Montalcino and Pienza

Montalcino

The home of one of the most renowned Italian wines, Brunello di Montalcino, is an ancient village on the top of a hill, which still preserves the memories of its long history. The imposing Rocca di Montalcino towers over the city along with the mighty medieval walls that surround it. Among the streets of the old town there are many masterpieces, especially of sacred architecture. The Church of Sant’Egidio and the Church of Sant’Agostino date back to the 14th century, while the Cathedral, built on the remains of an ancient 9th-century parish church, is neoclassical. Another masterpiece located a few kilometers from Montalcino is the Abbey of Sant’Antimo, a magnificent example of Romanesque architecture. Bagno Vignoni Along the Via Franchigena, the road of pilgrimages to Rome, we find this small village where time seems to have stopped. The large thermal water basin is the hub of the village, surrounded by a wall of the ‘300 and continuously fed by a sixteenth-century fountain, from which springs a thermal water directly from a volcanic source. The water that reaches a temperature of 52 ° C has therapeutic characteristics known since ancient times and around which wellness centers have sprung up that have made Bagno Vignoni an appreciated spa resort. Under the village there is also the mills park recently restored by the municipality of San Quirico, where the waters are divided into small canals and tanks and then fall towards the river Orcia forming concretions, waterfalls and pools.

Pienza

Splendid Renaissance city, just as Pope Pius II wanted it. To savor the warmth of the village, just walk through its narrow streets or linger in the main square, trapezoidal, and take a look at the buildings that surround it. The Duomo, built in 1459 by Bernardo Rossellino, stands majestically on the historic center, accompanied by the Palazzo Borgia and the Palazzo Piccolomini. Pienza is now also known for its pecorino, a product of the Val d’Orcia and renowned throughout the world. Montepulciano Without doubt one of the most beautiful medieval cities of Tuscany, lying 600 meters high and protected by wall fortifications still intact and admirable. The country, of Etruscan origin, is known worldwide for its Renaissance palaces and for the refinement of its churches, among the various monuments you can admire the Palazzo Budelli, the Palazzo Comunale, the Temple of the Madonna di San Biagio and the Church of Sant’Agostino. Montepulciano also has notoriety for the wealth of excellent vineyards from which the Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG or Rosso di Montepulciano wine is made.