A slow traveler's guide to Tuscany



The Siena area \| Tuscany’s Gothic treasures from Chianti to Piancastagnaio
Siena is a cultivated, proud Gothic town which welcomes tourists from all over the world with the charm of its past and the wonders of its nature. The territory around Siena is actually the best example of Tuscan regional identity, rich in natural resources and productivity, beginning with the famous Chianti-shire which extends north from Siena with its precious vineyards. Terraced hills and valleys rich in rivers, castles, churches and wonderful buildings dot the countryside. Castles and villages like Castelnuovo Berardenga, Castellina, Gaiole and Radda in Chianti overlook the countryside, where we can still admire extraordinary 18th century gardens in Arceno, Pontignano, Villa la Pagliaia, Catignano, Geggiano and Sestano in the town Castelnuovo Berardenga. The Val d'Elsa valley is crossed by the historic Via Francigena pilgrims' route, with many smaller roads which lead to the sea. This area has been a strategic meeting point for merchants and pilgrims going to Rome since the middle ages. In the Val d'Elsa area is San Gimignano, with its many towers, and Monteriggioni, which is famous for its medieval city walls. The famous architect Arnolfo di Cambio was born in Colle val d'Elsa, also known as the "crystal town". The Merse valley is rich in woods, waterways, nature routes and small medieval churches and castles in Chiusino, Monticano, Murlo and Sovicille. The northern side of river Merse belongs to the nature reserve of Alta Merse, while the river Farma flows along the valley to meet the Merse and Ombrone, reaching the famous thermal baths by Petriolo, already famous in the days of the Pope Pius XII. During the middle ages, this area was often chosen by religious men and hermits because of its peaceful quietness and a lot of beautiful abbeys still bear witness to this tradition, like the Cistercian abbey of San Galgano by the town of Chiusdino. South of Siena we find the world famous district called "Crete senesi", an unusual natural landscape created by prehistoric erosions on sand and clay. This special "lunar landscape" is the perfect backdrop for small medieval villages like Asciano, Buonconvento, Monteroni d'Arbia, Rapolano Terme and San Giovanni d'Asso. The neighbouring valley, Val d'Orcia, offers a gentle landscape rich in hills and cypresses. The river Orcia flows through the valley and woods, while many interesting old towns are situated along the medieval route of the road Via Cassia. For example Radicofani, Castiglione and San Quirico d'Orcia, and then – towards Val di Chiana – Pienza and Montepulciano. This is the home of the famous red wine, Brunello di Montalcino. It is also famous for its spas, thanks to the ancient thermal baths at Bagno Vignoni and Bagni San Filippo. Great wines in Montepulciano, salami in Sinalunga and the healing waters by Chianciano Terme, Montepulciano and San Casciano dei Bagni: the whole valley Val di Chiana is a cradle for wellbeing and taste. History has always played an important role here: interesting prehistoric finds near Mount Cetona bear witness to a millenarian life in the valley. The cave called Lattaia was the site of an ancient water worship. Local water was actually believed to help mothers during the lactation. Inside the so called St. Francis' cave there were old fireplaces and burned remains of legumes and cereals. Mount Amiata (1738 Mt.) overlooks the valley Val d'Orcia (Montepulciano, Pienza e Montalcino) in the southern part of the province, with the hills by Chianciano and Chiusi and the great plain of Maremma. The woods in this area was inhabited as far back as Etruscan times and the region was crossed by the medieval pilgrims' road Via Francigena. The region today is a well known tourist destination and a famous ski resort, thanks to its numerous slopes and tracks for cross country skiing. The ski lift links the mountain to the valley going through wonderful chestnut trees and beeches. The small neighbouring town Piancastagnaio gets its name from the several chestnut groves in this area.
The garden of Vicobello
The garden of Vicobello near Siena was one of the first smaller gardens of the Rennaissance to be created. Redesigned as a country house for the Chigi banking family by the great Sienese architect Baldassare Peruzzi, the house and gardens were constructed between 1528-31 on one of the Chigi farm estates. The coat of arms of the Chigi family is red with gold and six peaks on the highest eight-pointed star with a gold color. The facade of the villa points towards Siena. Though on a much smaller scale than Peruzzi's Roman villas, the villa and gardens of Vicobello testify to Peruzzi's reputation for purity and unity of design. The villa is flanked on one side by the natural ilex woodland (Bosco) which Edith Wharton described as 'the indispensable adjunct of the Italian country house'. Gardens in Tuscany \| Villa Vicobello		Villa Chigi a Vicobello
Villa Cetinale Gardens in Tuscany \| Villa Cetinale

Certosa di Pontignano The former monastery of Pontignano, now part of the University of Sienna, is set amongs olive groves, north of Siena. The monastery has three cloister gardens. Two are traditional grass rectangles and one is now a renaissance parterre garden. With its origins as a 14th century monastery, the Certosa di Pontignano provides a wonderful environment. Attractively placed on the top of a hill, it is surrounded by vineyards, with a direct view to the town of Siena, and a famous Chianti winery. In 1959, the complex was purchased by the University of Siena, who then turned it into a university residence.
Castello delle Quattro Torri This castle dates from the 14th - 15th century. The original structure with the four tall towers, which gave the name to the fortress, is basically unchanged.



The Chigi family
The Chigi family, which later became Chigi Zondadari has very ancient origins. The first to figure in the genealogical tree was Rolando born in the year 1020. The Chigi family was raised to nobility under Lorenzo di Chigio who served on the Concistory in 1377, representing one of the Terzi or Thirds of the City. Towards the middle of the fifteenth century the Mariano di Agostino branch began to detach itself, predominating in importance since it was led by the patron of the arts Agostino di Mariano, known as “The Magnificent” on account of his exceptional wealth. He was the great banker of the Christian world, and was responsible for the construction of the Palazzo Farnesina in Rome. Among the properties of the Chigi family are the Villa di Vico Bello close to Siena and the Villa delle Volte, in Volte Basse close to Sovicille, set in the depths of the verdant peace of the Sienese countryside, and traditionally used by the family as a site for entertainment and repose. Another figure which brought renown to the Chigi family was Fabio di Flavio, who became Pope as Alexander VII. Born in Siena in 1599, he was a man of culture and an austere ascetic who had a brilliant ecclesiastic career. When he became Pope he transformed Rome with scenic grandiosity, employing the foremost artists of his time such as Maratta and Pietro da Cortona. But it was above all his felicitous collaboration with Gian Lorenzo Bernini which reached levels of sublimity: together, among other works, they created the Colonnade of St. Peter’s in Rome and the Chapel of the Madonna del Voto in Siena. The nephew of this illustrious churchman, Flavio Chigi, was later to become a Cardinal and a great protagonist of the cultural and artistic life of Rome. In spite of this he never forgot Siena and its surroundings. In San Quirico d'Orcia he commissioned from the architect Fontana the palazzo in the centre of the town, an outstanding example of impressive and refined architecture. He left his fortune to his sister Agnese, who was married to Ansano Zondadari, granting to their son, Bonaventura, the title of Marquis of San Quirico. It is to Bonaventura Chigi Zondadari, with the help of the architect Fontana, that we owe the embellishment of Villa di Cetinale, and the establishment of the ceramic manufacture of San Quirico d'Orcia. One of Bonaventura’s brothers, Marcantonio Zondadari, was the Grand Master of the order of the Knights of Malta, another brother Anton Felice, was a Cardinal, while Alexander was archbishop of Siena. The line continued through Bonaventura’s son, Ansano, and the latter’s son Giuseppe Flavio, all men of great culture and human worth, leading up to the birth in 1841 of Bonaventura, Marquis of San Quirico and Senator of the Realm, a great collector and academic. Bonaventura’s son Angiolo died in 1947, and it is his descendants who are now the partners of the RVA group, and owners of the properties managed by the company. The Villa di Vico Bello, with its terraced gardens, and the Vico Alto complex - which after a careful renovation carried out around 1975 has been divided into the flats comprising the Residence Vico Alto – are recorded in the documents of the Chigi family from as far back as before the birth of Pope Alexander VII; they have been handed down from generation to generation to reach the descendants of the family who are alive today.
Visitors to Siena wishing to explore the Terzo di Città district should begin their tour at Piazza del Campo, precisely at the Croce del Travaglio, the meeting point of the three main streets around which the city is developed: Banchi di Sotto, Banchi di Sopra and Via di Città. Along Via di Città there is a small square, known as the Quattro Cantoni (Piazza Postierla), with four streets leading into it. This is the heart of the section of the city under the control of the Contrada dell’Aquila. In the 15th and 16th century this was where the Senese aristocracy would meet. Later the nobles decided to gather under the Loggia della Mercanzia, known also as the Casin dé Nobili. To the left of Piazza Postierla runs Via San Pietro, one of the city’s most elegant streets, flanked by Palazzo Buonsignori and Palazzo Brigidi. To the right of the square runs Via Stalloreggi, where there are still a number of well-preserved tower-houses. This is also the street where Duccio di Buoninsegna lived. In it is also the Tabernacolo del Sodoma, which contains the Pietà by Sodoma. Via Stalloreggi ends at the Arco delle due Porte, an archway built into the 11th century fortifications that opens into the half-moon square known as Pian dei Mantellini, containing the Church of San Niccolò al Carmine, Palazzo Celsi-Pollini and the neo-classical Palazzo Incontri. Turning back down Via Stalloreggi, half way down the street there is Piazza del Conte, which leads into Via San Quirico, named after the Church of San Quirico – one of the oldest in the whole of Siena. The church is in fact dedicated to St Quirico and St Giulitta and, although sections of it date from the 12th and 13th century, the existing building dates from the late 16th century. The entrance is Romanesque in style and the interior contains frescoes by Ventura Salimbeni and Alessandro Casolari, as well as a canvas by Pietro Sorri of The Crown of Thorns and one by Francesco Vanni of The Return from Egypt. Via San Quirico is the heart of the area of town controlled by the Contrada della Pantera, which has its headquarters and museum at number 26.
Walking in Tuscany \| Via Francigena \| From Monteriggioni to Siena
Although it is difficult to identify a precise route of the Via Francigena, the stretch that crosses the province of Siena is one of the most fascinating sights of artistic and cultural as well as pristine natural areas. In particular, the stretch of the Val d'Elsa, the town of San Gimignano, Poggibonsi, Monteriggioni and Siena were in communication through the Franchigena Street that runs alongside the hills of Chianti then immersed himself in the Crete Senesi. Monteriggioni was originally built by the Republic of Siena for a defensive purpose since the position dominated and watched over the Via Francigena in the direction of Florence, historic rival of Siena. The Via Francigena, ancient road between Rome and Canterbury, was very important during the Middle Ages for merchant and travellers, as well as being the major pilgrimage route. In the stretch between San Gimignano and Siena, the Via Francigena crosses the territory of Monteriggioni, where one of the oldest stopping stations still exists today: the abbey of Abbadia Isola. This 20.5 km leg begins in Monteriggioni and takes in about 6 hours to complete. Leave Monteriggioni and walk along the road in the Sienese hills to the medieval village of Cerbaia. It runs through the woods up to the Castle of Chiocciola and the Castle of Villa, before descending down toward Pian del Lago. Then cross the Renai woods before arriving at Porta Camollia, the traditional Via Francigena entrance to Siena. In the city, walk down Banchi di Sopra and then up to the end of this leg in Piazza del Campo, the Duomo and then the hospital of Santa Maria della Scala.
Tuscany \| Siena and surroundings The Via Francigena in provincia di Siena Via Francigena \| From Gambassi Terme to San Gimignano Via Francigena \| From San Gimignano to Monteriggioni Via Francigena \| From Monteriggioni to Siena The Via Francigena \| From Siena to Ponte d'Arbia Percorsi trekking \| Trekking nella Montagnola senese tra Monteriggioni e Badia a Isola \| Anello Monteriggioni \| Monteriggioni – Badia a Isola – Castel Petraia PILLOLE QUOTIDIANE DI STORIA SENESE di Maura Martellucci e Roberto Cresti \| www.iltesorodisiena.net [1] Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Allegory and Effects of Good and Bad Government [2] Diana Norman , Siena and the Virgin: art and politics in a late medieval city state, New Haven, 1999, pp 134-135
[3] LE BICCHERNE DI SIENA. Arte e finanza all'alba dell'economia moderna. (SIENA'S BICCHERNA COVERS. Art and finance at the dawn of the modern economy) The Biccherna was the name of the building that originally housed the records of the Treasury of Sienna. The biccherne, the painted covers of the state ledgers or administrative balance sheets, provide a fascinating window into the daily life of an Italian city-state and evolving republic at the dawn of modern economic thinking. These remarkable works of art derive their name, biccherne, from the government agency that originally commissioned them, La Biccherna. In 1257 the Office of the Biccherna, the most important financial branch of Sienese government, charged with managing all the revenues and expenses of the comune, inaugurated the custom of commissioning panel paintings from the best artists in the community to function as the covers of its semi-annual collection of public ledgers. Shortly thereafter, the Office of the General Gabella, which was responsible for all duties and other taxes on commodities and business transactions, followed suit. Eventually this practice was adopted by other agencies and independent organizations of the city state such as the Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala (Saint Mary of the Stairway) and the university. Today more than 100 of these fascinating works of art are part of the collection of the State Archives in Siena. The style and subject matter of the biccherne evolved paralleling and documenting the growth of the Siena itself. The earliest extant biccherna (1258) depicts simply a portrait of the bursar Ugo di San Galgano working on the account books at his desk. By 1340 portrayals of bursar with a contributor provide visual evidence of the concept of a modern bank. As the city state's importance and self-awareness grew, the themes of the covers were expanded to include allegories of the religious and political life of Siena, and even specific historical events. In 1440 an anonymous artist depicts a stonemason building the new fortress walls. And a panel from 1467 shows the Virgin protecting the City during an earthquake while her citizens sought safety in tents constructed outside the city walls. By the 15th century artists seemed no longer constricted by the size of the records themselves and even began to create small wall paintings. In 1555 Siena was finally defeated by its archrival Florence and absorbed into the grand duchy of Cosimo de' Medici. And, although biccherne were still occasionally commissioned into the 17th century, Siena's loss of independent power was reflected in the declining relevance of this art form. Archivio di Stato \| Palazzo Piccolomini Via Banchi di Sotto 52 (btw. Via Banchi di Sotto and Via del Porrione at Via Rinaldini). Head down the corridor off the left of the courtyard, and take the elevator to the fourth floor. Archivio di Stato di Siena \| www.archiviostato.si.it Free admission. Mon–Sat 9am–1pm. Archives open Mon–Fri, 4 hourly viewings: 9:30, 10:30, and 11:30am, and 12:30pm. Bus: A (pink), B, N, 22, 25, 26, or 27. Art in Tuscany \| Sienese Biccherna Covers \| Biccherne Senesi The Corcoran Gallery of Art \| Sienese Paintings from the Dawn of the Modern Financial Age \| www.corcoran.org Alessandro Tomei, Le Biccherne di Siena, Arte e finanza all’alba dell’economia moderna, Bolis Edizioni, Azzano San paolo, 2004 Many of the biccherne have the Holy Virgin as common subject. This is not so strange. The history of Siena is full of events which show the particular devotion of the Sienese to the Virgin. Francesco di Giorgio finished his career as architect in charge of the works at the Duomo di Siena, where his bronze angels are on the high altar and some marble floor mosaics are attributed to his designs. The typical tablet from the Biccherna (image) has a votive subject: the Virgin as intercessor to protect the city against earthquake. [4] Source: St Catherine Sanctuary \| www.sienaonline.com [5] Source: Scappini, Chiara. History, preservation and reconstruction in Siena. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.7282/T30R9NHP		Francesco di Giorgio Martini, Madonna del Terremoto, detail, 1467, Archivo di Stato, Siena Siena offering of the keys of the city to the Madonna delle Grazie. Siena, Archivio di Stato, Museo delle Tavolette di Biccherne
Abbazzia San't Antimo	Abbadia d’Ombrone and Monastero d’Ombrone near Castelnuovo Berardenga.	Pienza


Located on the outskirts of Castiglioncello Bandini, Podere Santa Pia is one of the best places to slow travel in southern Tuscany. Santa Pia offers the quiet tranquility of a private retreat, with numerous attractions, beautiful nature reserves and unspoiltl beaches within easy reach. Explore the medieval hillside villages of Sovicille, Civitella Paganico and Montalcino on your way to Siena, watch the Ponte della Pia near the Eremo di Rosia and try some Vino Nobile and Brunello wines in Montepulciano and Montalcino, counted among the most prestigious of Italian wines, cities where the refined beauty of the squares and churches blends perfectly with the ancient traditions of its red wines. Hidden secrets in Tuscany \| Holiday home Podere Santa Pia


Podere anta Pia, garden view in April	Podere Santa Pia	Monte Cucco wine region


One of the best places to slow travel in southern Tuscany is Podere Santa Pia. This holiday house is a peaceful retreat, perfect for relaxing with magnificent panoramic views of the mystical Maremma hills up to the Mediterranean Sea and Montecristo.
Tuscany \| Siena Surroundings Art in Tuscany \| Sienese School of Painting