Siena and its roundabouts: among wines and castles

From the magic Siena, a town with an ancient taste, to the Medieval villages of the Sienese country side, from San Gimignano to Montepulciano. The Chianti lands and the wild loamy Crete area. A trip in green hills and marvellous views.

A Medieval oasis in the sweet Tuscanian country side. Siena and its roundabouts offer an incredible variety of environments and a land dotted with vines, villas and castles giving each holiday an atmosphere all its own, both if you look for an untouched past or for relax among natural scents.

Siena's history is connected with the Palio, its greatest feast, which is run in Piazza del Campo each July 2nd to celebrate the Madonna di Provenzano and each August 16th to celebrate Maria Assunta. The Palio is the soul of Siena, it includes the benediction of horses in the churches, the wonderful historical parade, the "combines" of jockeys on the start point ("canapo"), the invasion of the contrada comrades taking around the winning jockey for triumph and the conclusion with a cyclopean banquet offered by the winning contrada.

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Siena is a net of steep Medieval alleys leading to the many culture buildings mainly dating between 1260 and 1348, golden period of the town. In Piazza del Campo, Palazzo Pubblico (Public Palace) hosts the Town Council but its Medieval halls may nevertheless be visited. Built between 1250 and 1310, it was enlarged in 1680 but mantained its stylistic structure. Beside it raises the Mangia Tower, while just in front lays the Cappella di Piazza.

Its province is really charming: from the historical villages of San Gimignano and Montepulciano to the Chianti lands full of castles. In the Elsa valley (with its centre Poggibonsi) there are monuments of great architectonical importance and valuable works of art.

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Almost on the border with Firenze we see one of the pearls of the Sienese province: San Giminiano. It is a many-towered city grown on one of the main parts of the Francigena Route and it has preserved its XIV century architecture with beautiful towers (from Torre Grossa you may enjoy the most spectacular view), historical palaces and important squares as Piazza della Cisterna.

Our itinerary ends Souther in the Orcia Valley, extending at the feet of Amiata Mountain and recalling the typical scenery of the Sienese Crete (clays). The valley is furrowed by the Orcia river which often offers impressive views of wooden precipices ending vertically on the river. The wild beauty of these places contrasts with the countryside of vines and olive trees producing high quality wines as Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Vacanza a Siena

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