Tuscany and Umbria Tour Itinerary 2015

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1 Tuscany and Umbria Tour Itinerary 2015 Day 1 To Tuscany We depart from Rome in the morning, heading north toward Siena. Our first stop is a fascinating town called Monteriggioni. This is a small settlement contained entirely within the 13 th century fortified walls, just as it was centuries ago when Siena and Florence were rival city states. Monteriggioni has numerous shops selling local specialties, and we enjoy lunch here at a trattoria in the charming central piazza. Our first taste of Tuscany! After lunch we have a short drive to Siena. We check in to our hotel, where we stay for the next five nights. Our hotel is alongside the historic centre of Siena, and over the next few days you ll love discovering this fascinating town. We meet for a walking tour around Siena in the late afternoon, to familiarise yourself with the central areas and to see some of the main sites. The 13 th century cathedral in Siena is a must see, with superb sculptures and stained glass windows. There are two things not to miss from Siena s numerous pasticcerias (pastry shops) ricciarelli and panforte. We stop in at a fabulous pasticceria that has been selling some of the best panforte in Siena for generations. Siena has a wonderful central piazza, the Piazza del Campo, where the Palio horse race is run twice a year. The piazza is lined with cafes and is the perfect place for watching the evening passeggiata (the evening promenade, to see and be seen). Meals: Lunch and Dinner The walled town of Monteriggioni A trattoria in Monteriggioni Siena s Piazza del Campo Siena by night

2 Day 2 Visit San Gimignano From Siena, we drive north to the town of San Gimignano. San Gimignano is one of Italy s most wellpreserved medieval towns. Perched on a hilltop with numerous medieval towers, it is a commanding presence dominating the patchwork of olives and vineyards in the valley below. San Gimignano s narrow streets boast many craftsmens workshops. And there s a particularly good gelateria in the piazza. We have lunch in a restaurant in San Gimignano, where we also have a chance to taste the local white wine called Vernaccia. This wine has a long local history first mentioned here in 1276 and it also features in Dante's Divine Comedy. We arrive back in Siena late afternoon. San Gimignano The piazza in San Gimignano Day 3 Cooking in Chianti From the meals on your first few days you ve now had an introduction to the flavours and produce that feature in Tuscan cuisine. Today we go more in depth, with a hands on cooking class with our local foodie, Paola. The class is held in an evocative stone farmhouse in the hills of Chianti. Surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, we learn about the aspects of Tuscan cuisine that have made it so popular. You ll get involved in preparing a full four course meal, and then of course you can enjoy the results of your endeavours for lunch! The food that you will prepare is based on what the people in the Chianti area make in their kitchens, dishes such as Enjoying a meal, San Gimignano Preparing lunch

3 ribollita (a Tuscan vegetable soup). Our hosts for the day produce many of the ingredients used in the cooking class on the property, such as extra virgin olive oil and organic fruit and vegetables. Day 4 Winetasting in Montepulciano Following on from our food experience yesterday, today we focus on wine. Tuscany is famous world over for its wine, from the ubiquitous Chianti through to the Super Tuscans. We visit a winery in Montepulciano, whose acclaimed vineyards produce one of the most highly regarded red wines in Tuscany, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. We taste the wines that have been made by the family for four generations. The winery cellars where we taste the range of wines are based in a converted 12 th century convent. We taste a range of their wines, finishing the tasting with Vin Santo, the delicious sweet dessert wine. Following the winetasting we move on to the nearby town centre of Montepulciano, where you are free to explore at your leisure. You may choose to do some more wine tastings there are wine producers with premises on the main street, some of whom have used ancient Etruscan tunnels beneath the town for cellaring their wine. Alternatively you may choose to visit the fortress, the church of Madonna di San Biagio, or simply browse the shops that sell a range of locally produced delicacies. Later we visit the monastery of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. This is an ancient Benedictine monastery, Tuscan vineyards The winery cellars Streets of Montepulciano The cheese Pecorino di Pienza

4 active here for centuries and the old traditions are still being continued today by the resident monks. Day 5 Florence We spend the day in Florence, known as the cradle of the Renaissance and the heart of Tuscany. Orvieto In Florence we spend the morning visiting the Accademia Museum, home to the famous statue of David, created by Michelangelo. From lunch time and in the afternoon we leave some time free for you to wander at your own pace. You may visit well known sights of Florence, such as the Duomo (the central cathedral) and the Ponte Vecchio (a picturesque bridge over the River Arno lined with silversmith shops). You might choose to browse the artisan products at the street markets or visit the high fashion boutiques. And don t forget the gelato! And if you want more Renaissance art and sculpture, visit the Uffizi, home to numerous works by artists such as Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio and Michelangelo. The Duomo in Orvieto The quiet lanes We return to Siena late afternoon. Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: 4 star hotel, Siena Day 6 Assisi This morning we check out of the hotel in Siena, and we head south to the neighbouring region of Umbria. Shops in Orvieto

5 Perched high above the flat valley floor next to Monte Subasio, the cobbled streets of Assisi wind across the hill with spectacular views of the valley below. Assisi has for centuries been an important centre, largely due to it being the home to Saint Francis (San Francesco). Below the decorated vaulted ceiling of the main church, the Basilica di San Francesco, are wonderful frescoes by Giotto depicting scenes from the life of Saint Francis. And Assisi has layers of history from even before the time of Saint Francis, with a 14 th century fortress dominating one side of the town. Going even further back in time, we see the ancient Roman Temple of Minerva, constructed in the first century B.C. We spend time seeing all the points of interest here, as well as enjoying the view! We reach our home for the next 2 nights, Orvieto. Orvieto is a stunning place, featuring a mosaicencrusted, Gothic cathedral and the beautiful San Brizio chapel. And not all of Orvieto s attractions are above ground beneath the surface are a maze of tunnels, first excavated in Etruscan times, where you can see evidences of the many different inhabitants of this area over the centuries. Assisi Decorated ceilings in the Basilica Lunch in Assisi Accommodation: 4 star hotel, Orvieto Day 7 Winetasting and the cuisine of Umbria Today is a food and wine extravaganza, giving you a full experience of the specialties of Umbria. Ceramics for sale

6 The wines of Umbria are less well known than those of Tuscany, but there are some real gems here waiting to be discovered. The red wine Sagrantino di Montefalco is of particular note. We start our day by visiting the town of Montefalco, where we visit a traditional olive oil mill and a family run winery. Both of these visits include tastings. After a delicious lunch of local and seasonal specialties at a renowned trattoria, you will also be able to tour one of the best wineries of the region (and Italy) and taste their award winning wines. Umbrian cuisine is based on produce from both the richly fertile cultivated land and the forested areas, giving a range of game, mushrooms and truffles. Today s cooking class is taken by a professional chef who is passionate about the food traditions of Umbria, and who is equally passionate about sharing this cuisine with us! Touring Umbria The winery tour Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Accommodation: 4 star hotel, Orvieto Day 8 All Roads Lead To Rome Arrivederci! We drive back to Rome where the tour finishes. Meals: Breakfast Umbrian nightlife