21 Feb 2008

The following is a highly personal list of small towns and villages in Tuscany that may be worth a visit.

LUCCA AREA

On your first day go to Pisa.  The hotel will direct you.  The Tower and campus is on the north side of the city and in my opinion is the only thing worth seeing in Pisa.  Just above the Tower (250 meters) are the restore offices of the local Diocese and the cloister and has been quite beautifully restored.

Bagni di Lucca.  This is a 19^th Century spa town that has been gently decaying over the last 100 years.  Surrounded by thickly wooded hills, it’s a pretty little place. It sits in a spectacular setting with the hills around it and the River Lima running through it.  The grace and elegance of this small town just adds to its romance.

Collodi.    This village is known for two things, the gardens of the Villa Garzoni and for being the home of the creator of Pinocchio.  Beyond the villa, climb the steep streets of the village to the church of San Bartolomeo housing 15^th century frescoes and terracotta statues.

Uzzano.   This is just a pretty little village and it enjoys breathtaking views of the region. 

A couple of kilometers higher are even better views from Monte Amiata and Monte Cimone. 

SIENA AREA

These towns are presented in no particular order but you may want to do them by direction, i.e. all those to the north on one day and those to the east on another day.

You should allow at least one day for Florence, which is 45 minutes north of Siena and another half day for Siena itself.

Radda (north of Siena).  Right in the middle of the wine route, Radda is the prototypical Chianti town.  It is a pretty little place with lots of history and lots of wine and a fair number of tourists.  There’s nothing spectacular, but Radda is just so typical of Tuscany.  It’s worth an hour or two.

Castellini in Chianti (north of Siena).   Fifteen minutes north of Siena, Castellini is the center of the Chianti Classico wine region.  It has a couple of good restaurants, an olive oil bottling plant with organized tours and great Gelato.

Monteriggioni   (10 km north of Siena)   A small walled town that is still in good conditions.  The restaurant in the hotel in the village is excellent.  Nothing spectacular, just a neat place.

San Gimignano (west)   Check out the guide books on this on this town. A historically significant town it’s worth a 3 hour visit.  It is quite popular with tourists and some of the views from the town walls are impressive.

Cortona  (east)  If you’ve read Frances Mayes book “Under the Tuscan Sun” you’re already familiar with this hill top town.  It sits a top a 1700 foot hill that offers dramatic vistas of the Tuscan and Umbian countryside.  Again, it’s a place to stop for lunch, wander around and do little shopping.  Two or three hours is enough time to get a good flavour of this charming town.

Montalcino   (south)   This is the home of Brunello di Montalcino wine – one of Tuscany’s great contributions to civilization.  If you plan to buy a bottle or two bring lots on money.  Another compact, hill-top fortress towns that looks as it did 400 years ago.  The climb can be challenging but it’s worth the trip, even if you’re not a wine lover.

Montepulciano  (south-east)  Sitting atop a ridge Montepulciano is known for its vistas and vino. Market day is Thursdays so this may be a good day to schedule your visit.  Head for the Piazza Grande as it’s the place to start in a small town that has a good collection of historic palazzos.