal at Ristorante La Porta (%0578 75 51 63; www.osterialaporta.it; Via del
place represents excellent value. Its four rooms Bottega del Naturalista (Corso Il Rossellino 16)
Piano 3; meals Ź 30) on its terrace with unspeakable views of Val d Orcia.
are simple, but fresh and attractive. There are Almost a monument in its own right, this
Monticchiello is home to the internationally celebrated Teatro Povero (Poor Theatre; www
also three larger studio apartments. pungent bottega has a truly mouthwatering
.teatropovero.it), staging plays spotlighting the area s peasant, sharecropping history. It also has a
Il Giardino Segreto (%0578 60 44 52; www.ilgiardi choice of cheeses, from fresh to well-aged
wonderfully sophisticated interactive theatre museum.
nosegreto.toscana.nu; Via Condotti 13; d Ź 62, apt Ź 67-115, all and smelly, from the classic pecorino di
When you leave, turn left and follow the signs to Montepulciano.
incl breakfast) Across the road and a slight step Pienza to ones lightly infused with peppers
up in quality, the collection of quiet doubles or truffles.
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
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274 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " South Of Si ena l onel ypl anet. com Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " South Of Si ena 275
0 400 m
Overlooking Piazza Grande, the town s The less perilous barrel challenge began in
MONTEPULCIANO
0 0.2 miles
highest point, is the Palazzo Comunale (admission 1974. There s copious ancillary flag waving,
To Villa
free; h9am-1.30pm Mon-Sat). Built in the 13th- Medieval dress-up and general merriment.
5
Nottola (4km);
Stazione di
century Gothic style and remodelled in the
Piazza
Montepulciano
Sant'Agnese
(5km)
15th century by Michelozzo, it still functions SLEEPING
Piazza 2
as the town hall. From the top of its tower (entry Bellavista (%347 823 23 14; bellavista@bccmp
o
Don
Minzoni Giardino di
on 2nd fl; admission Ź 1.60; hApr-Oct) on a clear day, .com; Via Ricci 25; d Ź 56-70; p) At the budget end,
Poggiofanti
you can see as far as the Monti Sibillini to the this is an excellent choice, where nearly all of
Porta al
Prato east and the Gran Sasso to the southeast. its 10 high-ceiling, double rooms have fan-
Opposite is the Palazzo Contucci, and its ex- tastic views room 6 has a private terrace.
25 28
Piazza tensive wine cellar, Ristorante Il Contucci, Some rooms have refrigerators and all have
Savonarola
11 open for visiting and sampling (see p276). great beds. No-one lives here so phone ahead
7 19
15
Palazzo Tarugi, attributed to Giacomo da in order to be met and given a key (if you ve
6
13
Vignola, is beside a well, surmounted by a omitted this stage, there s a phone in the en-
particularly genial pair of lions. trance lobby from where you can call).
Piazza 17
Michelozzo
The beautiful16th-century cathedral (Piazza Villa Nottola (%0578 70 78 13; www.villanottola
18
9
Grande; has an unfinished .com; Loc Notola 15; d Ź 75-110, ste Ź 110-130; pas)
h9am-noon & 4-6pm)
8 Porta
Palazzo Avignonesi..................11 C2 faade. Above the high altar is a lovely trip- Four kilometres east of Montepulciano, this
Gozzano
Palazzo Cervini.........................12 B2
12
tych by Taddeo da Bartolo depicting the As- massive complex has standard rooms, apart-
Palazzo Cocconi.......................13 C2
23 Palazzo Comunale....................14 A3
sumption. ments, wine-tasting room, cellar and a giant
21
Porta Palazzo Contucci....................(see 27)
If you take the low road from Piazza Mich- pool. The buffet breakfast is generous and the
della
Palazzo Ricci..........................(see 26)
Porta
Grassa
To Chiesa di della Palazzo di Bucelli......................15 C2
elozzi and follow Via di Voltaia nel Corso, onsite Tuscan restaurant (meals Ź 30 to Ź 35;
San Biagio (1km); Grassa
Palazzo Tarugi..........................16 A3
La Grotta (1km)
20 you pass first, on your left at No 21, the Ren- open Wednesday to Monday) cooks up hand-
Torre di Pulcinella.....................17 B2
26
10 aissance Palazzo Cervini, built for Cardinal made pasta. Follow the signs for ospital out
SLEEPING
16
14 22
1 Marcello Cervini, the future Pope Marcellus of Montepulciano, turn left after the hospital
Albergo II Borghetto................18 B2
4
Piazza
Albergo II Marzocco................19 C2
Grande II. The unusual U-shape at the front most and the entrance is on the right.
Albergo La Terrazza di
27
palazzi have austere, straight fronts also in- Albergo Il Marzocco (%0578 75 72 62; www.albergo
INFORMATION Montepulciano.....................20 B3
3
Strada del Vino Nobile di Bellavista..................................21 A3
corporates a courtyard into the faade design ilmarzocco.it; Piazza Savonarola 18; s/d incl breakfast Ź 60/95;
Montepulciano Information Meubl II Riccio.......................22 B3
Office....................................1 A3 and appears to have been another Sangallo Run as a hotel by the same family for
p)
Tourist Office.............................2 C1 EATING
creation. A few blocks further along on the over a century, the rooms in this fabulous
CaffŁ Poliziano.........................23 B3
24
Porta
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Osteria dell'Acquacheta...........24 A4 left, is the Chiesa del Gesł, bleak brick outside 16th-century building are large, comfortable
San
Donato Cathedral...................................3 A3 Trattoria Diva e Maceo............25 C2
and elaborately Baroque within. and well furnished. Those with a balcony and
Chiesa del Gesł..........................4 B3
Porta Chiesa di Sant'Agnese................5 C1 DRINKING
To the west and prominent in the valley views come at no extra cost.
della
Chiesa di Sant'Agostino..............6 B2 Cantina del Redi......................26 A3
Fortezza Farine
below is domed Chiesa di San Biagio (Via di San Albergo La Terrazza di Montepulciano (%0578
Colonna del Marzocca...............7 C2 Ristorante Il Contucci...............27 A3
II Sasso.......................................8 B2
Biagio;
h9am-12.30pm & 3-7pm, to 6pm winter), a fine 75 74 40; Via Pi al Sasso 16; s/d/tr Ź 72/95/118, all incl break-
Loggia di Mercato......................9 B2 TRANSPORT
Renaissance church built by Antonio da San- fast; Exuberant and talkative, you ll be
To Chianciano Terme (10km); Pienza Museo Civico...........................10 A3 Bus Terminal............................28 D2 p)
(13km); San Quirico d Orca (23km)
gallo the Elder which was undergoing major charmed by the owner before you even see
restoration when we last passed. Its highlight one of his 10 large rooms or his pride-and-
lion, squat as a pussycat atop this column is, and the hunched figure of Pulcinella (Punch is an impressive marble altarpiece. joy breakfast terrace. A self-catering kitchen
in fact, a copy; the original is in the town s of Punch and Judy fame), which strikes the is available.
Museo Civico. hours. COURSES Meubl Il Riccio (%0578 75 77 13; www.ilriccio.net;
The late-Renaissance Palazzo Avignonesi by Keep ascending the hill and turn right at Il Sasso (%0578 75 83 11; www.ilsasso.com; Via di Gracciano Via Talosa 21; s/d Ź 80/100; This gorgeous
pai)
Giacomo da Vignola is at No 91. Several man- the Loggia di Mercato, first left into Via del Pog- nel Corso 2) Italian language courses for non- tiny hotel, with only six bedrooms, occupies
sions line Via di Gracciano nel Corso, includ- giolo, then left again into Via Ricci. In the native speakers. a Renaissance palazzo just off Piazza Grande.
ing the Palazzo di Bucelli at No 73, the lower Renaissance Palazzo Ricci is Cantina del Redi It has large rooms, antiques, a solarium, a
courses of whose faade are recycled Etruscan (p276), a cavernous warren of ancient wine FESTIVALS & EVENTS porticoed courtyard and a terrace bar for your
and Latin inscriptions and reliefs. Sangallo cellars that you can wander through, ending Bravio delle Botti takes place on the last Sunday glass of vino with a view.
also designed Palazzo Cocconi at No 70. up at the wine-tasting room and shop. in August, when Montepulciano s eight rival Albergo Il Borghetto (%0578 75 75 35; www.il
Continuing up Via di Gracciano nel Corso, The town s Museo Civico (%0578 71 73 00; Via contrade (districts) continue a centuries-long borghetto.it; Via Borgo Buio 7; s/d Ź 93/105; p) It may
you ll find Michelozzo s Chiesa di Sant Agostino Ricci 10; adult/child Ź 4.15/2.60; h10am-7pm Tue-Sun Aug, spirit of fervent neighbourhood competition look like every other 15th-century building on
(Piazza Michelozzo; h9am-noon & 3-6pm) with its lu- 10am-1pm & 3-6pm Tue-Sun Sep-Jul) is opposite in the like Siena s Palio, this is a key component of this street but once inside, this place is a gem,
nette above the entrance holding a terracotta Gothic Palazzo Neri-Orselli. The small col- local social life by racing unwieldy giant bar- packed with antiques including Napoleonic-
Madonna and Child, John the Baptist and St lection features terracotta reliefs by the della rels in two-person teams up the steep streets era beds. There s even a tunnel, leading to the
Augustine. Opposite, Torre di Pulcinella, a medi- Robbia family and some Gothic and Renais- to Piazza Grande. The Bravio was contested house across the street. The hotel is normally
eval tower house, is topped by the town clock sance paintings. as a frenzied horse race until the 17th century. closed from mid-January to February.
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276 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " South Of Si ena l onel ypl anet. com Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com CENTRAL TUSCANY " " South Of Si ena 277
EATING Pienza. Regular LFI buses connect with Chiusi visits (Ź 2, 11am and 4pm March to October, La Solita Zuppa (%0578 2 10 06; Via Porsenna 21;
Osteria dell Acquacheta (%0578 75 84 43; Via del (Ź 2.20, 50 minutes, half-hourly) and continue 11am and 2.30pm November to February) to meals Ź 30-34;
hWed-Mon) A predominantly Tus-
Teatro 22; meals Ź 15-20; to Chiusi-Chianciano Terme train station. the two accessible tombs, Tomba della Scim- can-based menu with a wide range of soup
hWed-Mon) This is a small
eatery with the look and feel of a country There are three services daily to/from Flor- mia (the best) and Tomba del Leone, about options is this restaurant s forte. The food is
trattoria. The food is excellent and mainly ence (Ź 8) and two to/from Arezzo (Ź 3.70; 3km from town, leave from the Museo Archeo- wholesome and cooked to perfection, and the
meaty, ranging from misto di salami Toscani change at Bettolle). Buses leave from the ter- logico Nazionale (%0578 2 01 77; Via Porsenna 93; adult/ owners make you feel like a long-lost friend.
(a variety of Tuscan sausages and salamis) to minal shared with car park No 5, outside the child Ź 4/free; h9am-8pm). You ll need your own
huge steaks. Porta al Prato at the northern end of town. transport. The museum itself has a fair collec- GETTING THERE & AWAY
Trattoria Diva e Maceo (%0578 71 69 51; Via di Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, 18km southeast tion of artefacts from local tombs that are well Chiusi is just off the A1. Its train station, in
Gracciano nel Corso 90; meals Ź 24-28; hWed-Mon) An and on the main Rome Florence line, is the displayed and documented in English. the valley below the town, is on the main
uncomplicated place, Trattoria Diva e Maceo most convenient train station (rather than The Romanesque cathedral, reworked in the Rome Florence line.
is popular with the locals and carries a good Stazione di Montepulciano, which has very 19th century, holds little interest, although the
selection of local wines. You can feast on Tus- infrequent services). adjacent Museo della Cattedrale (%0578 22 64 90; Sarteano & Cetona
can cuisine like taglatelle al tartufo (tagliatelle By car, take the Chianciano Terme exit Piazza Duomo; adult/child Ź 2/Ź 0.50; h9.30am-12.45pm & Heading into this quiet rural territory, you
with truffles) in simple surroundings. from the A1 and follow the SS146. Cars are 4.30-7pm Jun mid-Oct, 9.30am-12.45pm Mon-Sat, 10am- sense that you have left the last of the tour
CaffŁ Poliziano (%0578 75 86 15; Via di Voltaia nel banned from the town centre, but many hotels 12.45pm & 4.30-7pm Sun mid-Oct May) has an impor- buses well and truly behind. Sarteano and
Corso 27; meals Ź 24) Established as a caf in 1868, can issue on-the-spot parking permits, valid tant collection of psalm books. Cetona, delightful little medieval towns amid
Poliziano has had a chequered past at times for their immediate vicinities, saving guests Beneath the Piazza del Duomo is the La- gentle countryside, are well worth a wander,
caf-cabaret, minicinema, grocery store and, the death march up the hill with their bags. birinto di Porsenna, a series of tunnels dating perhaps extending to a hike up Monte Cetona
once again since 1990, an elegant caf, lov- There are car parks near the Porta al Prato, back to Etruscan times that formed part of the (1145m), which overlooks Cetona. Pick up
ingly restored to its original form by the cur- from where minibuses weave their way to town s water-supply system. A section can be Touring Club Italiano s detailed walking map
rent owners. Plan carefully to win a seat on Piazza Grande. visited with a guide (Ź 3; buy your ticket at the Cetona (Ź 1) at 1:15,000 from the town s tourist
one of the tiny, precipitous balcony tables with Museo della Cattedrale). office (%0578 23 91 43; www.cetona.org; h10am-noon
expansive views. Chianciano Terme A combined ticket giving entry to both the & 5-7pm mid-Jun mid-Sep, 9am-12.30pm Sat mid-Sep mid-
La Grotta (%0578 75 74 79; ristorante.lagrotta@tiscali pop 7230 cathedral and Labirinto di Porsenna costs Ź 4 Jun) on Cetona s Piazza Garibaldi.
.it; Via di San Biagio 2; meals Ź 45-55; hThu-Tue) Oppo- You could skip Chianciano Terme, a short trip and there are guide sheets in English. Four buses a day go to both towns from
site the church of San Biagio, La Grotta is south from Montepulciano, unless you think You can also visit several Christian cata- Montepulciano and seven from Chiusi.
Montepulciano s finest restaurant. Inside this a local spa-water treatment for your liver is combs (admission Ź 5; hguided tours 11am & 5pm Jun
15th-century building the dining is appropri- in order. The town has a small medieval core, mid-Oct, 11am Mon-Sat, 11am & 4pm Sun mid-Oct May), SARTEANO
ately elegant while the tables in the garden are which seems to recoil at all the surrounding 2km from Chiusi. Tours leave from the Sarteano, topped by a brooding castle, made
tempting for a summer lunch. development. Given its proximity to Mon- Museo della Cattedrale, where you buy your international headlines not too long ago
tepulciano, however, it could make a good ticket. (see the boxed text, below). Its tourist office
DRINKING base with its some 250 hotels catering to spa (%0578 26 92 04; turismo@comune.sarteano.siena.it;
There are plenty of places, including several guests. Most are fairly bland and modern, yet SLEEPING & EATING
h9.30am-12.30pm & 3.30-7.30pm Aug mid-Sep, 10am-
long-established cantinas, where you can whet reasonable. However, be prepared for half or Albergo La Sfinge (%0578 2 01 57; www.albergolas noon Wed-Mon Jun-Jul, 10am-noon Sat & Sun mid-Sep May)
your palate on the local red, Vino Nobile. full board as, strangely, there are precious few finge.com; Via Marconi 2; s/d Ź 52/77; hclosed Feb; ai) is at Corso Garibaldi 9. The Archaeological Civic
Cantina del Redi (Via Ricci 19; h10.30am-1pm & 3- bars and restaurants in town. Just within the confines of Chiusi s historical Museum (%0578 26 92 61; Via Roma 24; admission adult/
7pm) No smoking, No microphones, Do not centre, the clean, attractive rooms here have child Ź 2.50/2) is a few steps away on the ground
shout out, No dogs, No trash, Do not touch Chiusi wrought-iron bedsteads. Some rooms come floor of Palazzo Gabrielli, displaying a modest
the casks is the notice that welcomes you. pop 8800 with a balcony and a few have great views. collection of local artefacts ranging from the
This place doubles as a cool wine cellar that One of the most important of the 12 cities of Room 12 manages both. Bronze Age to late-Roman.
is free to tour. the Etruscan League, Chiusi was once power-
Ristorante Il Contucci (%0578 75 70 06; www ful enough to attack Rome, under the leader-
THE TOMB OF THE INFERNAL CHARIOT
.ristoranteilcantuccio.com; Palazzo Contucci, Piazza Grande; ship of the Etruscan king Porsenna. These
h8am-12.30pm & 2.30-6.30pm) Vintners since Ren- days it s a fairly sleepy country town but well In 2003 archaeologists excavating an intact 4th-century-BC tomb in the necropolis of Pianacce,
aissance times, this is another active cellar worth dropping into. The tourist office (%0578 just outside Sarteano on the road to Cetona (signposted tombe etrusche delle Pianacce ), dis-
where you can sample a drop of the local wine. 22 76 67; prolocochiusi@bcc.tin.it; h10am-noon & 3-6pm covered a unique fresco, its colours still as bright as the day they were applied. On the walls
The owner is a great character and will give Jun-Aug, 10am-noon Sep-May) is on central Piazza surrounding the alabaster sarcophagus, a demonic figure with wild flowing russet hair drives a
you a personal tour, tasting and photo session. Carlo Baldini. chariot pulled by a pair of lions and two griffins. Fabulous monsters a three-headed snake and
The restaurant (meals Ź 30 to Ź 35; open Tues- a huge seahorse rear up and two male figures, perhaps a father and son as their distinct age
day to Sunday) is also cellar-fabulous. SIGHTS difference shows , have an affectionate moment.
Chiusi s main attractions are the Etruscan tombs The deceased had chosen his last resting place well, with its commanding views over the Val
GETTING THERE & AROUND dotted around the surrounding countryside. di Chiana, and it s worth the short diversion for the panorama alone. Tours cost Ź 5 and are only
Tra-in runs eight buses daily between Monte- Unfortunately, almost all are in such a serious possible on Saturdays. Reserve through the Archaeological Civic Museum in Sarteano.
pulciano and Siena (Ź 4.50, 1 hours) via state of disrepair that they are closed. Guided
C E N T R A L T U S C A N Y
CENTRAL TUSCANY
Lonely Planet Publications
278 CENTRAL TUSCANY " " South Of Si ena l onel ypl anet. com www. l onel ypl anet. com 279
lage of Radicófani, 17km southwest of Sarteano
YOU LL NEVER LOOK AT A SIENESE
on the SS478 or, more precisely, its rocca
PIG THE SAME WAY AGAIN
(fortezza; adult/child Ź 3/2; h10am-7pm May-Oct, 10am-
oAgriturismo La Silva (%0564 95 06 6pm Fri-Sun Nov-Apr). Built high on a blancmange-
03; www.agriturismolasilva.it; per person incl break- shaped hill, it s an impressive sight from any
fast Ź 42-60; is) Situated 3km outside of
approach, and the views from its ramparts
Seggiano (near Castiglione d Orcia), is this
are stunning. It now houses a small museum
transformed farmhouse with a celebrated
devoted to medieval times.
fixation with suino cinto senese (a black
La Torre (%0578 5 59 43; Via G Matteotti 7; d incl breakfast
and white pig native to central Tuscany).
Ź 60) is the only place to stay in town. Don t be
See our special agriturismi section for more
put off by the bland red-brick exterior. The
detail (p315).
rooms, with balconies, are good value and the
restaurant is always full of locals here for the ap-
petising wild boar and other homemade fare.
At the well-equipped camp site of Parco Eighteen kilometres further southwest is Ab-
Campeggio delle Piscine (%0578 2 69 71; www.parco badia San Salvatore, a largely ugly mining town
dellepiscine.it; Via Campo dei Fiori 30; per person/tent/car that grew rapidly and tastelessly from the late
Ź 14/14/6.50; guests can luxuri- 19th century. It does have a couple of saving
hApr-Sep; is)
ate in the warm mineral waters of three pools graces, however. The old town, a sombre stone
including the large Piscina Bagno Santo, which affair entered off Piazzale XX Settembre, is
is also open to noncampers (Ź 12 to Ź 15). curious enough, although perhaps not really
worth an excursion on its own. Its small tourist
CETONA office (%0577 77 58 11; h9am-1pm & 4-7pm Mon-Sat)
Just off Piazza Garibaldi, the main square, operates from Via Adua 25.
cavelike Cantina la Frasca (Via Roma 13; hThu-Tue) The Abbazia di San Salvatore (%0577 77 80 83; abb
sells its own oil, wine and pecorino cheese, aziasansalvatore@virgilio.it; Piazzale Michelangelo 8; h7am-
straight from the farm, and is a pleasant spot 5pm Mon-Sat, 10.30am-6pm Sun Apr-Oct, 7am-5pm Mon-Sat,
for a snack. to 5pm Sun Nov-Mar) was founded in 743 by the
La Frateria di Padre Eligio (%0578 23 82 61; www Lombard Erfo. It eventually passed into the
.lafrateria.it; Via di San Francesco; s Ź 140-160, d Ź 220-240, both hands of Cistercian monks, who still occupy
incl breakfast) is for those seeking a special retreat. it today. Little remains of the monastery, but
Up a signed lane ( Mondox la Frateria Conv the church more than compensates. Built in
S Francesco ) 1km from Cetona on the road the 11th century and Romanesque in style, it
to Sarteano, this former convent dating from was reconstructed in the late 16th century,
1212 has been lovingly restored and converted when the whole area from the transept to
into a top-class seven-room hotel and gour- the apse was raised and adorned with broad,
met restaurant (meals Ź 88, open Monday to frescoed arches that give the impression of
Wednesday, closed january to mid-February), walking into a tunnel. Best of all, however, is
where you can expect an eight-course dining the 8th-century Lombard crypt, a remarkable
experience of world-class standing. stone forest of 36 columns.
More modestly, you ll sleep like a top after The town lies in the shadow of Monte Amiata
a day s walking at La Cocciara (%0578 23 79 31; (1738m) and serves as a base for local holiday-
www.ostellocetona.it in Italian; Via San Sebastiano 18; dm/d makers getting in a little skiing, snow permit-
Ź 12/26; new HI- ting, in winter or some walking in summer.
hyear-round), Cetona s smart
affiliated youth hostel, and eat well on one You can, for instance, walk right around the
of the two floors of Osteria Vecchia (%0578 23 mountain following a 30km-trail known as the
90 40; Via Cherubini 11; meals Ź 30; hWed-Mon), just off Anello della Montagna. The path is signposted
Piazza Garibaldi. The spaghetti dell osteria is a and the tourist office has maps that also cover
spicy little number and the meat dishes, such other walks in the surrounding area.
Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally
as roast pork and Chianina steak, are cooked There are many hotels in Abbadia San Salva-
to perfection. tore and others in towns dotted about the broad restricted. In return, we think it s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes
expanse of the mountain, so you shouldn t have
only. In other words, please don t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to
Abbadia San Salvatore & Around too much trouble finding a place to stay.
everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying
On your travels in this part of Tuscany you d From Siena, two RAMA buses (Ź 4.60, 1
have to be short-sighted not to notice the vil- hours) call by the abbey daily. the above - Do the right thing with our content.
CENTRAL TUSCANY
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