Tuscany

28/12/2011
THE FACES OF TUSCANY – 2012
HOTELS
 In Florence
hotel Villa Liana* www.hotelliana.com
 In Siena
agriturismo l’Aia* www.aia.sienaholidays.com
 In Follonica
hotel Piccolo Mondo* www.piccolomondohotel.it
 In Manciano
agriturismo il Quarto* www.agriturismoilquarto.it
*or similar accomodations
Introduction
Tuscany is a region in Central Italy. It has an
area of about 23,000 square kilometres
(8,900 sq mi) and a population of about 3.7
million inhabitants. The regional capital is
Florence. Tuscany is known for its beautiful
landscapes, its rich artistic legacy and vast
influence on high culture. Tuscany is widely
regarded as the true birthplace of the
Italian Renaissance, and has been home to
some of the most influential people in the
history of arts and science, such as Petrarch,
Dante, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da
Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Amerigo Vespucci, Luca
Pacioli and Puccini. Due to this, the region has several museums (such as the Uffizi, the Pitti Palace and
the Chianciano Museum of Art). Tuscany has a unique culinary tradition, and is famous for its wines
(most famous of which are Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano and Brunello
di Montalcino). Six Tuscan localities have been designated World Heritage Sites: the historic centre of
Florence (1982), the historical centre of Siena (1995), the square of the Cathedral of Pisa (1987), the
historical centre of San Gimignano (1990), the historical centre of Pienza (1996) and the Val d'Orcia
(2004). Furthermore, Tuscany has over 120 protected nature reserves. Roughly triangular in shape
and situated between the northern part of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the central Apennines, surrounded
and crossed by major mountain chains, and with few (but very fertile) plains, the region has a relief
that is dominated by hilly country. Most of the work done here is farming. Whereas mountains cover
25% of the total area, and plains a mere 8.4% of the total area, almost all coinciding with the valley of
the River Arno, summing for 1,930 square kilometres (750 sq mi), — overall hills make up two-thirds
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(66.5%) of the region's total area, covering 15,292 square kilometres (5,904 sq mi). The climate, which
is fairly mild in the coastal areas, is harsher and rainy in the interior, with considerable fluctuations in
temperature between winter and summer giving the region a soil building active freeze-thaw cycle in
part accounting for the region once having served as a key breadbasket of ancient Rome.
Day 1
Florence
Morning
Santa Maria del Fiore, Dome and Baptistery of St John, Palazzo della Signoria and
Loggia dei Lanzi, Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio.
Lunch
Tipical sandwich Fiorentino.
Afternoon
Quarters Santo Spirito, Palazzo Pitti Relax at Boboli’s gardens and old shops.
Dinner
Wine and Cellars in Florence, wine Tasting and dinner from the florentine tradition.
Florence Almost 10% of the world's art
treasure is located in Florence. Piazza
Duomo, facing the cathedral of Santa
Maria del Fiore, begun by Arnolfo di
Cambio in 1296 but only in 1436
crowned with the masterpiece of
Filippo Brunelleschi. His Cupola (dome)
is the symbol of Florence, a daring and
majestic structure from the top of
which you will get a wonderful panoramic view of the city, and also of the interior of the cathedral.
Beside the façade stands another giant,
Giotto’s campanile (bell tower), slender and
many-coloured, also affording a fine view of
the city. Opposite the façade of the Duomo is
the more ancient Baptistery of St John, with
its famous bronze doors. We will follow the
animated Via dei Calzaiuoli and will reach
Piazza della Signoria, the political heart of
Florence. Here rises the late 13th-century
Palazzo della Signoria or Palazzo Vecchio, which is the seat of the Commune of Florence as well as
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being a museum. Flanking the piazza is the 14th-century Loggia dei Lanzi, in which there are such
world-renowned statues. Adjoining Palazzo Vecchio is the imposing pile of the Uffizi, designed by
Vasari in the 16th century as the seat of the Chancellery of the ruling Medici family, and now one of
the most important museums in the world. The Gallery houses paintings ranging from the primitives
(Cimabue, Giotto) to the Mannerist period, and is a complete compendium of Renaissance painting.
Ponte Vecchio One of the symbols of the city, the bridge has survived the ravages of war and the
flooding of the Arno, and ever since
1500 has been home to famous
goldsmiths’ shops. After crossing the
bridge we are in “Oltrarno”, beyond
the Arno, a very important matter in
Florence. Of the four historical
quarters of Florence, three San
Giovanni, Santa Maria Novella and
Santa Croce, are on “this” side of the
Arno, and only one, Santo Spirito, on the other. The road straight ahead from the Ponte Vecchio brings
us to Piazza Pitti, dominated by the majestic façade of Palazzo Pitti. Of 15th-century origin.
Boboli Gardens. It was enlarged and
enhanced with a marvellous park, the
Palazzo Pitti is the seat of numerous
museums, and the garden itself is one
of them. We will make for Piazza Santa
Spirito: you will enjoy the lively
atmosphere of this part of the city. It is
home to numerous crafts, and has a
genuine spirit of its own. Piazza Santo
Spirito itself, one of the few city
squares with trees in it, is surrounded by fine palaces in addition to the church, designed by Filippo
Brunelleschi in 1444. Besides the linear purity of its architecture, the building contains important
works of art.
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Day 2
Morning
Florence
Train station and Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, Oficina perfume and farmaceutical.
Palazzo Strozzi.
Lunch
Afternoon
Cheese tasting.
St. Lorenzo and Monastery of San Marco, Library Mediceo Laurenziana. Galleria
dell'Accademia, Spedale of Innocenti, Church of Santissima Annunziata. Aperitif
Florence stile.
Dinner
After dinner
T-bone steak “Fiorentina” at Perseus.
Movie about Florence …
Oficina perfume and farmaceutical
Not far from the train station of Santa Maria
Novella, a masterpiece of 20th-century
rationalist architecture, stands the basilica
after which it is named Santa Maria Novella
is the 13th-century church of the Dominican
Order, with a fine façade in green and white
marble. The Gothic interior is very beautiful,
with numerous frescoes and masterpieces
of
Renaissance
art.
Through
narrow,
picturesque alleys you reach Via Tornabuoni, the most
fashionable shopping street in Florence, onto which backs
the great Palazzo Strozzi, one of the outstanding
Renaissance buildings in the city. Two places with Palazzo
Medici close ties to this Palace are the nearby church of San
Lorenzo and the Monastery of San Marco. The Museum
housed in the monastery is remarkable for the Renaissance
frescoes of Beato Angelico, while the Library is a
masterwork of Michelozzo. Just off Piazza San Marco is the
Galleria dell’Accademia, one of the most frequented of
Florentine museums because it contains Michelangelo’s
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celebrated David. Yet the museum also houses other interesting sculptures by the same artist and a
fine range of Tuscan paintings from the 13th to the 16th century.
The Spedale degli Innocenti, the work of Filippo Brunelleschi. Originally intended for the acceptance
and care of abandoned children, as early as 1440 it contained a museum and has many rooms of great
artistic interest. The church of the Santissima Annunziata was built in the mid 13th century.
Day 3
Mugello by train: Marradi and Borgo San Lorenzo
Morning
Marradi station Old town and Campana museum. Chestnut Festival “ Marron”.
Lunch
Tipical local food. Lunch during the Festival.
Afternoon
Borgo St. Lorenzo station Old town and Liberty itinerary, Museum of
Chini
Manufacture Museum of peasant life in Mugello Erci and Mill Faini .
Dinner
In Firenze Locanda del Borgo Antico.
Mugello by train
Marradi The first inhabited nucleus of Marradi
was born on the right bank of the Lamone river,
built in Roman times (maybe in 59 BC). In the
Middle Ages it passed under the dominion of the
Church State and this is in fact when the
numerous churches and abbeys of the zone were
founded. After a long period of struggles
between Guelphs and Ghibellines, Marradi
passed under Florentine protection in the
XV century: the fighting between the
Florentine Republic and the powerful
Medici family represented a dark time for
the town that flourished again under the
guide of the Lorena family. Once politically
stabilised Marradi became an important
trade centre thanks to its halfway position
between Florence and Romagna.
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Such an eventful history has left the town of Marradi
with a picturesque aspect typical of the Mugello villages,
with its various styles of building illustrating the history
of the town throughout the centuries: you can visit a
church of Romanic foundations, such as the Village
Abbey, or the Archpriest’s Church of St. Laurence.
Reconstructed in 1785 in a neoclassic form the church
conserves three panels that made up part of a 16th
Century polyptych and that show St. Laurence, the
Madonna with Child and St. John the Evangelist. Lovers of
late 17th century architecture can visit the Town Hall, or
the beautiful Teatro degli Animosi, that are just a few of the buildings of historic and artistic interest
present in Marradi. In October the town is alive with the festivals that celebrate the famously delicious
chestnuts that are a typical speciality of the town.
Borgo San Lorenzo was founded around the court of the Ubaldini family, in a place where an ancient
Roman village once stood. Historically, it has always been the most important town in the Mugello
area thanks to its strategic position. After the dominion of the Florentine Bishops, against which the
town rebelled in 1273, Borgo San Lorenzo became a municipality. As the Mugello was a land of transit,
this town saw much fighting
over the centuries, right up
until the end of World War 2.
The town was destroyed and
rebuilt many times and today,
very little remains of the midfourteenth century walls that
once surrounded the town.
The town centre has been
completely
historically
restored.
Its
strategic
importance and its ancient origins have considerably contributed to making Borgo San Lorenzo a
fascinating town to visit. There are numerous sacred buildings of great artistic interest in the
municipality such as the Abbey of St. Lawrence, the Parish of St. Cresci in Valcava (on a hilltop in an
amazing position along the road that leads to Sagginale) and the Oratory of the Madonna of the Three
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Rivers which was built in a place where it is said an image of the Madonna was seen. Inside this church
there is a sixteenth century “Madonna with Child”. It is also possible to visit the Municipal building
which today is the seat of the Town Hall, Villa Pecori Giraldi built in the thirteenth century and with
stupendous Liberty interiors that host the Museum of Chini Manufacture.
Day 4
Chianti tour from Florence to Siena
Morning
Rufina, Villa Poggio Reale and Wine museum. Chianti tasting.
Lunch
Tipical “ciaccino senese”.
Afternoon
Siena and Middle Ages in Tuscany between towers, museum and old buildings.
Dinner
Historical Osteria l'antica Osteria Le Logge.
After dinner
Drink in Piazza del Campo and Siena Jazz.
Chianti area
Rufina is located in a hilly area
famous for producing excellent
wine: Chianti. Some sites of
interest around the municipality
of Rufina are the Villa Budini,
Falgano Castle and the churches
of Santo Stefano and San
Bartolomeo. Rufina Castle is the
oldest part of the town. It was
owned by the influential bishop
of Fiesole in the thirteenth
century.
Villa Poggio Reale is the symbol of the territory of Rufina County, it’s composed of the Villa itself, the
aristocratic chapel, the guest-rooms, and the lemon-house; in the cellars of the Villa there is the “Vine
and Wine Museum”, connected with some educational work-shops. Parts of the cellars have been
transformed into a beautiful “Enoteca”, that is a stock of vintage wines. The Villa is surrounded by a
large forest of evergreen plants, called “Ragnaia”, by a long cypress avenue, by vineyards and
orchards. Wine is a very important part of the culture of the Rufina and Pomino territory, and the Vine
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and Wine Museum was created to
give evidence to such importance. In
the
Museum
you’ll
find
the
description of the various aspects
both of the vine-growing and the
wine-making, as well as many
elements
concerning
the
production, such as the coopershop, the bottling, the labelling and
the preservation. The exhibition
runs through rooms that describe the various moments of the vine cultivation, up to the wine-making,
and the old and modern objects linked to this processing. The visit will be combined with the tasting of
Chianti Rufina wine.
Siena is a synonym for ‘high quality lifestyles’. It was
the first Municipality in Europe to close its center to
traffic in 1966. Siena is a place of international
culture. Its university is 750 years old and it hosts
several noteworthy institutions. In this city,
everything has remained unchanged for centuries,
and with an ‘atmosphere’ that cannot be found
elsewhere, because its people truly maintain the
traditions of their ancestors. The tradition of the
Palio, for example, is celebrated and renewed
each year with the same renowned power and
enthusiasm. Siena has Etruscan origins; it was a
Roman colony whose name was ‘Sena Julia’. Its
importance grew considerably in the Middle
Ages, first with Lombards and later, under
Carolingian leadership. After a long period of
Episcopal dominion (from the 9th to the 11th
century), the city reached the peak of power and became a municipality in 1147. During this period,
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Siena adopted expansionistic policies towards bordering territories. Confrontation with Florence was
inevitable and due to various vicissitudes, their struggle lasted until 1555. In that year, after a long
siege, Siena was conquered by the Florentines. Thus, the city lost its autonomy and became part of the
Grand Duchy of Tuscany, sharing the Duchy’s destiny until the Unification of Italy in 1861.
Day 5
Chianti tour: Monteriggioni, Colle Val d’Elsa, San Gimignano
Morning
Monteriggioni, Colle Val d'Elsa and San Gimignano.
Lunch
Monteriggioni during the festival.
Afternoon
Monteriggioni and Middle Ages commemoration into the castle.
Dinner
Osteria di Donatella.
After dinner
Chianti Festival: perfect mix of music, wine and food with the charm of the village as
its setting.
Monteriggioni In the year 1000 was already a thriving town. The castle however, wasn’t built till 1213.
It was built by the Republic of Siena who
wanted it to be a kind of defensive
outpost on the main road between
Florence and Siena. It was one of the first
castles built by the Siense who, until then,
had always used the fortresses of weak
feudal families. This castle has two large
entrances, one known as ‘romea’ which
opened onto the road to Siena and
another that faced Florence. The castle
had several important defensive elements, such as the ‘carbonaie’ which were kept full of coal and
could be set alight when needed in order to keep the enemy far from the castle walls. There are
portcullises, towers and a second entrance that creates an anti-chamber for the Fiorentina Gate.
Between 1244 and 1269 Florence tried many times to invade the town without success. During the XIV
century, the castle and surrounding town remained firmly in the hands of Siena, despite being
weakened by the plague and an attempted invasion by a group of Sienese exiles in 1383 which failed
due to lack of support from Florence. Nonetheless, the invention of gunpowder and the subsequent
creation of the artillery made the castle much more vulnerable to attack. The walls were lowered and
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the ‘carbonaie’ were eliminated. Monteriggioni modernised its structure and was able to withstand
the siege of 1554 by Papal troops who were historical allies of the Florentine Republic. However,
shortly after this success, the town was betrayed by Captain Zeti who handed the town over to the
Florentines without any kind of battle. This totally altered the balance between Florence and Siena and
Florentine Medici troops were able to go on to take over the Sienese Republic. The inhabitants of the
castle were utterly humiliated and deported. The region came under the rule of the Grand Duchy of
Tuscany and stayed that way right up to the unification of Italy. Both Monteriggioni's exterior walls
and the buildings within are some the best preserved in all of Italy.
Colle Val d’Elsa
San Gimignano In this council you can admire the churches of St. Iacopo and St. Peter, the Collegiate
of St. Mary’s Assumption with the
Chapel of St. Fina, the Cathedral, the
Museum of Sacred Art, the Podestà
Palace and the Pratellesi Palace. In
ancient times San Gimignano was a
tiny village in the Greek-Etruscan
period (III-II centuries BC). There is
however some evidence of a more
remote presence. The sacred area of
Pugliano, still visible in the valley of
the Riguardi river, seems in fact to date back to the Archaic-Etruscan era. The legend about the
foundation of the city instead attributes its birth to the settlement of Silvio, one of the Roman
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patricians who fled after the failed plot against Catiline. The year of foundation would be 63 BC, with
the rising of the Silvia village. By medieval times Silvia was consolidated and took the name of the
Bishop of Modena Gimignano, who it is said foiled the invasion of the town by Totila’s barbaric hordes
with his apparition. Thanks to the Via Francigena, San Gimignano saw the development of a growing
number of churches and convents in the surrounding area. The route, opened by the Longobards along
the ancient Via Cassia and subsequently controlled by the Franks, represents an authentic
thoroughfare that links Northern Europe to Rome. In 1199 the city became an autonomous council,
freeing itself of the dominion of the bishopric of Volterra. In this era the village suffered internal
divisions between Papal-supporting Guelphs and Empire-supporting Ghibellines, who caused a real
“civil war” in the territory. Among the numerous diplomats welcomed to the city to resolve the
fratricide that was storming Tuscany was Dante Alighieri (year 1300). The plague in the mid-14th
century aggravated the socio-economic crisis in the village which, in 1354, accepted submission to the
authority of the Florentine Republic. From that moment San Gimignano became one of the most
important centres of the Florentine county, despite its obvious demographic decline. Of the 13,000
inhabitants at the beginning of the 14th century only 3,000 remained at the end of the 15th century.
The degradation of its social make-up and the fall in the number of inhabitants meant that
construction did not particularly interfere in the structure of the town centre. In recent times,
therefore, the citizens of San Gimignano have realized an authentic, valuable, open-air, artistic
heritage. With all of its medieval structure still intact, the council has been recently added to the list of
UNESCO-protected heritages.
Day 6
Maremma natural park and Follonica
Morning
Regional Park Uccellina.
Lunch
Picnic lunch.
Afternoon
Photo competition into the park and nature trail.
Dinner
Arca in Follonica.
After dinner
Musical entertainment.
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Regional Park Uccellina. Visiting
Maremma means to be in contact
with nature. The Maremma is
outstanding for its many protected
natural areas that offer the chance
to appreciate its wide variety of
animals, insects and birds, trees,
shrubs and flowers and to enjoy its
special light and scenic beauty. The
Nature Reserves aren't separate
from the rest of the territory, but are symbolic of an integral whole. The Maremma affirms a way of
life in harmony with nature and
the rhythm of the seasons. The
Natural
Park
encompasses
of
the
Maremma
Monti
dell'Uccellina was one of the first
protected areas instituted in Italy.
Today the Province of Grosseto
can boast of 13 Nature Reserves,
an additional 8 which include
Reserves for Repopulation, Biogenetics, Protection and Comprehensive Protection, plus the various
oasis of the WWF. In all, there are
almost 40,000 hectares of nature
reserves stretching from north to
south. They provide a complex and
detailed vision of the wealth of the
Maremma's natural heritage in all
of its diversity from coast to
inland, wet zones and mountain
crests.
The
numerous
routes
indicated within the parks enable
the visitor to perceive the vastness
of the preservation project and the
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botanical, zoological and geological wealth, differentiation, and beauty offered.
Day 7
The Maremma: Sorano and Pitigliano
Morning
Sorano, local craft market and food-and-wine tasting.
Lunch
Tasting.
Afternoon
The Pitigliano tufa labyrinth and the “Torciata of St Joseph”. “Sfratti” tasting in
Pitigliano.
Dinner
Cooking lesson “la cucina Maremmana”.
Sorano and the surrounding towns are filled with examples of their Etruscan origin, which dates back
to the period of this civilization’s
greatest splendor. Sorano was built on
a high rock and this extremely
picturesque position captivates all
who visit it. With the passage of time,
it has come to resemble a natural cliff,
only
slightly
refined
by
the
Renaissance architecture. The girding
wall served to make it one of the
safest outposts in the County of
Pitigliano. Sorano belonged to the
Aldobrandeschi family, who developed it as a defensive position, fortifying it with the walls that still
surround the village today. Subsequently it passed under the dominion of the Orsini family, who built a
beautiful fortress, the most interesting monument in the village. In the middle of the 1400s, it became
the site of conflicts. it became the theatre of the conflict with the Sienese Republic without ever being
taken. This prompted Cosimo dei Medici's nickname for it as the "tinderbox of Italian wars". In 1608, it
fell definitively under the domain of the Grand duchy of Tuscany. Continuity with the past is still alive,
and the antique peasant culture has retained its main activities. Vineyards, scrub, olive groves, fields of
wheat and sheep farming surround the town. As a result of this agricultural vocation, the area is
incrgeasingly renowned for the high-quality of traditional Maremman products. This includes an
important dairy production. The entire surrounding territory abounds in medieval fortifications, such
as the Castle of Montorio, the Citadel of Castell’Ottieri and the castle of Montebuono. The
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archeological park, “Città del Tufo” is very unique because the area’s major historical, archeological
and cultural treasures of the territory are found here: the church of San Sebastiano, the
Aldobrandeschi fortress and the necropolis excavated in the rock, surrounded by the marvels of
nature. Antique tombs stand out, especially noteworthy is the monumental Ildebranda. Regarded as
the masterpiece of all of the tombs, it represents the passage from archaic Etruria to that which will
soon succumb to Rome and its empire. There are also tombs excavated in the rock walls, enveloped
and protected by thick vegetation, which increases their fascination and mystery. The most famous is
the Siren’s Tomb. These grottos, discovered near Sorano and Vitozza, are almost unadorned compared
to the others, but are equally fascinating. They were probably originally used for raising pigeons or as
incinerators, and later in Roman and Medieval times, were turned into dwellings, stalls or cellars.
Pitigliano seems to have been taken out of a fairytale. It appears to have grown from the stone of this
wildly beautiful promontory, bounded by green
valleys crossed by the Lente and Meleta rivers. The
high walls of volcanic tufa, carved out by a thousand
caverns, project a series of tower-houses, thus
heightening the picturesque feel of this medieval
town. The houses, constructed on a tuffaceous
drum, repeat the vertical lines of the cliffs, making
the enclosing walls almost superfluous, although the
defensive structures, such as the 14th century Orsini
Palace, are the most imposing. The town still holds
the treasures of its ancient past, the centuries of
succeeding civilizations and their cultures: the
Rinaldian eneolithic period; the Etruscan tombs
discovered in the surrounding territory or along the
city walls; the Roman origin of the antique “Gens
Petilia”; the Medieval Aldobandeschi family that ruled the Maremma for almost half a millennium; the
noble Orsini family in the Renaissance, followed briefly by the Sienese, then the Medici, and their
heirs, the Lorraine who initiated a notable urban development and stimulated an important phase of
modernization. This illustrious past becomes present while walking the old streets, admiring the
ancient houses and visiting the famous Jewish ghetto. The large and active Jewish community, dating
back from the 15th century, has prompted the name “Little Jerusalem” for this splendid village. After
important works of restoration, the Synagogue is again open for worship. The Synagogue, the Hebrew
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cemetery, the kosher oven where unleavened bread was baked, the cellar carved in the rock where
kosher wine was produced, the kosher butcher shop, the baths for the purification of the women and
the cleaners are all open to the public. The richness of the past has been handed down in wine
production, as well. The vineyards, fertilized by volcanic tufa and millennium-old humus, produce one
of the most highly regarded white wines in Italy, one of the first wines to receive the recognition of
DOC. Several of the grottos and Etruscan tombs carved into the rock are used as cellars for ageing and
preserving these wines. The same respect for tradition holds true in the production of the
extraordinary, cold-pressed olive oil, which when combined with the wine, make the culinary dishes of
Pitigliano even more delicious.
Torciata of St. Joseph is held every year. In the evening, a group of men dressed in habits, carry
bundles of lighted reeds on their shoulders. There, the reeds and a puppet representing the “Harsh
Winter” are burned, creating a spell-binding effect.
Day 8
Maremma: Saturnia therme and Argentario
Morning
Walking-lesson about aromatic plants and fruits grown in Maremma with a natural
guide
Lunch
Lunch cooked with the harvest of the day
Afternoon
Saturnia Aperitif with a wonderful view of Porto Santo Stefano
Dinner
La Ribotta.
After dinner
Musical entertainment and Karaoke
Saturnia.
According
to
the
Etruscans and Romans legend,
the Terme of Saturnia was formed
by lightning bolts, thrown by
Jupiter. During a violent quarrel
between the two mythological
deities, the bolts thrown towards
Saturn had missed, causing the
formations. The sulphurous spring
water, at a temperature of 37.5
°C, are well-known for their therapeutic properties, offering relaxation and wellbeing through
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immersion. The main thermal waterfalls are the Mill Falls, located at an old mill as well as the
Waterfalls of Gorello. The yield of the source is about 800 litres per second, which guarantees an
optimal replacement of water. The chemical make-up is sulphur, carbon, sulphate, bicarbonatealkaline, earth, with the presence of hydrogen sulphide gas and carbon dioxide. The minerals dissolved
in water amount to 2.79 grams per litre. The area of Saturnia Spa presents, as a whole, a large area
where it has developed the famed luxury spa of Terme of Saturnia, where, in addition to various
thermal treatments, also produces thermal perfumes and creams for men and women.
Argentario
Porto Santo Stefano
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