Discover the eastern side of Tuscany and its hidden jewels
Inclusions:
The journey doesn’t include:
From its wine valleys and green hills to its coast spangled by the Tuscan archipelago islands, Tuscany feels ancient just as much as it feels alive and vibrant. Its towns and cities live on, never forgetting their brilliant past; their streets still filled of the murmurs of legendary rivalries between the Great Families that once inhabited them. This is the place where Italian Renaissance was born, where art took a new life and turned to the sun. Every stone and every hill, every rock and every paved street seem veiled by an eternal beauty.
Pick-up Florence Airport
Fiat 500 or similar
WHAT INCLUDES
Once you have checked-into your selected room, take your car and reach Cortona Old Town : 4 km from your Relais.
Enjoy a walking self-guided afternoon tour in the Medieval Borough. The very central Piazza della Repúbblica on the east side is the Palazzo Comunale dating back to the 14th century with its characteristic tower with the clock today symbols of Cortona which was erected in the sixteenth century. The bell tower was built together with the imposing access staircase to the building. Also in the square we find the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, (the highest in the square), a splendid building used as the residence of Cardinal Passerini in the 16th century. Move to the communicating Piazza Signorelli, where the Palazzo Casali (XVI century) resides. To the right of Palazzo Casali stands the Teatro Signorelli (XIX century), in neoclassical style, enriched by a beautiful loggia with seven arches. In the south-eastern part of Cortona we find Piazza Garibaldi: where the obelisk dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi is located in its center, from here you can enjoy a unique view over the Val di Chiana that comes to scrutinize the edges of Umbria where you can see the Lake Trasimeno, Montepulciano and on clear days Mount Amiata .. Stop here to enjoy this breathtaking view.
Enjoy a visit at the MAEC (Museum of the Etruscan Heritage). Included in the entrance ticket, there is one audio-guide system per person.
Optional: Visit the archaeological Etruscan park of Cortona and Camucia.
Private licensed guide
Taste the best of Tuscan recipes for dinner (at own leisure)
After breakfast, drive toward Pienza and start exploring the beauty of Val D’Orcia, a great Tuscan classics.
Visit the Cathedral, the Piccolonmini Palace and its gardens, the Crypth and the Labyrinth.
Enjoy a nice lunch at own leisure in Pienza (not included)
In the afternoon, drive toward the beatuiful boroughs of San Quirico and Bagno Vignoni (an old Roman Bath settlement, still in use).
Finally stop at the Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta for one of the “great classics”: a picture of the small church among two cypress trees, with a dramatic landscape behind.
Drive back toward Cortona and stop in the iconic village of Montepulciano to admire the beauty of its Medieval architectures.
Arrive at your selected resort right before dinner time (at own leisure)
The restaurant, Il Falconiere, was born from the ancient lemon tree with its beautiful panoramic and covered terrace overlooking the hills of the Tuscan countryside.
The high quality of ingredients, respect of seasonality, and the use of products at km 0 are the guiding principles of all dishes on the menu, enhanced by a wide selection of wines, among which the prestigious labels of Baracchi Winery.
Il Falconiere Restaurant has 1 Michelin Star since 2002.
We can pre-set a tasting gourmet menu (with or without wine pairing)
Give a starred experience with Chef Silvia Baracchi: two hours of full immersion to learn all the secrets of a territorial but refined cuisine. The lesson takes place in the Falconiere’s dedicated kitchen and includes the preparation of two dishes, which can be tasted during the lesson in combination with the wines produced in our cellar.
The experience includes:
** Due to current Covid-19 regulations, the maximum number of participants in a lesson is 2; if the persons are members of the same family, this limit does not apply.
Remarkable for its medieval brick buildings, Siena deserves its spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Don’t miss: the beautiful shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, the Torre del Mangia and its impressive views over the city, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and its breathtaking Duomo and intriguing crypt, the rich Piccolomini Library, and the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo.
After the cooking class with lunch experience, you may want to take some time to relax and chill out; or alternatively you want to keep on exploring the destination.
Should you feel more active and dynamic, we recommend an half day visit of Siena city centre, or Arezzo city centre.
Drive from Il Falconiere and enjoy a self-guided walking tour of the old town.
Optional for an additional cost: private licensed guide at your disposal for 2 hours.
After breakfast at your retreat, drive toward the Chanti Wine Region (approx 1 h from your resort), to immerse yourself into a one of a kind experience.
Once you’ll reach Lamole Wine Estate, you will be welcomed by the staff.
Explore the beauty of the Chianti area, cradle of the legendary Chianti Classico, on the occasion of the second edition of the National Chianti Day. The day trip begins with a panoramic tour on e-bicycles, which will then be followed by the sensational opportunity to visit the winery and to have lunch with a pic-nic in the vineyards, surrounded by the breathtaking and unique landscapes of Lamole. The tour will finally end with a visit to the olive oil mill and consequently with an oil tasting and an unusual aperitif!
Tasting: 4 wines and pic-nic basket with food, 0.375 L bottle of wine and blanket.
**Note
The picnic option is available in spring and summer. In fall and winter we will replace the picnic, with a light lunch at the estate.
After your lunch is ended, wander around the iconic Chianti Wine hills and loose yourself in beauty.
Return to your hotel before dinner (at own leisure)
Val di Chiana has always fascinated me for its small villages – some very little known – that sprout here and there like mushrooms, set among the hills like jewels of rare beauty.
Today’s itinerary has been designed to discover 3 enchanting towns that deserve to be visited in the province of Arezzo, in the Val di Chiana, plus an excellent natural wine cellar. For a journey where the prerogative is to slow down and savor the details, letting yourself be conquered by a landscape that fills the eyes and by medieval villages where history and culture are breathed in the air.
Monte San Savino
This ancient village, where various signs of the Etruscan civilization have been found, stands on the western side of the Val di Chiana. Surrounded by walls, the historic center is spread over a main street, Corso San Gallo which can be accessed from Porta Fiorentina, to the north and Porta Romana, to the south.
The Logge dei Mercanti, designed by the Florentine architect Nanni di Baccio Bigio, are worth a visit; the elegant Palazzo Comunale with its internal garden, which in summer hosts various cultural events and the ancient ghetto with its Synagogue. Among the noteworthy religious buildings of Monte San Savino: the churches of Santa Chiara, Sant’Agostino and San Giovanni and the sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Vertighe. To learn more about the virtues of local crafts, there is the Cassero Museum, dedicated to the ancient ceramic tradition of the town.
Take a pit-stop at Bar la Combriccola, along the main street, to sip a pumpkin rhubarb on the rocks and have a snack based on finocchiona, a typical Tuscan sausage, flavored with fennel seeds and soaked in red wine. Know that it would be a crime to visit the Val di Chiana without tasting one of its typical dishes – which by the way is vegetarian! -: pici all’aglione, a tasty and delicate first course, where garlic is not indigestible (seeing is believing). A good place to experience this experience is the Il Cassero restaurant, which also has a well-stocked cellar and, for omnivores, offers excellent grilled lamb chops and fried cod.
The Castle of Gargonza
Before leaving Monte San Savino, plan a visit to the fairytale Castle of Gargonza and its 13th century fortified village of medieval origin, surrounded by woods and suggestive views over the Val di Chiana. In 1304 the Castle also hosted Dante Alighieri.
Today it is a bed and breakfast, but you can come just to admire the village, the garden of the Limonaia and some rooms of the castle.
Civitella
The definition of ‘minor villages’ does not do them justice: they are certainly small villages, but their charm is inversely proportional to their size and tourist notoriety. Civitella is an example of this, which does not reach 10 thousand inhabitants, but was also historically important. It stands on a hill and its position was strategic as a garrison of the road between Arezzo and Siena.
Civitella is a delightful stone village, where the balconies and doors are embellished with pots of plants and flowers. Unfortunately, in the past it was the subject of bombings and wars (sadly, the ‘Massacre of Civitella’ is known, a German reprisal that cost the lives of 244 civilians). Despite this, it still boasts a large part of its defensive walls of the twelfth century, the Sienese gate of access to the town and some parts of the medieval castle and its majestic keep.
In the main square, admire the medieval cistern with an octagonal base. Civitella also boasts two museums: one is the Sala della Memoria, dedicated to the many testimonies of the events that occurred in 1944 during the reprisal; the other is the Contemporary Art Gallery. For a glass of wine, with a view, sit at Enoteca Il Vicolo, which is also a restaurant (closed on Mondays).
Castiglion Fiorentino
Half an hour away from Civitella and 20 minutes from Monte San Savino, Castiglion Fiorentino is another ancient village in the Val di Chiana. It was first inhabited by the Etruscans and then in Roman times. The historic center has also received the Orange Flag of the Touring Club, a recognition of tourist-environmental quality, awarded to small towns in the Italian hinterland.
Enter the town from the Porta Fiorentina (it was the ancient entrance) and reach the airy Piazza San Francesco, where the 13th century church of the same name stands, in Romanesque style with some Gothic elements. Next to it, there is a beautiful cloister, whose walls host tombstones dating back to the 1800s, each of which with poetic writings – some truly original – in memory of the deceased. Next to the church there is an excellent restaurant, Da Muzzicone, where you can taste the Florentine; if you are a vegetarian, do not worry because there are delicious proposals too.
With a full stomach, continue the visit of the town up to the enchanting Piazza del Municipio, in Renaissance style, with the elegant Renaissance loggia by Vasari, a real architectural balcony overlooking the Val di Chiana, the Val di Chio and the Valtiberina . Here, in the Church of Sant’Angelo, the Municipal Art Gallery is housed with some important paintings. Also worth a visit is the Municipal Theater, which internally features nineteenth-century decorations, gilded stuccos and marbled plaster. Curiosity: in the streets of Castiglion Fiorentino I got lost admiring the vintage signs of the shops, from the typography to the butcher.
Enjoy a visit of the biodynamic winery and taste Amerighi’s wines. Its vineyards are developed on two hills facing south-west, on about 9 hectares of land – mainly sandy-clayey, with a limestone part – which give rise to a production of 33 thousand bottles. Enjoy a wine tour and tasting, of his local bio-dynamic production.
Return to your retreat after the wine tasting.
After check-out, drive north towards the Parco delle Foreste Casentinesi, rich in nature and wild fauna. Admire the verdant and wooded landscape. Stop in the medieval village of Poppi, famous for having hosted Dante Alighieri during his exile. Inserted among the most beautiful villages in Italy, this small jewel-village has ancient origins. It is assumed that the name Poppi derives from the word “poplo” which means hillock or hill. The history of the village and its castle, of medieval origin, is linked to the important feudal family of the Counts Guidi who lived and ruled here from 1191 to 1440. A memorable moment in Poppi’s history was the battle of Campaldino on 11 June 1289, in which Dante Alighieri also participated, which ended with the defeat of Arezzo and the Ghibellines against Florence and the Guelphs.
The Castle of the Counts Guidi
The village of Poppi, with its ancient walls, is dominated from above by the splendid Castello dei Conti Guidi, one of the most admired and best preserved monuments in the Casentino. It was built around the 10th century and thanks to the numerous renovations carried out by the architects of the Di Cambio family, it presents itself to visitors in all its grandeur.
Even from a distance the bell tower is immediately evident, at the base of which there are the prisons. The castle is accessed via a stone bridge that replaced the drawbridge.
In the inner courtyard, whose walls are decorated with the coats of arms of the Florentine vicars, there are a large and elegant staircase and wooden balconies.
The Rilliana Library
In the castle it is possible to visit the historic Rilliana Library, with over 25,000 volumes, the ballroom, a museum with the model of the battle of Campaldino and the Cappella dei Conti Guidi decorated with frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi, a disciple of Giotto, which reproduce scenes from the Gospel.
The legend of the ghost of Countess Matelda
The castle is linked to the legend of the ghost of Countess Matelda, who still wanders today in search of young men. Matelda was given in marriage to an elderly Count Guidi who often was absent for political duties.
She spent every night with a different young lover with the pact to keep the secret. But the Countess, not trusting them, the next day she threw them in a trap door where they died pierced by blades.
The inhabitants of the village, realizing what was happening, took revenge on her by capturing her and locking her up in the Devil’s Tower where she died of hunger.
Around the castle, the streets, squares, arcades and ancient shops of the historic center will immerse you in a medieval atmosphere.
Enjoy a lunch at own leisure, and drive toward Florence (approx 1h 30 min distance)
Florentia—literally “florid city”—was the name given by the Romans to this settlement founded in the I century A.D. along the Arno river, at the foot of Fiesole, an Etruscan city whose ruins are visible on the hill which dominates the city.
The flowering of Florence in art, culture and international trade began in the 13th century and it reached its peak in the 15th century under the reign of the Medici family, who ruled over the city for more than three centuries.
Everywhere you turn in Florence, you find extraordinary works of art and architecture, which attract almost 8 million tourists every year—from the Palazzo Vecchio to the world-famous Uffizi Gallery to the Cathedral with its magnificent dome and the tower designed by Giotto. Along the river Arno, the Ponte Vecchio with its jewellery shops is a must for all those who pass through the city, as well as the splendid Boboli gardens across the river.
Florence is also an international wine and gastronomic centre, Chianti is its most famous local product together with the celebrated Fiorentina steak on the bone.
Download our in-depth pdf guide for up-to-date tourist and general information on Florence, including the best places to stay, where to eat, drink, and party, as well as main attractions and must-have experiences in Tuscany’s capital city.
Meet your guide at your hotel lobby and start a private 3 hrs walking tour, on the footsteps of the Medici Family: the dinasty that ruled Florence and Tuscany for centuries, during the Reinassance.
You will visit Palazzo Medici Ricciardi, including the Magi Chapel (a pure masterpiece of art); you will walk toward Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio to visit the palace of the ancient power.
Learn all about the Medici scandals, tragedy and political intrigues and live the glory and the decadence of this noble family that literally made Florence so big worldwide.
The tour will end in the City Centre.
Brunelleschi’s Dome, the eighth wonder of the world, a masterpiece and symbol of the Renaissance, is the largest masonry vault ever built. Through a path of internal ascent you reach the top, at the base of the lantern, which is the highest viewpoint above Florence.
Giotto’s Bell Tower, with its precious marble cladding stands 85 meters high and offers a tour that crosses three panoramic loggias to end on top in a panoramic terrace.
The Baptistery of San Giovanni is the first religious and civil center of Florence, almost a thousand years old, in the Middle Ages it was decorated with beautiful inlaid marbles and inside you can admire a gigantic golden mosaic.
The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, 6,000 square meters divided into 28 rooms on three floors where there are more than 700 masterpieces of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance with an evocative avant-garde setting.
Santa Reparata, the remains of the ancient basilica of Santa Reparata can be visited in an archaeological path that winds under the floor of the Cathedral: a treasure of precious early Christian mosaics and refined tombstones.
The exploration is based on the Brunelleschi Pass, which will allow you to enter into all the above sites, on a self guide mode.
Available for an additional cost : private licensed guide
Drop off your car at Florence Airport car rental desks, in time to board on your selected flight back home.
See you soon in Tuscany!
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