Agriturism in Tuscany

http://www.querciarossa.net/


We spent 5 nights at with some friends on September 2006. We have been travelling for 7 days in the gorgeous Tuscan countryside. We arrived to Quercia Rossa late and concerned to be lost in countryside but we were pleasantly surprised by the accommodations. In Tuscany we had the small town and the big city experience. At Quercia we were looking for the Italian summer country villa experience: and we got it! We enjoyed quiet breakfasts with the view. We were pampered by what we can only imagine is traditional country hospitality in Italy. Also, I recommend that you take your dinners at Quercia. When we were there they served veal, wild boar, deer, quail, and, of course, great pasta, salad and Italian desserts... with good wine: it´s a great value at €28. The houses are beautiful and fit excellently in with the nature. The rooms are beautifully decorated and very comfortable and of course very clean. The owners have done an amazing job restoring the buildings: every room is different with antique furniture, beautiful light fittings and terrific bathrooms. The pool is just faaaab! The Quercia Rossa farmhouse is the most peaceful possible place, with truly fabulous views of rolling hills and grazing sheep. At night the stars are beyond belief. We decided to stay over. And we hope to return and stay longer next time.

29-September

By Alex from Spain

Where to Bike around Siena

Biking Tuscany

The view that one commands from the Torre del Mangia, or Mangia Tower, is a majestic and unforgettable one. From here you can see all the lands where biking is the perfect way to discover Tuscany and enter in contact with blissful nature.
The Val d’Elsa is distinguished thanks to San Gimignano and the silouette of Volterra nearby. From Poggibonsi to Castellina, the road enters Chianti the vinyards passing by castles and villas. Nature here almost annihilates the sign of man. The unforgettable Crete Senesi ara magical land of lunar-like hills. The crete and ridges of the territory are bordered by gravel roads. The wind has sculpted this land along with water and man made fields. The idillyc scenery continues going south in the Val d’Orcia, such a singularly beautiful place to deserve itself to be a national park dedicated to nature, art and culture. The town of Montepulciano can be touched on the Val di Chiana road to Siena and crossed by the Highway A1. The Etruscan culture has dominated this land and their presence is still very much felt here. Chiusy is the highest point of felicity for those bykers interested in discovering the Etruscans. The Mount Amiata rises in the southern most part of Tuscany, a mountain of vulvanic origins that rises amongst the planes where one can find many chestnut and beech trees groves. Here the population still is truly Tuscan, entrenched in their decision not to be paired with the rest of Tuscan people, and they live in the way of the mountain, loyal to their mountain traditions. One side of Amiata belongs to Grosseto and the other to Siena. From here one can reach the sea in front of the archipelago of Tuscany (Isola d'Elba). The town of Montalcino sets itself at the feet of Mount Amiata along with the river Ombrone and Orcia.
From here you can follow the river Merse-Farma and the atomosphere changes to wild and more misterious. This part of the Siena territory is more unknown than the rest, and somewhat more challenging. It surely satifies those bikers that want to discover the "uncharted" Tuscany. Going towards Murlo one can discover more secrets of the Etruscans. Immensely worth your paddling is a bike stroll to the basilica di San Galgano, immensely renown for its roofless church. This region also gives you the opportunity to discover the peace of the Montagnola where you will be able to ride in unmatched soliloquy on the roads where the extra virgin olive oil of Tuscany.

Your Etruscan Holidays

The cities to explore on the Tuscan Coast

Sure enough we have all heard, at least once about the Etruscans. Many might not know that this pre-Roman people lived and thrived in Tuscany, along the coast and in northern Lazio. They used to call their land Tuscia, from which came the name of Toscana, Tuscany, that is.
The origins of this people are quite misterious as their language. Some say they came from the Eastern regions and were a group of Arians, others say they were indigenous, others say they were from Greece, and others say that they were indigenous merchants that during their exchanges mingled and mixed with all the other peoples (Greek, Arians, and Arabs perhaps?).
Anyhow, the most important thing nowadays is to discover them at the many museums and cities present all over Tuscany. Some of these cities are Chiusi, Roselle, Quercianella, Bolgheri, Suvereto, Piombino, San Vincenzo, Monterotondo, San Quirico, and Cortona.
What better way to discover these places but staying there for at least a week? Thankfully there is a portal that suggests many accommodations in this area. The name of the portal is Etruscan Holidays, and here you will be able to find the accommodation satisfactory for your needs to discover the Etruscan Riviera and the Etruscan history and culture.

Adler Thermae

The Adler Thermae hotel in Tuscany, offer a relaxing and rigenerating holiday in its termal center. I stayed there about one month ago for my summer holidays, and i think that next year i'll come there. The service and the organization are simply perfect, relax is the principal actor. The hotel isn't expensive, sure, but the price is regular for that services.
If you want some additional informations about the hotel and its services, with prices, images, descriptions and availability informations contact this website,

Italian Holiday Villas & Apartments

Tuscany and Italy can mean a lot of things to different people. If you ask why people go and in what period of the year they like to visit Tuscany, you will have a various range of responses. If you are looking for some serious advice, it may then be a little tricky to get the word of friends and acquaintaissances. Do you prefer the sun and relaxing poolside days gazing at the Tuscan countryside, or would you rather be near lots of cultural cities, maybe in low season to save some money and avoid the high density tourism?
Whichever your preference is you need to find the right authentic Italian villa and apartments to rent in Italy, whether that is Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Sardinia, Sicily, Lake Garda, Amalfi Coast, Cilento, Liguria, Veneto, Rome, Florence, Lucca.
The site to visit is then http://www.authentic-italy.co.uk.

All about Tuscany

If you are looking for another source of information on Tuscany, you need to visit http://www.choose-tuscany.com, where you will be able to find a website with information on Tuscany, travel, food, wine, weather, geography, history and accommodation.
The site pays particular attention to describing the aspects that make Tuscany a cradle of civilization and why Tuscany is so loved and visited by millions of tourists each year. Dense with detailed information on the region, its people, the economy, tourism, and not least, its gorgeous recipes and wines, this site is a must-visit.

A directory on Tuscany would also be http://www.tuscany.org/ and www.giralarete.it

Montalcino and the hunting season

The center of this small town offers a perfect example of the architecture of the late Middle Ages. The nearby Musei Riuniti (Civico and Diocesano) contain pieces of a wooden cross painted by an unknown artist in the twelfth or thirteenth-century -one of the oldest Senese works. Wooden Annunciation sculptures from the early fifteenth- century and a Madonna done in Robbian terracotta are also worth a visit.

Montalcino is famous in the world for its Brunello and Vino Nobile. Brunello is a full bodied and aromatic wine perfect with game and grilled meats. The red, called vermiglio, played a small role in the siege of 1553. Legend has it that the garrison commander, tense and hungry, rubbed it into his cheeks, to simulate a healthy complexion and reassure his troops.

On the second Sunday in September don't miss the TOURNAMENT FOR THE OPENING OF THE HUNTING SEASON, a Middle Ages "must do" among the nobility.
The FEAST OF THE THRUSH, on the last Sunday of October is the most important hunting event of the season. If you are not a hunter, you can still "shoot" pictures of the colorful celebrations!

Treno Natura goes a Step Forward

More Tours with the Train in Nature

The effort of this group of retired Italian train officials continues to offer great destinations through discontinued (but well maintained!!) tracks that pass through unforgettable landscapes. You can see this landscapes through the Nature Train only, since no road passes by these unique lands.
There are many tours and many antique trains that take you to dream places and back in time. Some examples are steam engines from the 18th century, to the more recent diesel trains of the 1950s.

The expeditions with the diesel trains depart in May, June, September, and October and go through the line from Siena to Asciano, and then to Monte Antico (the leg from the Asciano to Monte Antico is the dismissed part). During these tours you will be able to enjoy visits to Etruscan sites, the natural park of Monte Labro, a Biosphere festival at Vivo d'Orcia, Radicofani Festival, Autimn Festival in Abbadia, Arcidosso and Vivo d'Orcia, the chestnut festival with local wine and other true Tuscan happenings.
The vintage trains also offer special trips from Siena to San Giovanni d'Asso for the truffle festival in March.
In June the train from Siena goes to the Maremma Park to the sea.
In July the destination to Mount Amiata offers music on board.
September is the Etruscan train month.
December the Olive oil Festival train takes to San Quirico d'Orcia.
A "very specialest" train is the New Year train that takes to the Mount Amiata and includes the New Year's eve dinner with typical mountain meat.
The steam trains offer in April a trip to Murlo, an antique Etruscan town, and to San Giovanni d'Asso for the Pecorino cheese festival.
May is the occasion to celebrate agricolture with the train to Sant'Angelo Cinigiano; also in this month the steam festival and the Scialenga market in Asciano.
October brings the festival of grape harvest and barbecued pork meat, a tradition in rural Tuscany! Also not to be missed is the Chestnut festival in Casteldelpiano, where chestnuts are accompanied with novell wine.
November is the exquisite Truffle season.

To get more information about the exact dates and festivals combined with each trip, information on fares, schedules and itineraries, please call (0039) 0577 20 74 17, or the mobile number (0039) 338 8992577, or visit the website www.ferrovieturistiche.it.

PLEASE NOTE: Each trip has to be reserved in advance as sits are limited and fill up quickly. The fares can be paid on the train, although for steam engine trips the fair has to be paid in advance.

Our Holidays in Tuscany

Had a few weeks to come down from our month in Italy.

Magnificent with World Cup frenzy as an added bonus. Started our Tuscan holiday with ten days at Casa Portagioia. We were spoiled immediately. The property is a gorgeous oasis amid rambling Tuscan farmland. Once you find it the first time, you're OK. Terry and Marcello are the perfect hosts. Terry greets and puts you at ease upon arrival. His warmth, intelligence and humor is consistent throughout your stay. (And he helps you plan out each day, better than any tour guide.) You can't help falling in love with Marcello immediately. He caters to your every need -- and puts together a wonderful
breakfast (and five star dinner once or twice a week -- don't miss it).

The property is picturesque Tuscany at its best, the rooms are huge, each with unique decor consistent within a Tuscan framework. Bathrooms are large, modern and pristine. Located between Arrezo and Cortona outside Castiglione Fiorentino, the location is within an hour of all the must-sees in Tuscany and Umbria. You must have a car. Renting from AutoEurope worked fine for us. And by all means, rent a GPS device. Breakfast each morning under the outdoor umbrellas on the veranda was so spectacular that it was hard to pull ourselves away to tour. And this setting was so conducive to meeting the other guests which added to our fun and enhanced the experience.

Terry and Marcello became our friends -- hopefully for a long time. They made our stay special. It was emotional saying goodbye. Needless to say, nothing afterward compared -- we will certainly visit again. (Try to spend some time relaxing by the beautiful pool overlooking the Tuscan hills -- its worth it.) Casa Portagioia a truly relaxing B&B in Tuscany!

Lucretia Castle Badly Damaged

Heavy Damages at Castle near Trasimeno

It seems like a century has passed, however in just one year the Lucretia Castle has undergone some drastic changes that have ruined its beauty.

Reportedly, the hearthquake that shook the center of Italy in 1981 provoked damages to the structure that during the years have caused water infiltrations and damaged the beautiful frescoes, beamed ceilings, and the beautiful chapel. The latter may be in danger of crumbling down.
The interiors of the castle have therefore in the last year assumed a very sinister and dingy look, spoiling the sunny appearance once characterizing this beautiful structure.
A ghost-like castle, it will need the intervention of higher funding to return to its beauty.

Lily Porter is Leaving

Leaving Tuscany

Hi everyone...After several months of collaboration here, I have decided to head back to the United States to continue my career. It is going to be a very sad parting, because Tuscany was already a home to me.
I hope I will be able to return to Tuscany and continue writing from time to time on the so many memories and tours I have done in this wonderful land.

A kiss to everyone. Ciao.
Lily