Montalcino

“Montalcino, una città intatta, inalterata, pulita nelle forme, rimasta nel Medioevo. E la Fortezza è il simbolo della storia della città”.                                                                                                                              (Dario Fo)

Well known as the city of Brunello, Montalcino offers its visitors beauty and delicacy: from its stunning Val d’Orcia landscapes to the splendid art works and top-of-the-line food and wine products. Aside from its renowned wine, the unification with the San Giovanni d’Asso territory has brought to Montalcino another food specialty: the prestigious truffle. Embark on a trip filled with charm, flavour and wonder to discover the ancient “Mons Ilcinus”, the mountain of holm-oaks, already inhabited in Roman and Etruscan ages and last bastion of the Republic of Siena in the war against Florence.

The Fortress dominates an historic centre made of narrow alleys and monuments such as the Palazzo dei Priori. But beauty is a common factor throughout the whole territory thanks to the presence of villages like Sant’Angelo in Colle, Camigliano, San Giovanni d’Asso and Montisi. Each farm, from the most renowned to the less popular ones, displays the riches and culture of this territory recognized among the World Heritage Sites of Humanity.

These lands offer a true and proper museum with its “houses of flavour” spread throughout the territory: the Tempio del Brunello di Montalcino and the Museo del Tartufo di San Giovanni d’Asso, the first museum in the whole nation dedicated to this precious truffle.

The splendid, and worth an almost mandatory visit, Abbazia di Sant’Antimo lies at the feet of Castelnuovo dell’Abate. According to legend, this abbey was founded by Charles the Great himself. Its monumental structure is one of the most valuable examples of monastic, French-Romanic architecture of the 12th century. Last but not least is the town of Torrenieri, situated among the valleys of the Ombone and Orcia rivers and a few steps away from Sienese Crete, once an important and strategic hub on the way towards Rome and one of the classic postal stations on the Via Francigena.

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Montalcino is the centre of Eroica trails that intertwine on the territory, leaving each cyclist free to choose the route that best suits their needs. Every year the city of Brunello is the scene of important international events, not least the Val d'Orcia Gravel from which the permanent path called “Grand Tour Val d’Orcia Paesaggio Culturale gravel” was created. The “Via Francigena” finds in Torrenieri its point of arrival and departure towards San Quirico d’Orcia and Castiglione d’Orcia. Obviously, the route of identity of the entire Val d'Orcia area, the “Grand Tour Val d'Orcia World Heritage Site”, and the new itinerary entirely on paved roads with low motor vehicle traffic, called the “Blaise de Monluc tour”, should not be overlooked.