TUSCANY DAY 2
A circular route around the secret “gems” of Tuscany, resting like a string of pearls
From Tuoro sul Trasimeno to Pienza, passing through Arezzo, Monte San Savino,
Gargonza, Lucignano, Asciano, Montalcino and finally Bagno Vignoni

It is time to head off to discover the area of Valdichiana, to the south of Arezzo. We can start by visiting the towns of Monte San Savino, Gargonza and Lucignano that are just a few kilometres away from each other and can be reached from Tuoro sul Trasimeno by following the signposts for the A1 motorway and then proceeding along the state road in the direction of Arezzo. The first town we come to is Monte San Savino, situated on a hill covered with olive groves overlooking Valle dell’Esse and initially inhabited by the Etruscans. During the Middle Ages its geographical position meant that it was often fought over by the inhabitants of Arezzo, Siena and before becoming part of the area included in the Medici Grand Duchy along with most of Tuscany. The town was the birthplace of Pope Julius II and the sculptor Andrea Contucci otherwise known as Il Sansovino. The city, enclosed by walls featuring Florentine and Roman gates, is a small yet exquisite example of medieval architecture which is re-echoed in the Fortress (in Piazza Gamurrini) and its impressive 14th century tower. The completely restored building is home to the Ceramics Museum (Visits – June-September on request, Tel. 0575 843098). The main street, Corso Sangallo, is lined with interesting, elegant buildings. The Renaissance Loggia dei Mercanti attributed to Sansovino (16th century), Palazzo Comunale with cloister and hanging garden, Palazzo Pretorio (14th century) with its facade covered in coats of arms and the Tower offering a breathtaking view of the valley below, and lastly the Romanic rural church dedicated to Sant’Egidio and San Savino, originally built in the 12th century and renovated on several occasions, the last of these during the Baroque period.
Leaving behind Monte San Savino we head towards the nearby fortified town of Gargonza, along the road to Siena. The restored stone houses, converted into apartments and residences, have in no way changed the architecture or layout of this fortified centre, formed of a central square with a tower and Romanic church. In 1304, during the period when Ghibellines from Florence and Arezzo took up residence in the manor, it was also home to Dante Alighieri.

Turning back in the direction of Monte San Savino, we make a short detour to the characteristic town of Lucignano on the border between the provinces of Arezzo and Siena, suspended at a height of 400 metres over the valley below. Its oval layout formed of concentric circles and featuring a large number of Etruscan and Roman elements, is one of the most striking in the area around Arezzo. Entering the town from Porta San Giusto, you can choose to visit it starting from the left, taking the “poor road”, i.e. Via Roma, lined with simple medieval buildings, or from the right, taking the “rich road”, i.e. Via Marconi with its Sienese style Renaissance constructions. In Via Roma you can admire the keep and high tower (14th century.) designed by the Sienese architect Bartolo di Bartolo. A gentle slope leads up to the collegiate church of San Michele Arcangelo, (end of 16th century) with an oval-shaped staircase designed by Orazio Porta, which forms the end section of the town layout and houses some very interesting works of the 1500s. And then on to Piazza del Tribunale where you can find Palazzo Comunale (13-14th centuries) which is home to the Municipal Museum with an interesting collection of paintings dating from 1200 to 1500 (Bartolo di Fredi, Lippo Vanni, Luca Signorelli) and a splendid tree-shaped, gold, silver and copper plated reliquary called The Golden Tree of Lucignano, attributed to goldsmiths and illuminators from Siena and Florence as well as Gabriello d’Antonio (14th-15th centuries). The trip continues with a visit of the Torre delle Monache, (11th-13th centuries), the characteristic alleyways, the walled gateway (re-opened after years of restoration) and outside the historical centre, the Medici Fortress, built by Cosimo I and left unfinished, the Renaissance Sanctuary of the Madonna della Querce, designed by Giorgio Vasari and all the surrounding countryside which provides a striking backdrop to the walled city.

Leaving behind Lucignano, we head towards Asciano, one of the most charming spots in the Sienese hills (“crete senesi”); gentle ochre coloured hills, dotted with the odd cypress tree or solitary farmhouse the prepare the way for Val d’Orcia. Here you can visit Asciano, Montalcino, Bagno Vignoni and Pienza which are all located at just short distance from each other.
Asciano is home to some rare medieval treasures such as the Church of S. Agata dating from the 11th century. To the left of this is a building containing the Museum of Religious Art which houses some Sienese works from the 1300s and 1400s. The collections found in the Archaeological Museum (Visits – 10am-12.30pm, in summer 4.30pm-6.30pm too, closed on Monday) inside the former church of S. Bernardino (Corso Matteotti) are also worth a visit and include the items found in the Etruscan necropolis of Poggio Pinci. It is definitely worth your while to make a short detour in the direction of Siena and visit the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. The road you go along stretches out among clay hills creating a truly singular landscape. Belonging to the Benedictine order of Olivetan monks, the abbey dominates the hills, standing among a mystic grouping of oak woods, cypresses and olive trees which almost hide it from view. The heart of the religious complex is the Larger Cloister with its famous frescoes of Saint Benedict by Luca Signorelli and Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, known as Il Sodoma, which forms one of the most important examples of Italian Renaissance art. The church can boast a thirteenth century masterpiece – carved, inlaid choir stalls, the work of Fra Giovanni da Verona. While the library contains over 40,000 volumes and the pharmacy features some valuable seventeenth century vases which the monks still use to store the medicinal herbs they collect. There is also a shop run by the monks where you can buy handicraft products – jams, honey, wine and the excellent local oil. Passing through Buonconvento, it takes a little under an hour to get to Montalcino, famous throughout the word for its Brunello wine, a full bodied red which can be found on the tables of real connoisseurs. Montalcino stands proudly over Val d’Orcia, at an altitude of 564 metres, telling the feats of its courtly past, littered with battles, when it became the last outpost of Sienese freedom in the face of the advancing Florentines during the Middle Ages. Rich in art treasures, you can visit Palazzo dei Priori, and the Diocesan Municipal Museum with paintings by Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and other Tuscan artists. But the most important monument is the Fortress, an impressive, medieval walled castle and symbol of Sienese independence. Inside you can find a large, theatrical square where plays are put on during the summer and a typical wine shop offering tastings of the best local wine, including the renowned Brunello, as well as traditional Tuscan products. Now it is time to pay a short visit to a highly original town. A medieval town which starts and finishes in a “square of water”. In Bagno Vignoni, south of Montalcino, the central square, which for other towns is a meeting point that town life revolves around, is an unrivalled work of art. An enormous pool of thermal water still used today, which lets off mist and steam as the temperature dips, creating a magic, almost unreal atmosphere. The backdrop is provided by a group of medieval low buildings and an unusual fourteenth century loggia. The temperature of the water is 52 degrees and it particularly suitable for treating arthritic and rheumatic conditions and skin problems.

From here we head towards Pienza, a town which embodies the vision of Renaissance town planning and which experienced its greatest moment when Pope Pius II decided to transform his birthplace into a small architectural treasure following the rules set forth in De re aedificatoria by Leon Battista Alberti. And he did just that. Today, Pienza still seems to be an enchanted place that has sprung forth from the ingenious minds of audacious, creative architects. It stands on a hill overlooking the Sienese clay hills on one side and Monte Amiata on the other, thus offering breathtaking views from every point along its long panoramic route around the town walls. Piazza Pio II, designed by the architect Rossellino, who shaped the areas into trapezoids, provides a perfect example of the town’s remodelling. On the back wall you can find the Cathedral, on its right Palazzo Piccolomini, while opposite this we can see the austere Palazzo Vescovile, home to the Diocesan Museum.
From Pienza it is just 45 minutes journey back to Tuoro sul Trasimeno, passing through Montepulciano.