This day trip is dedicated to all the wine lovers, a day to enjoy the southern countryside of Tuscany, the wineries and towns such as Pienza and Montepulciano
After your English speaking driver picks you up in the morning, you have a lovely drive to reach the region of Tuscany and the first town, Pienza, where you have the possibility to taste also the most famous italian “pecorino” cheese accompanied by a glass of Brunello di Montalcino or a Chianti, your day continues to Montepulciano, where you will be taken to an ancient wine cellar for tasting several local wines such as Nobile, one of the most amazing Tuscan wines as well as Rosso di Montepuciano. You will able to visit the underground cellars and visit the Etruscan ruins as well. After your winery visit, there is time to visit the breathtaking village of Montepulciano, where you will feel like you have stepped back in time, with its cobbled stone streets and views over misty hill before heading back to Rome.
More on Pienza and Montepuciano
Pienza
The town conceived by Pope Pius II was built on top of the medieval castle of Corsignano, which marked the border between the possessions of Siena, Florence and Orvieto. In 1458 Enea Silvio Piccolomini decided to transform his childhood home into a symbol of the Italian Renaissance. In three years, from 1459 to 1462, the town reborn as Pienza witnessed the birth of several landmark works of architecture. Its luminous cathedral, Cattedrale dell’Assunta, houses panel paintings by the most renowned Sienese artists of the period. Next door, the imposing family residence Palazzo Piccolomini is graced with a loggia offering a fabulous panorama over val d’ orcia. The town hall and the Palazzo Vescovile (Bishop’s quarters) with its museum display homogeneity of style.Instead, the church dedicated to San Francesco (13th century), the city walls and the austere Pieve di Corsignano, first documented in 714, all date back to the medieval ages.
Montepulciano
One of the striking medieval town, particularly well preserved with medieval and renaissance places designed by known artist of the time, such as Antonio da Sangallo il Vecchio who also built the Tempio di San Biagio here. The area is noted for its red wines, the most famous being the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. After changing hands several times between Siena and Florence, the town came under permanent Florentine rule, and its fortifications, including the Porta di Gracciano, were rebuilt by Cosimo I. In 1561 it became an episcopal seat and a town to become one of the privileged centres of the new Grand Duch in Tuscany. Today Montepulciano is divided between an agricultural town with its main product, the DOCG wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
