Yesterday we enjoyed a Beautiful walk through the hills near Siena, discovering some of the evocative churches and abbeys hidden in the woods which tell of a time when the trails were busy with merchants and pilgrims. Meeting at the medieval village of Torri and visiting the Cloister of the Romanesque-Gothic towers, before climbing the wooded hills around the village and visiting the remains of the pre-Etruscan Castellieri.
We enjoyed a delicious lunch at a local Pizzeria, before descending to the hamlet of Stigliano where we had the opportunity to stop for organic products with a short chain of Val di Merse. The afternoon we went to a local farmhouse where we spent the afternoon learning to make pasta by hand, 3 types of bruschetta, chicken in a delicious sauce, finishing off with a mascarpone dessert all walked down with organic chianti.
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Siena is likely Italy’s loveliest medieval city, and a trip worth making even if you are in Tuscany for just a few days. Siena’s heart is its central piazza known as Il Campo, known worldwide for the famous Palio run here, a horse race run around the piazza two times every summer. Movie audiences worldwide can see Siena and the Palio in the James Bond movie,Quantum of Solace. On our private tour we explored some of the lesser-known artistic gems, such as the beautiful Cathedral of Christendom with works by Michelangalo, Donatello and other well known artists. The city is drawn together by winding alleyways and steep steps, whilst the Piazza del Campo stands at its heart, and the Duomo and St Maria della Scala serve as additional cultural landmarks.
