MONTEPULCIANO & VAL D'ORCIA
Jun 22nd, 2008, 12:55 AM
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MONTEPULCIANO & VAL D'ORCIA
I posted these notes yesterday as a reply to someone who is going to Tuscany. As they may be of general interest I'll repeat them here as an original post.I should add that I have been living in Italy for over 26 years and have a home in this area.
Yes, you’ve chosen one of the loveliest spots in Italy. Montepulciano itself is just over the crest of hills from the Val d’Orcia which, as you probably know, is a UNESCO designated “area of outstanding natural beauty”. For me this area together with the Val Gardena in the Dolomites are THE most beautiful parts of Italy.
As with my notes on Venice, I don’t intend repeating here all those things you can find in the guidebooks. I’ll just give you a few ideas and perhaps some practical tips. On the town of Montepulciano therefore, I have not much to add. If you are not staying in the old part of the town, driving in and parking can be a bit of a problem. I usually go quite early (before 9) and if you take the main access road (don’t turn off up any narrow lanes as the locals do otherwise you’ll never get out again!), just before reaching the centre you’ll see on the left-hand side a Banca di Roma. You can’t park there but from that point on grab the first parking place you see (for some you’ll need a ticket from the machine, others – with the white lines -not). If you arrive at the end of the access road (a roundabout, and you can’t go any further because it’s pedestrians only) there is a small car park facing you and I often find a space there. The tourist office is located in this car park. It’s a long steep climb up through the old town to the main square at the top, but well worth doing. Now, you remember my mouth watering at the thought of Florian’s in Venice? Well, half way up the climb in Montepulciano, on the left hand side going up, is a café called Poliziano (it has a small frontage and is not well marked, you might miss it first time). This is almost on the level of Florian’s. It was a favourite with writers, artists and other intellectuals during the Grand Tour in the 19th century and it has not changed. The décor is the same as it was then, and the view from the tiny balcony is splendid. You’ll still find elderly English gentlemen there in their panama hats. So, if the climb is getting to you by now, stop off for a coffee or a gelato at Poliziano’s.
Pienza is a gem and for the first time it should be approached on the road from the south. Follow me carefully here – this is an order! If you take the main road from Montepulciano to Pienza you’ll just think you’ve arrived in a pretty but not unusual Italian medieval town. But if you take the road that climbs up out of the Val d’Orcia from the south you’ll get a breathtaking view of the town rising above you. I used the word “sublime” once in my Venice notes, and I’ll use it again here for this approach to Pienza. Get a good map and you’ll see roads leading out of Montepulciano southwards to Montichiello (well worth visiting itself) or “La Foce” (which I’ll come back to later). Some of these country roads are not paved but are quite passable and in any case very short. Take this route and then turn northwards to Pienza. Sublime. For Pienza town see the guidebook. Don’t go on a Friday as it’s market-day and the main car park is given over to the market stalls. The view from the town walls over the Val d’Orcia is magnificent and you will understand the reason for the UNESCO designation. In Spring the green is intense. In July and August is gets dry and brown – still lovely but…different. The “passeggiata”: Pienza is very small and if you go through the town gate at the end of the main street (to your right as you are facing the Cathedral) you’ll find yourself in a little park with a war memorial in the middle. There is a signpost for the passeggiata, follow it. This is a charming walk (1/2 mile?) with again stupendous views out towards Monte Amiata. This paseggiata is mentioned in, for example, Henry James and Charles Dickens, and at the very end you’ll find a tiny church dedicated to Santa Caterina of Siena. It’s an unfortunate sign of the times that there is a little notice on the walls saying that the pictures have had to be removed to protect them from vandals (the church is unattended).
La Foce: Are you interested in literature? Have you heard of the American writer (married to an Italian count) called Iris Origo? Well, La Foce is (was) her home. If you want some serious holiday reading I can recommend her biography written by Caroline Moorehead “Iris Origo – Marchesa of Val d’Orcia” published by D.R. Godine, Boston, Mass. You can get it, in English of course, at the little book/newspaper shop at Pienza, in the piazza with the park mentioned above. You’ll learn a lot about the Val d’Orcia, particularly during the first half of the 20th century. You can also get international newspapers at the same shop if you want to catch up on the news back home. The thing about La Foce is that the gardens were designed by a famous British landscape gardener called Cecil Pinsent, who designed the gardens for many villas in and around Florence. The house is inhabited by the Origo family but the gardens are open to the public for guided tours one afternoon a week, on a Wednesday. If you can, go see. A short walk down the road on the right-hand side of the house and through the trees and you’ll come to the lovely private cemetery where Iris, her husband and her son, as well as many estate workers, are buried. There is a huge old oak tree outside the cemetery gate where I often park the car in the shade and read a book. Very peaceful.
Montalcino: I’ll leave completely to the guide books. If you are going I guess you are interested in wine. Have a glass of Brunello for me!
Val d’Orcia: I suppose you know that this part of southern Tuscany is geologically active and is full of hot springs and thermal waters. Monte Amiata is an extinct volcano. That is why I go there.
I “take the waters” as the Victorians used to say at Chianciano Terme every year in the spring. There is no point in your going there and gulping down some foul tasting water for just one day.
12-15 days is the minimum period for it to do you any good. But, there are other places nearby, usually called “Bagni” which are well worth a visit. Bagno Vignoni is one. In the main piazza you’ll find the original medieval pool where even Popes came from Rome to soak in the health-giving water. Santa Caterina came from Siena as well. Some 5 star hotels have grown up around Bango Vignoni which open their pools to the public, but it’s a bit posh for me. However, a few miles down the road ( south on the Via Cassia) is Bagni San Filippo. Here there is a fabulous pool where plebs like me go (entrance costs about €10, less in the afternoon). It is a normal swimming pool except that the water is warm/hot. It is not for swimming in (except perhaps a few strokes) but for soaking in (not more than 20 minutes at a time with an interval of 20 minutes between each soak). There is a waterfall where the hot water comes shooting out of the rock but this is really hot and absolutely not for children. The pool is at the very end of the village, when you think you’ve missed it. There is a free car park.
I think by now you’ve got the idea. There are many other places to go in the area such as San Quirico d’Orcia, the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Casciano dei Bagni (another one), or if it’s hot, drive to the top of Monte Amiata (1738 metres or about 5000 feet) and have a walk in the cool woods (the road goes to about 100 yards from the summit).
Yes, you’ve chosen one of the loveliest spots in Italy. Montepulciano itself is just over the crest of hills from the Val d’Orcia which, as you probably know, is a UNESCO designated “area of outstanding natural beauty”. For me this area together with the Val Gardena in the Dolomites are THE most beautiful parts of Italy.
As with my notes on Venice, I don’t intend repeating here all those things you can find in the guidebooks. I’ll just give you a few ideas and perhaps some practical tips. On the town of Montepulciano therefore, I have not much to add. If you are not staying in the old part of the town, driving in and parking can be a bit of a problem. I usually go quite early (before 9) and if you take the main access road (don’t turn off up any narrow lanes as the locals do otherwise you’ll never get out again!), just before reaching the centre you’ll see on the left-hand side a Banca di Roma. You can’t park there but from that point on grab the first parking place you see (for some you’ll need a ticket from the machine, others – with the white lines -not). If you arrive at the end of the access road (a roundabout, and you can’t go any further because it’s pedestrians only) there is a small car park facing you and I often find a space there. The tourist office is located in this car park. It’s a long steep climb up through the old town to the main square at the top, but well worth doing. Now, you remember my mouth watering at the thought of Florian’s in Venice? Well, half way up the climb in Montepulciano, on the left hand side going up, is a café called Poliziano (it has a small frontage and is not well marked, you might miss it first time). This is almost on the level of Florian’s. It was a favourite with writers, artists and other intellectuals during the Grand Tour in the 19th century and it has not changed. The décor is the same as it was then, and the view from the tiny balcony is splendid. You’ll still find elderly English gentlemen there in their panama hats. So, if the climb is getting to you by now, stop off for a coffee or a gelato at Poliziano’s.
Pienza is a gem and for the first time it should be approached on the road from the south. Follow me carefully here – this is an order! If you take the main road from Montepulciano to Pienza you’ll just think you’ve arrived in a pretty but not unusual Italian medieval town. But if you take the road that climbs up out of the Val d’Orcia from the south you’ll get a breathtaking view of the town rising above you. I used the word “sublime” once in my Venice notes, and I’ll use it again here for this approach to Pienza. Get a good map and you’ll see roads leading out of Montepulciano southwards to Montichiello (well worth visiting itself) or “La Foce” (which I’ll come back to later). Some of these country roads are not paved but are quite passable and in any case very short. Take this route and then turn northwards to Pienza. Sublime. For Pienza town see the guidebook. Don’t go on a Friday as it’s market-day and the main car park is given over to the market stalls. The view from the town walls over the Val d’Orcia is magnificent and you will understand the reason for the UNESCO designation. In Spring the green is intense. In July and August is gets dry and brown – still lovely but…different. The “passeggiata”: Pienza is very small and if you go through the town gate at the end of the main street (to your right as you are facing the Cathedral) you’ll find yourself in a little park with a war memorial in the middle. There is a signpost for the passeggiata, follow it. This is a charming walk (1/2 mile?) with again stupendous views out towards Monte Amiata. This paseggiata is mentioned in, for example, Henry James and Charles Dickens, and at the very end you’ll find a tiny church dedicated to Santa Caterina of Siena. It’s an unfortunate sign of the times that there is a little notice on the walls saying that the pictures have had to be removed to protect them from vandals (the church is unattended).
La Foce: Are you interested in literature? Have you heard of the American writer (married to an Italian count) called Iris Origo? Well, La Foce is (was) her home. If you want some serious holiday reading I can recommend her biography written by Caroline Moorehead “Iris Origo – Marchesa of Val d’Orcia” published by D.R. Godine, Boston, Mass. You can get it, in English of course, at the little book/newspaper shop at Pienza, in the piazza with the park mentioned above. You’ll learn a lot about the Val d’Orcia, particularly during the first half of the 20th century. You can also get international newspapers at the same shop if you want to catch up on the news back home. The thing about La Foce is that the gardens were designed by a famous British landscape gardener called Cecil Pinsent, who designed the gardens for many villas in and around Florence. The house is inhabited by the Origo family but the gardens are open to the public for guided tours one afternoon a week, on a Wednesday. If you can, go see. A short walk down the road on the right-hand side of the house and through the trees and you’ll come to the lovely private cemetery where Iris, her husband and her son, as well as many estate workers, are buried. There is a huge old oak tree outside the cemetery gate where I often park the car in the shade and read a book. Very peaceful.
Montalcino: I’ll leave completely to the guide books. If you are going I guess you are interested in wine. Have a glass of Brunello for me!
Val d’Orcia: I suppose you know that this part of southern Tuscany is geologically active and is full of hot springs and thermal waters. Monte Amiata is an extinct volcano. That is why I go there.
I “take the waters” as the Victorians used to say at Chianciano Terme every year in the spring. There is no point in your going there and gulping down some foul tasting water for just one day.
12-15 days is the minimum period for it to do you any good. But, there are other places nearby, usually called “Bagni” which are well worth a visit. Bagno Vignoni is one. In the main piazza you’ll find the original medieval pool where even Popes came from Rome to soak in the health-giving water. Santa Caterina came from Siena as well. Some 5 star hotels have grown up around Bango Vignoni which open their pools to the public, but it’s a bit posh for me. However, a few miles down the road ( south on the Via Cassia) is Bagni San Filippo. Here there is a fabulous pool where plebs like me go (entrance costs about €10, less in the afternoon). It is a normal swimming pool except that the water is warm/hot. It is not for swimming in (except perhaps a few strokes) but for soaking in (not more than 20 minutes at a time with an interval of 20 minutes between each soak). There is a waterfall where the hot water comes shooting out of the rock but this is really hot and absolutely not for children. The pool is at the very end of the village, when you think you’ve missed it. There is a free car park.
I think by now you’ve got the idea. There are many other places to go in the area such as San Quirico d’Orcia, the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Casciano dei Bagni (another one), or if it’s hot, drive to the top of Monte Amiata (1738 metres or about 5000 feet) and have a walk in the cool woods (the road goes to about 100 yards from the summit).
Jun 22nd, 2008, 03:26 AM
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Thank you so much for this Cymreg- I was in the Val d'Orcia for a time last October traveled that road to Pienza from the south, as well as a stop at La Foce.
I esp appreciate your notes on the bagni!
Buona giornata..
Bstarr
I esp appreciate your notes on the bagni!
Buona giornata..
Bstarr
Jun 22nd, 2008, 05:02 AM
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Re: Val d'Orcia...
We were there for a week in September and found most of the fields brown, having already been tilled.
My only regret was that I wish we'd chosen the Spring season for our visit.
We were there for a week in September and found most of the fields brown, having already been tilled.
My only regret was that I wish we'd chosen the Spring season for our visit.
Jun 22nd, 2008, 09:02 AM
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Hi Bob,
Yes indeed. I do live in Italy. British ex-pat married to Italian girl, came here 26 years ago. Live near Rome, with holiday home in Tuscany. No, not Chiantishire, but in the less fashionable part towards the coast. I'll come back on the autobiography bit later!
Ciao.
Yes indeed. I do live in Italy. British ex-pat married to Italian girl, came here 26 years ago. Live near Rome, with holiday home in Tuscany. No, not Chiantishire, but in the less fashionable part towards the coast. I'll come back on the autobiography bit later!
Ciao.
Jun 22nd, 2008, 09:27 AM
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There is a pool even further down the hill which is free for the real plebs.
The paid for pool makes you use a hair hat, I managed to melt all my ear wax so I went deaf for a few days (thought I was going mad)
The paid for pool makes you use a hair hat, I managed to melt all my ear wax so I went deaf for a few days (thought I was going mad)
Jun 22nd, 2008, 07:06 PM
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FYI, for what it's worth, it is also possible to stay at La Foce. There are a variety of accommodations available to rent. And here are some of my photos from there, May three years ago, if anyone is interested. I've been there spring and autumn, both are lovely, but it's hard to beat spring when the wisteria is in flower. http://www.gardentouring.fotopic.net/c763200.html
Jun 23rd, 2008, 01:54 PM
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re the "brown fields"
They were like that when I was there also, but I loved the sight of the Crete Sinese- I think they were spectacular and dramatic laid bare to the sky. Next time I will go in another season.
They were like that when I was there also, but I loved the sight of the Crete Sinese- I think they were spectacular and dramatic laid bare to the sky. Next time I will go in another season.
Jun 23rd, 2008, 02:36 PM
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Thanks for the reminder of the lovely countryside around Montepulciano. We visited just a month ago and spent most of our time repeating "it's so gorgeous" to each other.
I just uploaded my photos yesterday:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/objetsp...7605760656520/
We also visited Siena and Florence and those photos are also on the site.
I just uploaded my photos yesterday:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/objetsp...7605760656520/
We also visited Siena and Florence and those photos are also on the site.
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