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Local Field Trips
San Galgano and Chiusdino
14 kilometers south of Spannocchia
The Monte Siepi Chapel is on the grounds of the San Galgano Monastery ruins. The Chapel and the Monastery are located between Chiusdino and the village of Monticiano. Amidst the romantic myth of the sword and the ruins of the Cistercian monastery, the San Galgano legend is one embedded in the Tuscany hills surrounding Spannocchia.
Galgano, born in 1148, grew up a titled son, somewhat untamed. One day, Archangel Michael appeared to him. The morning after Sir Galgano announced that he was going to become a hermit and took up residence in a cave. His mother convinced him to pay a last visit to his fiance. On the way his horse reared and he fell; he felt as if he was being lifted to Monte Siepi, a rugged hill under Chiusdino township. The voice bade him to look up; at the top of the hill there was a round temple with Jesus and Mary surrounded by the Apostles. The voice told him to climb the hill and renounce worldly pleasures. Galgano stated that doing so would be as easy as using his sword to split rocks. To prove his point, he thrust his sword at a stone, fully expecting the blade to snap. It penetrated to the hilt and stuck fast! Galgano never left the hill again. He soon faced the Devil who sent an evil man disguised as a monk, but the wolves that lived with Galgano killed the would-be assassin and gnawed at his bones. One year later, Galgano died.
Bishops and three Cistercian abbots attended the funeral. The next year the Cistercian monks began building a shrine to Galgano. They began building in 1185 (the year of his canonization), erecting a beautiful, round domed temple.
After the Saint's death his scalp continued to grow blond curls, the miraculous head was placed in one side chapel, and the bones of the arms of the evil man in another. The crowds of pilgrims were so numerous that the Cistercians were authorized to build another monastery named after the Saint a short distance away. In doing so, they built one of the most beautiful Gothic buildings of Italy. The monastery became powerful and respected. Later absentee abbots exploited it -- until the local lord removed and sold the leading from the roofs of both the round temple and the abbey in 1548. The temple survived, and in the early 1700s the round temple became a church.
This would be just a curious legend, but the round temple of Monte Siepi is still standing, used as a church and known today as the Chapel of Monte Siepi. It still houses the sword in the stone and the gnawed forearms. Galgano's head is now in Chiusdino. The walls of the abbey are also still standing and it is hauntingly beautiful. The Abbazia di San Galgano is a roofless abbey situated in the valley between Frosini and Monticiano. The abbey’s roof was removed during World War I for in making bullets, and the remaining structure is a haunt for artists, photographers, and architects who are drawn to its beautiful clean lines and ethereal atmosphere. Visit the chapel and learn about the life and legend of San Galgano and the famous Sword in the Stone. A short 10 minute drive down the road is the town of Chiusdino, the local county seat and a true Tuscan hill town. Unlike many of the other hill towns farther to the north, Chiusdino has not been overtaken by the tourism industry. It is a wonderful little town to stroll through the narrow streets and discover Tuscan treasures.
Siena
22 kilometers northeast of Spannocchia
More than any other town, Siena can claim to be the most typically Tuscan. It is as beautiful as Florence, and the historical center is as old and large as Florence’s, and while Florence’s immediate surroundings consist mainly of suburbs, Siena is surrounded by the beautiful Chianti countryside. Legend has it that Siena owes its name to Senio, the son of Romulus. It is certain that the Etruscans had a settlement on the site which then passed under the control of Rome. Siena became an important city in the medieval period, and by the 1100s had trading links with much of Europe. In the Middle Ages (12th 14th C) Siena became a republic and flourished on trade and banking. But dissention reigned. Siena fought with the Florentines, who in 1230 catapulted dead donkeys and excrement over its walls to start a plague. Rivalry between Siena and Florence was bitter and the two cities were almost always at war until Siena was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in 1559. For a long time the Sienese fought as Ghibellines under the banner of the Emperor, while the Florentines fought as Guelphs with Papal sympathies. In 1260 the Florentine troops again threatened the town. The Syndic (mayor) and the people then dedicated Siena to the Virgin, seeking her protection. A few days later the Florentines were bloodily defeated at Montaperti. After that battle, Siena’s greatest victory, many prominent Sienese were excommunicated. In the 16th C the virtual monopolization of Papal sympathies by the Medici in Florence finally overcame Sienese resistance and after a long siege the city surrendered to imperial forces and was given to the Medici as an imperial fief. The following are a few highlights of Siena:Piazzo del Campo, Palazzo Publico (Town Hall), Duomo, Piazzo del Duomo, Basilica of St. Dominico, and the Pinacoteca (Picture Gallery).
Florence
1 14 hours from Spannocchia
For sights in this wonderful and rich small city, a guidebook and map will be your best bet. However, do not miss the church of Santa Croce, with its beautiful chapels and artwork and sculpted tombs of the famous, including Galileo Galilei, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Dante Alighieri, Niccolo Machiavelli, Gioacchino Rossini. There is a special gallery of Andrea Della Robbia’s work here which is exceedingly beautiful. Be sure to visit the lovely cloister rose garden where you may sit, collect your thoughts and rest your feet. It is located in the heart of the leather artisans’ factories, so you will also have a chance to shop authentically here.
Other sights worthy of your time are the Brancacci Chapel, the Duomo, Uffizi, Accademia, and Bargello museums; stroll around the Piazza della Signoria, stop for a caffe or gelato, shop in the San Lorenzo leather market or the Via della Vigna Nuova, home of Prada, Ferragamo, Gucci, La Perla, Ermengildo Zegna, and many other Italian designers; eat lunch at a pizzeria or trattoria hidden away in an alley; or visit the Boboli Gardens!
32 km southeast of Spannocchia
Located eastwards between SS 223 and SS 2 on a secondary connecting road, it’s easiest to find if you consult the Siena Province map. It’s a great drive through villages to this small gem of a museum. Recently renovated, it has an excellent display of Etruscan artifacts. Another excellent and larger Etruscan museum is located in Volterra, a Tuscan town definitely worth a visit on its own (see below). A trip to Murlo could be combined with other sites in the area.
10 km north of Siena, off the SS2
Built by the Sienese in 1203, this small village was built as a bulwark against the Florentines. It was enclosed by a wall with towers between 1213 19. Since then the village has not changed, and the impression received on approaching is still that described by Dante in the Infernoof giants standing in a circle.
38 km northwest of Spannocchia
The fifteen towers that still rise above San Gimignano’s skyline are only part of the 72 towers that existed in the 1300s and bear witness to the fierce internal fights between Guelph and Ghibelline city elders. The city developed according to a characteristic star-shaped plan along the ancient Via Francigena, and is surmounted by the Rocco, or fortress erected in the fifteenth century. The fortress’ original pentagon layout was partially dismantled in the 1558 by Cosimo I of the Medici family. To enter San Gimignano, park with the other tourist hoards and pass under the arch of San Gimignano’s 13th century Porta di San Giovanni, a monumental stone gate topped with a lookout tower. You will be struck at once by several things -- splendidly preserved medieval buildings that line the narrow street; the stuffed boars that stand, hang, or pose in chef’s toques outside shops selling sausage, jelly, and everything else made from the critters; and finally, unless you’ve timed your visit just right, the crowds. Recognized universally as one of Tuscany’s wonders, the town is on the itinerary of every bus tour on its way between Florence and Siena. But, get over it, and be rewarded with an eminently walkable place of pure architecture, exciting art, and grand surprises like the row of 10 Gothic- and Romanesque-arched public fountains built into the city walls around 1100.
Collegiata. The Romanesque Collegiata, with walls covered in wondrous 15th C frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli (a student of Fra Angelico) and Taddeo di Bartolo, and a chapel elegantly frescoed by Ghirlandaio in tribute to Santa Fina, a devout local girl who died at 15 after years in bed, attended by miracles, becoming one of the town’s patron saints. The dear little Santa Fina frescoe depicting her death from guilt and a broken heart is still collecting fans from the film “Tea with Mussolini” when the English ex-patriate ladies piled sandbags to save her from shelling in WWII.
69 km northwest of Spannocchia
The dramatic location of Volterra -- built on a high plateau enclosed by volcanic hills midway between Siena and the sea - prompted D.H. Lawrence to write that "it gets all the wind and sees all the world -- a sort of inland island." Its walled medieval core is atmospheric and not excessively touristed. Everything is made from the yellow-grey stone panchino , and you can often find seashells embedded in the paving of streets and squares. Etruscan Volterra (Velathri) flourished through a combination of its alabaster mines and an impregnable position, attributes that ensured its survival through the Roman era and beyond. Its isolation was, however, its downfall. Under Florentine control from 1360, it proved unable to keep pace with changing and expanding patterns of trade, and the town itself began to subside, its walls and houses slipping away to the west over the Balze cliffs, which form a dramatic prospect from the Pisa road. Today, Volterra -- part of the Provincia di Pisa -- occupies less than a third of its ancient extent.
Val D’Orcia The Val D’Orcia is the region of Tuscany that lies to the south of Siena, in the Valley of the Orcia River. Below are some noteworthy towns of the region.
46 km southeast of Siena
Known as the home of the premiere DOCG Brunello wine and its lighter-weight cousin Rosso di Montalcino, Montalcino is a sleepy, but well-to-do hill town that has changed little since the 16th C. At 2,000 ft above sea level, it offers lovely vistas over faded terra-cotta roof tiles, a timeless landscape covered with vineyards yielding the sangiovese grosso grapes used for the Brunello wine, one of the most distinguished reds produced in Italy. Hike up to the 14th C Fortezza that moonlights as the town enoteca for Brunello tasting by the glass or sit for hours in the Piazza del Popolo’s 19th C Caff Fiaschetteria Italiana. The local tourist office will supply you with lists and maps of the dozens of local wine producers, world-recognized and not, whose rolling estates make up much of this idyllic 12-square-mile corner of southern Tuscany. Part of the 13th C town walls still surrounds the town and the fortress built in 1361 still guards the town built on a hillside. Montalcino was under the domination of Siena for several centuries only to become the refuge of the Sienese when the Republic of Siena itself fell before Charles V in 1565. There is a 13th C town hall on the Piazza del Popolo flanked by a 14th 15th C arcaded gallery.
65 km south of Spannocchia
Montepulciano is an ideal town to visit to see an excellent example of a fine old Renaissance town with narrow streets crammed with Renaissance-style palazzi and churches. The town is encircled by walls and fortifications designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder in 1511 for Cosimo I. Perched on the crest of a hill of volcanic rock between two valleys it occupies a remarkably beautiful site. Although inhabited during the Etruscan period, Montepulciano did not begin to flourish until the decline of Chiusi in the late medieval period. In 1234 the Sienese gained control of the town, but in 1390 they were ousted by the Florentines, who with the brief exception of 1495-1511, never again lost control of it. Enter the old city (Citt Antica) through a fortified gateway bearing a Tuscan shield and Marzocco or Lion of Florence and wander its charming lanes and fine stone alleys. The Church of St. Augustine is here and has an elegant Renaissance faade. Opposite stands a tower with a figure of Pulcillella (the clown) as a Jack-o’-the-clock. The city is the birthplace of Politian (1454-1494), an exquisite Renaissance poet who became a friend of Lorenzo de Medici.
The main square (piazza grande) contains the gothic town hall with a fine tower (obtain permission to climb from the keeper) that has an incredible panoramic view of the town and its environs. The Duomo faade remains unfinished (although in 2003 there was scaffolding up and it looked worked on). The interior forms 3 aisles and has works designed by the Florentine architect Michelozzo, an altarpiece by Taddeo di Bartolo, a Sienese painter.
The restaurant il Cantuccio, Via delle Cantine, 1-2 serves delicious lunches in a relaxing and charming atmosphere. On a very hot day, it was cool, airy, and the food deliciousa wonderful respite from the hills and walking passages of the town. Be sure to try a glass of Vino Nobile d’Montepulciano for which the town is known.
The well known church Madonna di San Biagio is on the outskirts of Montepulciano. Built of honey - and cream - colored travertine, it is Sangallo's masterpiece, a Renaissance gem built from 1518-1534.
Pienza
The town stands on the top of a hill which overlooks the splendid Val d'Orcia. Enea Silvio Piccolomini was born here in 1405 and when he became pope Pius II in 1458 he decided to transform his modest village into the perfect town, an admirable example of the humanistic period, and entrusted the design to Bernardo Rossellino. Piazza Pio II is intact, incorporanting the most rigorous of Renaissance perspective, and containing the cathedral and Palazzo Piccolomini. The town's main axis is corso Rossellino, lined with houses built by the nobility in the 14th century. Pienza is a mainly agricultural centre, particularly famous for its pecorino cheese. The traditional cheese show, "fiera del cacio" takes place on the first Sunday in September. The flower show "Pienza e i fiori" takes place in mid May. This is a charming town to explore with shops and quaint restaurants. Pienza is noted for it’s romantic street names like strada d’amore (street of love) and strada d’bacio (street of the kiss).
36 km southeast of Siena, about 50 km from Spannocchia
Located five km east of Buoncenvento, the Monastery is open 9 a.m.12:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m.7:00 p.m. with a restaurant, herbal shop and lodging on grounds. (Tel: 0577/707652). As headquarters of the Benedictine monks, this is one of the most interesting churches in Tuscany. Crowning a peak that drops dramatically down through a forest of cypresses to steep gorges and low hills of bare rock, Monte Oliveto Maggiore stands majestically amid a whispering of olives. In 1319 a nobleman-turned-ascetic had a vision of monks climbing a silver stairway to heaven from this place where he’d lived for many years as a hermit, and so he built a church and founded an abbey on the spot. Today’s monks continue to live according to the Benedictine Rule, combining prayer, work and study, and tending to the modern day pilgrims who come to pray and marvel at the extraordinary High Renaissance fresco cycle that rims the Great Cloister. In 36 panels of color and movement, reverence and exuberance, devils and saints and fallen women, two artists tell stories from the life of St. Benedict, the 6th century founder of Western monasticism. Luca Signorelli, whose work greatly influenced Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, painted nine panels; the other 27 are by Il Sodoma whose figures exude sensuousness and emotion. The large monastic library up the stairs contains many rare editions and unique manuscripts, while the still-thriving herb garden supplies the monastery’s chemist with the ingredients for the world-famous Benedictine liquors. Evening vespers in the Baroque chapel resonate with Gregorian chant. And, there is a beautiful Della Robbia mezzaluna over one of the doors to the entrance of the Monastery grounds. There is a very adequate restaurant at the entrance as well. The monastic community offers a guesthouse for overnight visitors who wish to meditate.
a beautiful and serene monastery, located in the Val d’Orcia region, that is home to some of Lorenzini’s most beautiful fresco work. The twenty-nine frescoes that line the corridors depict the life of St. Benedict.
11 km south of Montalcino
Follow the signs for Castelnuovo dell”Abate, tel: 39/0577-83-56-59, Mon-Sat vespers at 5 p.m. Sunday vespers at 6:30 p.m. Check schedule for other daily times. The main draw to Montalcino, in addition to the wine, is Abbazia di Sant’ Antimo, the Romanesque church dating back to the 12th century. It sits in a large valley with views of the hill town Castelnuovo dell'Abate, rolling hills covered in olive groves and vineyards, and wild forests. Local legend attributes the founding of the Abbey to the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne (742-814), though the present building dates back only to 1118. Sitting alone in an olive grove along the old pilgrimage road linking Rome to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, it was built of local travertine and luminous, honey-colored alabaster from nearby Volterra. The seven monks of the Norbertini order, who live in a nearby farmhouse, fill the cavernous church daily with ethereal Gregorian chants at regular intervals, evoking a sense of history and mystery that transports visitors back to the Middle Ages. The monks perform Gregorian chants twice a day for approximately 12 minutes per session. You may visit the entire church during these hours: 10:30 - 12:30, 15:00 - 18:30. For the updated schedule, please visit, www.antimo.it.
ARTISAN VISITS:
Colle Val d’Elsa City of Crystal
Colle is located 25 minutes north of Spannocchia (on the way to San Gimignano). This charming town is off the beaten path of most tourists, but is well worth the stop. Colle is responsible for 95% of Italy’s crystal production and 15% worldwide. There is a museum in the town center Museo del Cristallo in via dei Fossi, 0577 912260 open during the tourist season from 10am to 12pm and 4pm to 7:30pm, always closed on Monday. There are also numerous showrooms spread out around the town. Groups can visit the Colle Cristallo/Vilca crystal factory located in the industrial section of the city Localit San Marziale from 8:30-12:30 from Monday to Friday for 3 Euro per person (www.collecristallo.com, www.vilca.it). Learn how crystal is made and get a tour (English or Italian) of the factory where artisans are hard at work producing hand blown crystal. Be sure to call 0577 909111 for an appointment.
Other things to do in Colle Val d’Elsa: Friday morning (9-1) open air market selling everything from food to purses to clothing to tablecloths. Artisan chocolate production Le Follie di Arnolfo (0577929683) is located right across the road from Colle Cristall/Vilca in Localit San Marziale you can purchase wonderful treats such as chocolate covered espresso beans, chocolate with pistachio nuts and chocolate made into fanciful shapes like espresso cups, and maybe even get a peek into their small production facility in the back of the store.
Terracotta
There are a plethora of terracotta producers (the typical pottery style of Tuscany) and you can easily visit one or many of them within a 20 mile radius of Spannocchia. The closest is Vetus that has a very large show room off the Siena-Grosseto highway (from Spannocchia -direction Siena) you can call 0577 347822 for more information or simply visit the store directly. There is also Terracotte di Alessandro Tesi that makes handmade terracotta and also some hand painted pieces, the workshop/store is on the way to Colle Val D’Elsa about 20 minutes from Spannocchia. The workshop is located in Pian di Olmino and the phone number is 0577 928130. In both places you can ask to see the actual workshop area, and can sometimes get a look at artisans creating their masterpieces.
TASTINGS/LOCAL FOOD & WINE:
Cheese Tasting at Fratelli Sanna
Fratelli Sanna’s farm and cheese making is located near Radi (10 minutes south from Siena, 40 minutes from Spannocchia) phone 0577 378007. Vittoria and her brothers speak limited English so try some Italian! They produce all their own organic cheese from their 400 Sardinian sheep. The area you will visit is where they actually make the cheese. The sheep are located on a separate part of their farm about 7km away (on down the road to Radi). They milk 10 months out of the year, and grow their own hay and other crops to feed their animals (busy people!). They produce both raw and pasteurized organic sheep milk cheeses (pecorino Toscano). You can make a reservation for their fantastic cheese tasting of everything from their aged 12-month pecorino, to their 3-month truffle pecorino, to fresh ricotta. This “lunch tasting” is 15 Euro per person (and is plenty of food to substitute lunch), a more limited tasting may be available upon request.
Fattoria Dei Barbi Wine Tasting near Montalcino
The visit starts with a tour of the Fattoria dei Barbi cantina where this world class Brunello wine is made and aged. You can choose from various tastings ranging from 7 16 Euro per person depending on the wines you select and if you want cheese and cured meats to accompany your tasting. All tours must be reserved ahead of time by calling 0577 841111 or emailing info@fattoriadeibarbi.it and are available for groups ranging from 8 30 people Monday to Friday from 10:30am to 11:30am and 3:30pm to 4:30pm. Sometimes it is possible to make a reservation for Saturday or Sunday, but there is a surcharge of 2 Euro per person for this service. A 30% deposit of the total must be paid before the visit to Fattoria dei Barbi-Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Ag. Di Montalcino c/c 5386/22 CAB 25500 ABI 1030, and the balance must be paid in cash at the time of the tasting. No credit cards accepted.
Poggio Alloro Farm Visit, Wine Tasting or Meal near San Gimigniano
A family-run organic farm about 5km from the center of San Gimigniano with a breathtaking view back to the town. They produce saffron (a historically significant DOP product from the area), chianina beef, pasta, olive oil, salt cured meats, honey and wine. A tour of the cantina and tasting of their Vernaccia, a typical white wine from the area, or their Chianti red wine is 5 Euro per person. It is also possible to make a reservation to have a lunch or dinner, prices start around 13 Euro per person. You can visit their website at www.fattoriapoggioalloro.com or call 0577 950153 for a reservation.
Grappa Tasting and tour of Distillery
The Bonollo Distillery is located near Greve in Chianti (about 1 14 hours from Spannocchia) and makes incredible grappa, aqua-vitae, brandy and different liqueurs. Grappa, a very strong alcohol from the skins and seeds of grapes, is traditionally from the north of Italy, but has become a popular after dinner drink in all of Italy in recent years. The tasting is 6 Euro per person and includes a tour of the copper distillation machine dating from the 1800’s, and the ageing cellars (tour available in English, Italian, German or Spanish). The tasting is of many different types of grappa, including aromatic, morbido (soft) and secco (dry) made from grapes such as the famous Chianti wine grape Sangiovese. Tours can be reserved by calling 055 8544466 or emailing greve@bonollo.com, website www.bonollo.com. Hours are Monday to Friday from 9am to 1pm and from 2:30pm to 6:30pm. We recommend going after lunch as the tasting is better on a full stomach!
Enoteca Italiana
This famous Enoteca Italiana is located on Via Camollia 72, 53100 near the historic city center of Siena in the Fortezza Tel. 0577.228.811 Fax. 0577.228.888 info@enoteca-italiana.it. The Enoteca Italiana is a public institution that was established in 1960 as an operational instrument of the Ente Mostra Mercato Nazionale (National Market-Exhibition Body) for Fine and Appellation of Origin Wines, which was founded in 1933. Its main objective is to spread the knowledge of, enhance and promote all of the best wines produced by the many vine growing and winemaking enterprises scattered throughout the national territory. Its headquarters are located in a captivating venue, on the north-east side of the Fortezza Medicea in Siena. There is a permanent exhibition of over 1,500 wines: only the best wines are admitted, following rigid classification by a Judging Commission. Wines can be tasted on the spot either in the rooms inside the Enoteca or on the outside terraces and can be purchased directly. The wines on display at the Enoteca represent a qualified selection of the most refined national production: wines labeled with Appellation of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin (DOCG), Appellation of Controlled Origin (DOC), Typical Geographic Origin (IGT), and prestigious table wines.
Nannini Pastry Production and Coffee Bar
Pasticceria Nannini is located near the Piazza del Campo in the historic city center of Siena on Via Banchi di Sopra, 24, Tel.0577 236009. This is an ideal place to stop while visiting Siena to try the typical Senese sweets: panforte, ricciarelli, cavallucci, panpepato or other sweets made in Siena since the Middle Ages. You can stop at the coffee bar for a quick espresso or go around to the back where it is possible to sit in a quiet corner with a cappuccino and pastry.
Vecchio Maneggio
This is a charming farm located in the vicinity of San Gimignano. They make wine, olive oil, honey, and saffron. They offer tours, tastings and an interesting visit in the region.
MUSEUMS:
Museo della Mezzadria
The Mezzadria Museum is a wonderful compliment to your stay at Spannocchia. This new, very well done museum provides a thoughtful look into Tuscany’s recent past, exploring the share cropping lifestyle that defined the culture of this area for the past 800 years. Open from Thursday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm, you can either do a self-guided visit or call ahead 0577 809075 for a guided tour (English or Italian). The entrance fee is 2 Euro per person. The museum is located in the small village of Buonconvento (on the way to Montalcino or Pienza) and is about 40 minutes away from Spannocchia. You can combine this visit with a visit to Abbazia Monte Oliveto Maggiore about 10 minutes away, or a nice stroll through Buonconvento. There is also a small open market on Saturday mornings right in front of the museum.
Museo Del Bosco / Torri’s Cloister
Just a few kilometers from Spannocchia in the small town of Orgia there is a museum dedicated to the forest (il bosco). For 1 Euro per person, guests can either go through on their own or request a guided tour by calling 0577 342097. Visitors learn about the surrounding forest, land use, natural resources, and the mezzadria sharecropping system. Hours are Thursday through Sunday from 3pm to 7pm and Friday and Saturday additional morning hours of 9am to 1pm. On Fridays, it is nice to combine this visit with a short stop in Torri (a very small town on your way to Orgia) to visit the Abbey’s chiostro a beautiful cloister courtyard that is open to the public Friday and Monday mornings from 9-12. The Abbey, now privately owned was built in the late 1100’s.
GARDENS/SCULPTURE PARKS:
Il Giardino dei Tarocchi
Literally translated as “The Tarot Garden” this strange and intriguing sculpture garden is located 2 hours south of Spannocchia, and is the perfect addition to a day at the beach on the Tuscan coast. It was created by famous artist Niki de Saint Phalle www.nikidesaintphalle.com Tel. 0564 895122. Located near the Tuscany/Lazio border just minutes from the beach near the small town of Capalbio in the province of Grosseto. The garden can be visited from April 1st until October 15th and the entrance fee is 10.50 Euro per person. Groups of 25 people or more may qualify for group rates, but must email/fax for reservations at least 10 days in advance to tarotg@tin.it fax: 0564 895700.
Il Bosco della Ragnaia
Half an hour from Buonconvento and 20 minutes away from Abbazia Monte Oliveto there is a natural woodland garden that you can visit from sunrise to sunset. The perfect place to relax and unwind after a day of touring, this garden, created by an artist (who wants to stay so low key that his name is impossible to find!) is on the outskirts of San Giovanni d’Asso and in the heart of the Crete Senese. For more information please visit the site www.laragnaia.com. No reservation or fee required.
Giardino di Villa Cetinale
The Villa Cetinale gardens are located about 20 minutes from Spannocchia near Sovicille in a small town called Ancaiano. They are open for visits from Monday to Friday 9am to 12pm by appointment only by calling 0577 311147. The entrance fee is 10 Euro per person. Built between 1676 and 1678 by cardinal Flavio Chigi, to a design by the architect Carlo Fontana (a pupil of Bernini) to celebrate the election of Fabio Chigi as Pope Alexander VII, the villa was never used for reception purposes, but as a private residence to which the Chigi would retreat for brief periods of repose. The complex was built in three stages: the first, involving the construction of the villa, its outbuildings and the formal garden (1676-1688); the second, involving the laying out of the Tebaide park (1698-1705); and the third, involving the building of the hermitage (1716). The garden was restored by Lord Lampton in the twentieth century. He also made an English flower garden below the villa. Steps ascend a hill into a sacred wood with statues of hermits.
Giardino di Villa Le Foce
The gardens of Le Foce can be vistited by appointment only on Wednesday afternoons from 3pm to 7pm from April to September, and from 3pm to 5pm from October to March by calling tel 0578 69101. It is located in Chianciano Terme near Montepulciano, about 1 12 hours from Spannocchia. It is a re-created renaissance style garden designed by Cecil Pinsent between 1927 and 1939 for Iris Origo, a writer and horticulturalist. The harmony between buildings, garden and surrounding nature makes Le Foce an ideal example of Tuscany’s architectural and cultural evolution in the 20th Century.
Parco Sculture del Chianti
The Chianti Sculpture park is located about 40 minutes from Spannocchia in a small town in the Chianti called Pievasciata. You can book on their website at www.chiantisculpturepark.it or get more information by calling 0577 357151. The entrance fee is 7.50 Euro per person April - October from 10:00 am to Sunset.
From November to March it is advisable to call first. The Chianti Sculpture Park offers each of its visitors a unique experience. In an untouched wood of ilex and oak trees in the heart of Sienese Chianti, many internationally renowned artists from five continents have created imposing contemporary sculptures in accordance with their own creative ideas and style. Every artist was invited to choose his/her preferred place and then make a proposal. All the sculptures therefore, can be considered to be truly site-specific, which explains their harmony with the trees, the sounds, the colours, the light, and every other element of the wood. In fact, these man-made works do not extend beyond the limits of nature, rather, they integrate with it and enhance it.
Orto Botanico di Siena
The Botanical Gardens of the University of Siena has more than 2000 plants from all over the world. The entrance is free and the garden is open to the public Monday to Friday from 8am to 5:30pm and Saturday morning from 8am 12pm. The area is a total of 2 hectares, and it is located inside the Siena city walls near Porta Tufi, with an entrance on Pier Andrea Mattioli, 4. For guided tours please call 0577 232871.
Il Giardino di Daniel Spoerri
The gardens of Daniel Spoerri cover an area of 15 hectares with 80 art installations to see and experience. It is a garden and “gallery” in continual evolution with works by Spoerri and other internationally known artists such as Nam June Paik, Eva Aeppli and Roberto Barni. Please call ahead for reservations to 0564 950457 or visit the website www.ilgiardinodidanielspoerri.it. The entrance fee is around 7 Euro and the area is near Monte Amiata (past Montalcino), about 1 12 hours from Spannocchia.
Parco Fattoria di Celle
The park Fattoria di Celle, in the Pistoia province, has no entrance fee and can be visited by written request sent via or fax to 0573/479486. In the 15th century this villa and its adjoining land belonged to the Pazzaglia family, but later became the property of the Fabbroni, a cultured noble family from Pistoia, who were responsible for much of the reorganization of the building and its garden. In the mid-19th century the garden was turned into a romantic park, in a design by the architect Giovanni Gambini. The Brana river, which crosses the area of the park, was used to create a small lake, with an island in the centre, complete with Neoclassical ornamental temple, and a rocky gorge crossed by a bridge onto which a waterfall cascaded. Near the gorge was a neo-Gothic building, known as the Tempietto della Fonte, and a building in the ancient Egyptian style. In 1969, after changing hands several times, Villa Celle was bought by Prato entrepreneur Giuliano Gori, a collector of contemporary art, who over the years brought many works of art here, turning the villa into a fully-fledged open-air museum. Scattered inside the park are works of art by various national and international artists, including Magdalena Abakanowicz, Alice Aycoch, Luciano Fabro, Dani Karavan, Sol LeWitt, Richard Long, Fausto Melotti, Robert Morris, Dennis Oppenheim, Pistoletto, Anne and Patrick Poirier, Ulrich Ruckriem, Richard Serra, Mauro Staccioli, George Trakas and many more besides. The park is also home to a large number of trees of various species, such as white fir, chestnut and horse chestnut, white hornbeam, Atlantic and Himalayan cedar, cypress and Lawson cypress, flowering ash, giant arbor vitae, red fir, black and umbrella pine, plane trees, scented American fir, Douglas fir, yew trees, lime trees, elm trees, and a whole range of different kinds of oak: holm-oak, turkey oak, common oak, downy oak, red oak and American oak.
Castello di Celsa
The Celsa Castle is located around 20 minutes from Spannocchia near Ancaiano (Sovicille). The castle belongs to Italian Prince Aldobrandini, and the oldest part (some has been destroyed and rebuilt) is from the 1600's. There is a beautiful Italian style garden and a circular chapel designed by the famous architect Peruzzi. The castello gardens have an commanding view of the surrounding coutryside and are well worth the visit. You can visit their website at http://www.cultura.toscana.it/architetture/giardini/siena/villa_celsa.shtml, all the information for making a reservation is available on the website.
THERMAL BATHS:
Bagno Vignoni
Bagno Vignoni is a charming town in the Val d’Orcia near Montalcino and Pienza about 1 12 hours from Spannocchia. The tiny village center is a large rectangular basin in which hot thermal spring waters flow from its underground volcanic origins. The healing properties of the thermal waters in Bagno Vignoni were first discovered by the Etruscans -- and then by the Romans, always great lovers of thermal baths. Illustrious visitors such as Pope Pius II, St. Catherine from Siena, Lorenzo de Medici not to mention poets, writers and artists from all over the world have searched use of these therapeutic waters and gained inspiration from the wonderful surroundings. You can go for a dip in the hot springs at Piscina Val di Sole at the Hotel Posta Marcucci www.piscinavaldisole.it Open most days from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm. You can call 0577 887112 or fax 0577 887119 by email info@HotelPostaMarcucci.it. An all day entrance is 10 Euro per person, with a possible discount for a groups over 10. There are two wonderful restaurants in town, Osteria La Parata and Osteria del Leone, to make your day complete.
Terme di Rapolano
About 1 hour from Spannocchia, located right off the Siena-Bettole highway is the Antica Querciolaia Rapolano, a hotel and thermal bath spa with many large heated pools. See their website www.termeaq.it Tel. 0577 724091 on Via Trieste 22 in Rapolano Terme Open every day. Entrance fee is from 9-13 Euro per person depending on the day. Besides a soak in the thermal baths all kinds of spa treatments are available. On some Thursdays and every Saturday the baths are open till after midnight so you can experience the thermal baths under the stars!
Saturnia
About 2 hours from Spannocchia in the heart of the Grosseto province you can visit the wonderful thermal baths of Saturnia. There are two ways to visit the terme di Saturnia: the first is by paying to get into the “official” baths www.termedisaturnia.it Tel. 0564 600111 which cost 16.50 Euro per person full day, 12.50 half day. There are four thermal water pools, falls, Jacuzzi and vascular courses having both warm and cold water. The thermal water, at the constant temperature of 37, allow people to have bath all year round. Your other option is to experience the natural baths created just a 12 mile or so away from the official baths. The entrance is free, and there is a beautiful waterfall created by the many carved out pools, but no spa services.