OUR REGION
Montepulciano
Montepulciano is the largest county in the South of Tuscany and consist out of six other villages: Abbadia di Montepulciano, Acquaviva, Gracciano, Montepulciano Stazione, S.Albino and Valiano.
The town is said to have been founded by the Etruscan king Porsenna and exhibits impressive architecture, mainly Renaissance. Michelozzo, Baldassarre Peruzzi and Vignola all worked here, as did Antonio da Sangallo il Vecchio who designed the temple of San Biagio. Apart from the wonders of the historical centre of Montepulciano, also the spa centre at S.Albino is worth a visit. The local economy is based on agriculture and the town is famous for its Vino Nobile.
Cortona
The lovely town of Cortona is one of the twelve cities of the Etruscan League. Substantial fragments of its primitive cyclopean defences can still be seen, incorporated in the medieval walls.
Apart from fine Renaissance palaces, the prevailing character of Cortona’s architecture is medieval. The city is commandingly situated (altitude 600 metres) and there are magnificent panoramas towards every point of the compass, looking over the whole of the Val di Chiana. The most important medieval buildings are the churches of San Francesco and San Domenico and The Palazzo Casali, with its famous renaissance facade.
Pienza
Pienza is situated on the top of a hill overlooking the splendid and impressive Val d'Orcia. Pienza is a mainly agricultural centre, particularly famous for its pecorino cheese.
Enea Silvio Piccolomini was born here in 1405 and when he became pope Pius II in 1458 he decided to transform his modest home-town into the a piece of art, an admirable example of the humanistic period. The design of the town was made by Bernardo Rossellino.
The square Piazza Pio II is the most rigorous of Renaissance perspective, with the cathedral and Palazzo Piccolomini.
Trasimeno Lake
Lake Trasimeno is located in the green heart of Umbria, amidst beds of reeds and charming white water lilies. It’s a true natural paradise home to wild ducks, cormorants, kites and kingfishers.
Beyond the downward slope, gentle hills form the backdrop to the lake, along with sporadic woods and sunflower and corn fields, vineyards and olive groves.
Agriculture here is still carried out following traditional techniques. Several town are located on Lake Trasimeno. Some of them directly face the lake while others are nearby and are affected by the charm and attraction of this sheet of water.
Arezzo
Situated in Tuscany's east and bordered by the Apennines, the Province of Arezzo encompasses the areas of Casentino, Valdarno, Valtiberina and Val di Chiana.
Each of these, comprising unique landscapes where natural beauty blends harmoniously with historic heritage and masterpieces of art.
The great Italian poet Petrarch was born in Arezzo, in addition to outstanding artists the likes of Piero della Francesca, Masaccio, Michelangelo, Luca Signorelli, Pietro da Cortona and Vasari. They all left signs of their creativity and genius in Arezzo and in other nearby towns.
Siena
Siena, is a magnificent city of art with characteristic alleys, wards (rioni) and towers, artisan shops and buildings that make it a not-to-be-missed touristic destination for Italians and foreigners.
Moving through Siena’s lands and immersing yourself in this atmosphere is a magical adventure, a trip through many landscapes, from dense woodlands to old farms, from clay hills to stupendous paths. Furthermore, the territory preserves numerous remains from the Middle Ages, springing out along the Via Francigena, the great pilgrimage road to Rome that crossed Val d’Elsa, the city of Siena and Val d’Orcia.