The Siena area is the heart of Tuscany and a picture of quintessential Italian countryside. The great masterpiece that is the Gothic city of Siena crowns a bluff in the middle as swathes of softly contoured vineyards and farms roll onto the horizon. Slender Mediterranean cypress trees dance in the balmy breezes. Ancient farmhouses punctuate the ridges. Hill towns – tinted gold and terracotta red – cap the summits. Prepare to be enchanted.
Most will focus their attention on the north. That’s where the prestigious wine country of the Chianti Valley opens in all its glory. Sumptuous vineyards and cellar doors beckon travelling epicureans there with the promise of award-winning tipples made from Sangiovese grapes, highly smoked and heavy, with overtones of dark cherry and oregano. But Chianti is also the land of hill towns, like magical Montefioralle and walled Monteriggioni, ideal for day trips from your luxury villa.
The southern side of Siena is wilder; the Tuscan backcountry fragments into badlands and sun-baked ridges and is known as the Crete Senese for its barren appearance. However, there are places of refuge, including the stunning hilltop town of Montepulciano, home of the fine-aged vino nobile and a stunning piazza capped by the Torre di Pulcinella. Another is Pienza, a town famed as the first example of real urban planning, where elegant Papal palazzos and mediaeval arcades flank the streets.
The Val d’Orcia – UNESCO-tagged and legendary – also deserves a special mention for guests looking to holiday in a luxury villa in the Siena area. It’s a disarmingly beautiful part of the country, where the light dances ethereally on the hills, and the landscapes are a colour palette of beiges, browns, tans, and emerald greens. Within, you’ll unravel tales of great Italian banditos at Radicofani, sample some of the world’s best wines at Montalcino, and bathe in wild hot springs between the woods of Bagni di San Filippo.
See
- The stunning, UNESCO-protected Val d'Orcia region
- Landscapes of rolling hills and verdant vineyards
- The impressive tower of Radicofani Castle
Experience
- Taste the fine wines of Chianti
- Bathe in the hot springs of Bagni di San Filippo
- Explore enthralling towns like Montepulciano and Monteriggioni
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