'Medici.
At the end of the garden there is a staircase that leads up to what was once the old tower of the Casero, before the Second World War up to 39 meters high.
San Quirico in his little prepares you for a short visit, a touch and go, why not take the opportunity to try one of the many craft beers, made from the cereals and aromas of the Val d'Orcia.
After this brief visit to San Quirico D'Orcia, continue in the direction of Pienza, is about ten kilometers along the SS146 road that runs through the valley between ups and downs, and a spectacular show of colors. A huge golden valley dotted with large swivels straw (in June-July) and narrow streets lined with pine trees and a summer breeze that excites. To fine tune this scenario, before taking the uphill road we stopped at a street corner, where in the distance you can see a small church on the hill lined with a fir tree, is a single framework.
Pienza until 1462 was a small village named Corsignano, the turning point came about thanks to the native data to the future Pope Pius II, who along years after his land, he decided to give it a new light, and he entrusted the work to the architect Bernardo Rossellini , which work for about four years, giving a unique harmony to the whole village. Once in Pienza on the main road, on the right if coming from San Quirico, there is a huge parking where you can leave the car.
We go into one of the side streets and already the first steps we perceive a feeling of peace and harmony, every detail is taken care of, plants and flowers, filled balconies, windows, entrances of homes and sometimes surround the corners of the houses. The summer breeze brings with it the scent of meats and cheeses, the famous cheeses of Pienza, of which the shops are full. We walk the streets until you get to the central square, the center of the town, with the Cathedral of the Assumption, the City and the Palazzo Piccolomini, also known as the Papal States, the palace is one of the first examples of Renaissance architecture. A not to be missed in church is that of San Francis dating from the twelfth century with a stone altar and residues of fourteenth century frescoes.
And already time for lunch, so we can buy bread, salami, two or three kinds of cheese and a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino and go sit in the most lovely, the long stone lookout which skirts the village and a vision unique in the valley. Between bites of the bread with cheese and a sip of wine, we let ourselves be carried away by the beauty and perfection of nature, truly unforgettable.
The road to the viewpoint and cut by a series of narrow, very beautiful names that have the most imaginative: Love Street, Street of the Kiss etc.
After about two hours of pleasant stay in Pienza, we are preparing to take the road to the next stop, Montepulciano. They are about 15km on the road SS146, and slowly we approach the town you can visit the vineyards of Sangiovese, the grape of Nobile di Montepulciano, another one to try wine in the cellars of this historic village. Many of the underground cellars of the city have even ancient Etruscan origins, is no coincidence that this village has its Etruscan origins that are recorded from the fourth century BC.
Montepulciano has a long history of disputes between Florence and Siena, until in 1511 came under the permanent protection of the Florence of the Medici. We leave the car in the parking lot below the walls and on foot we climb a long stairway that leads to the town center. The village has a structure S, rich in monuments and historical buildings. Town Hall built in the style of the town hall of Florence, the clock tower of Pulcinella, the ancient Cathedral in 1600, and many others.
There are about ten historic wineries that you can visit: Contuccis, Gattavecchi, Fanetti, Pulcno, Crociani, Cantina del Redi, which in addition to an age-old tradition in some cases offer tasting bread with olive oil, Tuscan salami and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Really along the subterranean cellars you can try a unique experience not to be missed.
It's four and a half, in this beautiful summer day, and the sky blue, clear, summer breeze continues to give us a great relief .... what a beautiful day, how much culture, how much art as taste and smell of wine and cheese, lots of tourists, who are enchanted, bewitched by these villages, but did not end there remains the last stage: Cortona.
The Cortona also known as the setting for the film starring Diane Lane "Under the Tuscan Sun". From Montepulciano are about 35 km, the road and the landscape continues to be unique, with the appearance here and there in some field of sunflowers.
It will be a visit all uphill, in fact, to reach the main square to be moved over a long uphill stretch, so you need to arm yourself with breath and good will.
Cortona is also a village of Etruscan origin whose ancient walls date back to the fourth century. BC, and it is a beautiful place, the streets are full of uphill craft shops and historic homes. We get to Republic Square, and we sit down to catch my breath on the steps of the Town Hall. We continue our visit and behind the town is the Piazza Signorelli, home of the historic Teatro Signorelli, which each year hosts the Cultural Festival of the Sun, behind the theater so we can visit the Cathedral which dates back to the eleventh century. A.D.
From the Cathedral we continue to rise, hence the fatigue begins to be felt, we come to the church of S. Francis of 1245, in the Franciscan style with many beautiful pictures. At this point it seems that the visit to Cortona is over, but it is not so, in fact, armed with the spirit of challenge and desire for adventure, we go higher, along Via S. Marco, to the right of the church.
This steep road leads up to the top of the old Medici Fortress, where you can see the whole city from the surrounding area and even in the distance Lake Trasimeno. At some point the endless climb gives way to a long staircase that leads to the Sanctuary of St. Margaret of Cortona, here we can catch my breath. Before you get to the top is missing a small part of the climb, after which the valley is at our feet, that's great, stretch your arms and breathe, let's enjoy the last change of this wonderful day in the land of Siena to Cortona which is part of the province of Arezzo. Behind us the Medici Fortress, the beauty in front of us, in a corner of the lake Trasimeno, then the rooftops of the city, and yet all the streets as small grooves. It's seven and a half, the only begins to bow their heads, and we still enveloped by the breeze we are going to trace the descent to the car, joyful and happy to have lived a full adventure.
Of these days, the same repeated, with the same journey, I have experienced dozens of them, and every time I discovered something new, never my senses have been betrayed. I hope you read this little travel guide, transform all the words into images, sounds, taste, unforgettable experience. Good Voyage.
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