ITINERARIES
(all destinations are within 1 hour’s drive from La Colonica and many are nearer)

Ideal location to visit Siena (26 miles), Florence (44 miles), Cortona (made famous by the book Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes) (12 miles), Perugia (48 miles), Assisi and Arezzo (12 miles).  Rome (112 miles) is 90 minutes away by train.  Nearby are the medieval hill towns of Southern Tuscany and Umbria, including Montepulciano, Pienza and Montalcino, the Val d’Orcia, and the monastery of Monte Oliveto Maggiore.  The “Piero della Francesca trail” and Lake Trasimeno are close by.

TOUR ONE:  FLORENCE. Leave your car at the small station of Castiglion Fiorentino and take the train to Florence, leaving and returning every hour; less than 1 hour’s journey.  Avoid the traffic problems in Florence!

TOUR TWO: SIENA. Siena is about 40 minutes away by car, driving through magical country side. Easy parking. Siena has the famous horse-race, Il Palio, and is perfectly preserved.  The Cathedral is spectacular.

TOUR THREE  (shorter): CORTONA AND LAKE TRASIMENO. Drive to CASTIGLION FIORENTINO.  Continue to CORTONA.   Excellent restaurants at Cortona including OSTERIA del TEATRO and IL GROTTINO (both in centre).   You can visit the beautiful Franciscan monastery Le Celle. You could return from Cortona via Foiano, and stop just before Foiano to admire the Abbey of Farneta.  At Foiano and Cortona, there are Etruscan remains.
TOUR THREE (longer): From Cortona continue to Camucia, Terontola, Tuoro for Lake Trasimeno.  Avoid highway and take ordinary road to Castel Rigone, Monte del Lago, Magione, Panicale, Castiglione del Lago.   This route will take you all round the lake.  From Passignano, Tuoro or Castiglion del Lago, there is a ferry service to the two small islands on the Lake.

TOUR FOUR:  LUCIGNANO AND MONTE SAN SAVINO. Drive to LUCIGNANO. See the Church La Collegiata.  From Lucignano, take road to MONTE SAN SAVINO.  At Monte San Savino, drive up the hill to the town centre.  See the Loggiato in the main street (the post office is there) and just opposite it is the Town Hall or Comune.  You can enter the Town Hall and walk straight through into the marvellous garden and amphitheatre.  Near Monte San Savino is the Castle of Gargonza.  Two pleasant places to lunch/dine near Monte San Savino are the Belvedere and Castello di Gargonza (both on road to Siena, a few miles outside Monte San Savino; both are well sign-posted).

TOUR FIVE (shorter): MONTEPULCIANO AND PIENZA. Drive to Lucignano.  Continue through Sinalunga, Torrita di Siena and then follow signs to MONTEPULCIANO (wonderful for wine).  From Montepulciano, drive to PIENZA (very good for lunch, cheese-shops etc).
TOUR FIVE (longer):  As above.  Then from Pienza, drive to SAN QUIRICO D’ORCIA.   Nearby is BAGNO VIGNONI, a Roman thermal spring, with thermal heated swimming pool etc at the Hotel (very good for virtually all muscular complaints and great fun!).  Near Bagno Vignoni on the way back to Pienza is MONTICHIELLO, a tiny and pretty hill village (there is a very nice coffee and tea-shop on left as you enter walled village).

TOUR SIX:  ABBEY OF MONTE OLIVETO. Suggested route is: Lucignano, Rigomagno, Serre di Rapolano, Asciano.  This is a very scenic route and goes through the lunar landscape known as the Crete Senesi.  MONTE OLIVETO MAGGIORE, the Monastery (closed between 12 and 3) has wonderful frescoes and is located in a spectacular setting. There is also a good restaurant in the garden.

TOUR SEVEN:  FOUR MAGICAL VILLAGES. We recommend this itinerary as it is a way to get to see little Tuscan villages which are really off the beaten path.  They are about 30 minutes away from La Colonica.
Suggested route is: Lucignano, Sinalunga.  At Sinalunga, drive straight through and immediately past the hotel Taverna dell’Amorosa (yellow signs), you will see a sign to the right for Castelmuzio.  Follow this road and arrive first at Petroio (small hill village; terracotta museum).  Continue to Castelmuzio (worth walking around) and then on to Montisi.  At Montisi there is a very good road-side restaurant which serves light lunches out of doors (it has a large mural outside).  As you walk around Montisi,, you will note that like Siena, it is divided into quarters – the famous contrade.  It has an upper section which is worth visiting.  On your way back to La Colonica, you can visit Trequanda, described as the village where time has stopped!

TOUR EIGHT: MONTALCINO. Suggested route is: Lucignano-Sinalunga-Trequanda-Montisi-San Giovanni d’Asso.  From San Giovanni d’Asso, coninue to Torrenieri and MONTALCINO.  Wine shops everywhere and vineyards.  Near Montalcino is SANT’ANTIMO, a famous and very beautiful monastery (where the film The English Patient was partly filmed). The nearby village of Castelnuovo dell'Abate is very pretty. Reccomended restaurant in Montalcino: Osteria di Porta al Cassero.

TOUR NINE: AREZZO, SANSEPOLCRO. Drive direction AREZZO (Piazza Grande – antiques and churches).   From Arezzo, take direction SANSEPOLCRO.  On way there or back, it is possible to take quick side trips from main road to Anghiari and Monterchi.  This is also known as the “PIERO DELLA FRANCESCA TRAIL” as each town has paintings by this painter.

TOUR TEN: CASENTINO, CAMALDOLI, VALLOMBROSA, LA VERNA. Suggested route is Arezzo-Bibbiena-Poppi etc. The Casentino is a lovely wooded hilly area, and has some very attractive small towns.  This area is completely unspoiled.  Not far away is Il Borro, former Royal residence of Their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of Aosta, now open to the public with pretty shops etc.  A wonderful place to stop for lunch is at Il Poggio, in the unspoilt village of Chitignano.  Further on are the world-famous monasteries of Camaldoli, Vallombrosa and La Verna.  There are marvellous woods and valleys all around: e.g. from Rassina to Loro Ciuffenna via Talla.

TOUR ELEVEN: PERUGIA, ASSISI. Suggested route: Drive to Foiano. At Foiano, follow signs for Perugia (high way).  In Perugia, take road to Assisi.  Other interesting towns are Gubbio, Deruta (pottery), Spello, Spoleto (home of the famous music festival) and Montefalco (famous for its Sagrantino red wine).

TOUR TWELVE:  DESIGNER OUTLET STORES:  In this area, about 30 minutes from La Colonica, there are the factory outlet discount stores of PRADA, GUCCI, FENDI, ARMANI, DOLCE & GABBANA.  They offer very substantial discounts.  We are happy to give you printed directions as to how to get there.

THERMAL SPAS: Several famous thermal spas are nearby:
Rapolano Terme (15 minutes)
www.termesangiovanni.it
www.termeaq.it
Bagno Vignoni (40 minutes).
http://www.piscinavaldisole.it/

MARKET DAYS (MORNINGS):
MONDAY: FOIANO DELLA CHIANA
TUESDAY: SINALUNGA
WEDNESDAY: MONTE SAN SAVINO, CASTIGLIONE DEL LAGO
THURSDAY: LUCIGNANO, CAMUCIA
FRIDAY: CASTIGLION FIORENTINO
SATURDAY: AREZZO, CORTONA

THE ANTIQUES FAIR IN AREZZO TAKES PLACE ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH  (STARTS ON FRIDAY EVENING AND CONTINUES SATURDAY AND SUNDAY). AREZZO, MONTE SAN SAVINO AND CORTONA HAVE NUMEROUS ANTIQUE SHOPS.

EACH VILLAGE AND TOWN HAS LOCAL FEASTS: PLEASE INQUIRE FOR DETAILS.  THE BIGGEST ONE IS THE MAGGIOLATA HELD EVERY WEEKEND IN MAY IN LUCIGNANO.  In 2003, THE FAMOUS HORSE-RACE IN SIENA, THE PALIO, IS HELD IN EARLY JULY AND MID-AUGUST.

EACH TOWN/VILLAGE OFTEN HAS OPEN-AIR CONCERTS AND OTHER MUSICAL EVENTS.  CORTONA USUALLY HAS A FEW OPEN-AIR OPERAS, AND THERE IS A CONCERT FESTIVAL IN MONTE SAN SAVINO.

© La Colonica 2006 - all rights reserved