Montisi ~ You Won't Be Bored!
Tired of being hassled by tour guides? Fed up with being surrounded by people looking for the toilets? Scale things down and relax with a programme that you can make up as you choose. Stay for one night, or three nights, or as long as you wish.
Choose from easy walking itineraries, gourmet meals, and gentle cultural experiences.
Get active and take a quad bike out for the day, get up early and go ballooning, go horse-riding, or pick olives and take part in the grape harvest. Go truffle hunting or learn to paint with a professional artist. Book up for a wine tour, either at home in Montisi, or in the nearby vineyards producing Brunello and Vino Nobile. Or take day excursions by the local bus and train and get as far as Siena and Chiusi, Cortona, and Arezzo. And when you get back after a busy day relax with a deep massage from Lalla.
Alternatively, sit under a tree with a bottle of wine and a book, and spend the day looking out over a classic Tuscan landscape. You will be welcomed by the Montisani, and you will leave enriched by contact with a slower way of life and real country values.
If you don't have a car, you may find it useful to engage the services of Gianmarco, our prefered local taxi service. Cell: 338.1868798. Web. Send him a message in simple English and he'll be there to meet you!
Antonella Piredda—Licensed Tour Guide
Discover the hidden gems of the Val d'Orcia, the backstreets of Siena, medieval villages nestled in the hills, Renaissance gardens, famous vineyards, winetastings of undiscovered small producers, all with a licensed tour guide who will bring the area's history alive. Tours are completely customized to your taste and will take you far off the beaten track, to the real heart of Tuscany. Whether you need a quick half-day tour or a full immersion over several days, Antonella is your man! For information, (licensed tour guide for Siena and its province, and wine expert), or telephone her at +39 347 4565150.
Walking and Hiking
We have put together a set of excursions for people who want to meet the locals, taste real food, smell the Tuscan air, and enjoy some exercise. They are not exhausting hikes for fitness freaks, more a gentle stroll of a few miles, with the occasional scramble over a ditch or bank. There is usually a convenient location where you can safely leave your car, and we can return you to that point at the end of the day. Close by is often a good restaurant where, if you wish, you can get a memorable evening meal to round off the day. If you need help organising this do not hesitate to get in touch!
Alternatively, sign up for one of our all-inclusive, fully-guided walking tours, and let us take the strain. Moreover, for the really incompetent—hire an experienced tour guide for the day! The landscape is a mixture of olive groves and wooded valleys, tightly cultivated farmland and open rolling hills with big fields and a huge skyline. Always present to the south is the imposing 5000 foot Monte Amiata, where you can go and see the last of the wolves, kept in their wild state on a reserve with deer, chamois, and the now-rare Amiata ass, together with birds of prey and other local fauna and flora—a must for nature lovers!
Here is an example of a popular itinerary: Pear and Pecorino
Non faré sapere al contadino com'é buono la pera ed il pecorino.
("Don't let the peasant know," as the local saying goes, "how good is pear with pecorino.")
The implication is that if you do he will spend all his time lying under a hedge and indulging himself! We hope that you find it an appropriate name for an easily accessible route for first-time walkers in this area. It will give you a taste of a landscape that is soft and intimate, with carefully tended olive groves and vineyards on steep slopes, giving views across the rolling downland of the Crete Senesi to Montalcino and the great bulk of Monte Amiata beyond.
The walk starts with a gentle stroll downhill along a tree-lined avenue through woodland, with occasional views to Siena, or to the Val d'Orcia and Petroio. This tiny conical village, crowned by a thousand-year-old castle , is famous for its terracotta pots, still made today in the time-honoured way by local artisans. After exploring the village, exit by the west gate and walk along the contour following the Strove valley to Castelmuzio. The road follows the old Etruscan track from Chiusi to Siena, and overlooks the monastery of Sant'Anna in Camprena, where much of the "The English Patient" was filmed. You may choose to have lunch in one of the bars or restaurants in the village of Castelmuzio.
After the heat of the middle of the day has passed, visit an isolated Romanesque parish church which was in Roman times a baptisterium for the fundus (the largest of the Roman farming units) and before that an Etruscan temple. The present farmer has assembled an interesting collection of traditional agricultural implements in a corner of his farmyard, but beware, his wine is local! On the way down the valley, call in at a sheep farm, and catch your breath in the shade of an old mill.
Then make your way up the valley to Montisi, located on an Etruscan road that linked the Maremma coastline with the rich city of Arezzo. Montisi is perched on a crag and built around the castle that forms the nucleus of the village. At the edge of the village is the fortified Grancia or grange, built around a courtyard that stored provisions for the Spedale of Santa Maria della Scala in Siena. This extraordinary organisation took care of the flood of pilgrims to Rome that travelled the Via Francigena from the 12th century onwards, and was always in need of supplies. The itinerary is along old tracks, tarred in parts, otherwise gravel and grass. Distances a.m. 8 km, p.m. 5 km.
Hot Air Ballooning
See Tuscany from a different perspective! Join a select few people at dawn in the bottom of the valley below Montisi for a breath-taking view of this landscape, finished off with a sumptuous champagne breakfast in the field where we land. For further details, see www.ballooningintuscany.com. And click here to learn about the spectacular, all-inclusive 8-day Ballooning Vacation in Montisi.
Painting Courses
In Montisi we have two fine professional painters, both of whom are ready to take you out painting!
Liz Graham-Yooll has lived and taught painting in Tuscany for many years, and from her studio in Montisi aspiring water colourists and sketchers set out to grab the view. She is offering three very different painting experiences. You can spend a few days, or just an hour or two with Liz, starting from the basics or brushing up on lost techniques. You get a small sketch book to keep with you to remember painting in Tuscany.
Elizabeth Cochrane came to Tuscany in 1995 and organised watercolour painting courses in Cortona. Elizabeth is primarily a landscape painter working in oil and watercolour, and she found the light and the rhythms of the Tuscan landscape a perfect environment for her work. She lives in the center of the village and her studio can be visited by .
WINE TOURS
Montisi Wine Tour
Although there are small vineyards all around Montisi there is no definitive local wine. However, there are some excellent wines to be had in the village, and we are delighted to be able to offer an afternoon of wine tasting in Montisi. It takes the form of a walk through the village, stopping at various points on the way. There are three places where we try different winest : the underground cellars of the castle called La Grancia, which produces excellent organic wines, the well-stocked cantina of the restaurant products.
Naturally, the cost is dependent on the quality of wines that you wish to taste. If you are happy to try the seven local wines, there is a basic charge of € 100 for a small group. We should meet after lunch, at the Taverna da Roberto, that is just opposite the castle. The three tastings should take about an hour and a half, and will involve walking up through the medieval centre of the village and out through the North gate before re-joining the main street for our last tasting at Il Rondo. If you wish to taste more expensive wines, they should be paid for as we go along.
There are three kinds of local wines: red, made principally from the Sangiovese grape and recently awarded its own DOC under the name of Orcia; the local lunchtime peasant wine which is made with a component of about 20 percent white grapes, and the vin santo, which is a delicious dessert wine that can range from dry to sweet. The tasting will include a sample of the wines produced by the local commercial vineyards in the neighbouring village of Trequanda.
You will be accompanied on your tour by a local English-speaking guide who will introduce you to the various aspects of Montisi life as well as to the wines.
Wine Touring
It would be unfortunate not to indulge in some serious wine tasting while so close to Montalcino and Montepulciano - two oenological heavens! Steven Kronenberg is a local resident and passionate about wine. His guided wine excursions take you into the heart of two of the most famous Italian wine denominations -- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino DOCGs. Moreover, not to be overlooked, is the newly created Val d'Orcia DOC, now producing notable wines at very reasonable prices. For more information, contact La Cornucopia Italia directly. Or you can set up a day tour with our prefered local taxi service. Send Gianmarco an email in simple English and he will be there to pick you up.
Tuscan Cookery Course
The cooking class has been run successfully for several years, in the kitchen of the restaurant La Romita. The kitchen was recently remodeled, creating a slightly larger space with all new equipment. The chef is Giovanna Bindi, the cook for the restaurant and wife of the owner Alberto. They have for twenty or so years created their own specialised Tuscan menus based on interesting "new" combinations of tastes and textures, using Renaissance recipes as a starting point. The classes are tailor-made for the students; if there is a specific request, e.g., "How do you make pici?". Otherwise you take potluck and see what is being prepared that day.
However, it was the arrival of spices from the east and the gastronomic experiences of the returning crusaders that gave birth to the Renaissance in the Tuscan kitchen. Catherine de Medici took her traditional Florentine cooking to France and revolutionised the French palates, coming to an end with another sort of revolution! If you have a passion for the food of a particular period, they will help you to create it, and then you can eat it.
There is not a formal daily routine of cooking classes that you might join. However, Alberto will set up a class for a minimum of two people and a maximum of four or five (kitchen size) subject to his other commitments. The classes are in the afternoon starting at about 3.30 p.m. and ending at about 6.30 p.m. There is then a pause while the kitchen staff eat, and you re-join your hosts for a full Tasting Dinner (degustazione) with a choice of dishes proposed by Alberto at about 8.00 p.m. You are not obliged to eat what you made, but it will be there for you if you wish! In the meantime, sit down for an aperitivo in the son Riccardo's bar across the road.
Truffle Hunting
The Crete Senesi are home to a great delicacy -- the white truffle. The season runs from about mid-October to early December, and the local truffle hunters jealously guard their hunting grounds against poaching by rivals. The Tuscan truffle hound, a much-prized animal, looks like a cross between Disney's Goofy and a brown poodle, and can bring enormous wealth to its owner in a good season. Truffles can fetch up to € 2500 per kilo. The "hunting" takes place in secret locations in the bottom of damp valleys in the presence of willow or poplar trees, and involves the dogs locating the underground fungus by sniffing and digging, while the owners stand ready to leap forward and intercept just before the truffle becomes visible. Gum boots are essential! This is seasonal, and there are different truffles (white, black, marzolo, etc.) at different periods of the year. There are no truffles to be found in the middle of summer.
Quad Bike Tours
Explore the rolling countryside of the Terre di Siena along medieval tracks and roadways that La Romita has discovered for you! They organise quiet guided excursions using new Polaris 330 Quad Bikes (All Terrain Vehicles) along itineraries of extraordinary beauty. Climb hills and follow ancient country tracks in close touch with nature. There are three itineraries to choose from and your host Alberto Bindi says, "This is the most fun I've had since I was a kid!" Learn more here.
Ayurveda Massage
Ayurveda is the ancient Indian health science of "long life" perfected over centuries of research, not only to cure ailments but also as a system of imparting knowledge in leading a way of life that helps attain both physical and mental wellness holistically. Lalla has recently returned from Kerala in southwestern India, and is available for consultation in Montisi. She offers massage in the shade of a tree, by the side of a swimming pool, or wherever you feel is right for you. Tel: +39-334-1829270 or .
Reiki Ryoho
How about a relaxing and regenerating Reiki treatment in a beautiful, vaulted stable overlooking the valley? Reiki Ryoho is a natural hands-on healing method which promotes holistic health and well-being by gently rebalancing the body's energy system. The Reiki energy, channelled by the practitioner's hands, has a beneficial effect on all levels - physical, emotional and mental - whilst favouring a state of deep relaxation. A treatment lasts approximately 45 minutes. For information, Rachel Presswell (Reiki Master and EFT practitioner), or telephone her at +39 346 523-7690.
Harvest Olives or Pick Grapes
There is always room for a few more hands in the autumn. Be prepared for a home-stay and payment in oil or wine. Don't think it is an easy job - it is hard work and long hours - but the camaraderie is grand and the communal meals are the stuff of country living.
Cinema
Watching a feature film at the Il Barrino Snack Bar Cinema is like spending an evening with a large Italian family. Filmgoers arrive early for an aperitivo and stay late over snacks at Gianluca's bar, one of the social hubs of Montisi. Visitors mix with residents for a friendly evening of conversation. Cinema Paradiso in Montisi!
Giostra Del Simone
Held on the Sunday nearest the 5th of August. An important incident in Montisi's history is recalled in a jousting competition, held every year on the feast day of the Madonna delle Nevi, patron saint of Montisi. For a week preceding the event, exhibitions and demonstrations of local handicrafts and artisan work are held in the town. Local produce is on sale, plus street entertainments, competitions for five-a-side football teams, Contrada games, and food stalls. Contrada dinners, open to all, are held on Saturdays throughout August.