We are deeply in love with Italy and strive to explore different corners of this magnificent country, discovering something new each time. This time, we embarked on an ambitious endeavor, driving from Rome to Florence through the charming villages of Tuscany, then continued on to the Amalfi Coast. The entire trip took 10 days.
ROUTE BY DAY
- Day 1: Rome – Manciano – Saturnia – Montemerano
- Day 2: Manciano – Bagno Vignoni – Monticchiello – Montepulciano – Pienza – Montalchino – Florence
- Day 3-4: Florence
- Day 5: Florence – San Gimigiano – Siena – Orvieto
- Day 6: Orvieto – Bolsena Lake – Civita di Bagnoregio – Vitorchiano – Sorrento
- Day 7-10: Amalfi Coast
Day 1:
Rome – Manciano – Saturnia – Montemerano
Place: Italy, Manciano
Living Accomodation: Fattoria Pianetti
Address: Casale le Fabbre snc, Manciano, 58014 Italy
An old stone farmhouse well restored with good taste by current owners. Rooms are displayed as if they were own home, solid nice typical furnishing really as if you were a family guest in a private guests room. Enchanting garden, very good to have a swim enjoying surrounding all green landscape. And in the night you can watch a million stars sky listening to several species of night birds.
ACTIVITIES
– arriving to Rome at 12.20
– rent a car
– drive to Fattoria Pianetti, Manciano ( 1 h 40 min )
– Saturnia hot spring ( Cascate del Mulino ) – 10 min. Drive through Vista Panoramica Cascatelle del Mulino. The parking is moved to a nearby location indicated with signs. Saturnia is a spa town in Tuscany, Italy. A commonly misunderstood fact is that the springs are part of a nearby located spa resort. The Saturnia hot springs in Tuscany are completely FREE to visit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
– Dinner or lunch: Osteria Passaparola Nell’antico Frantoio
– Walk in Montemerano, one of Italy’s most beautiful villages. And we tried the best sausages and ham there. Too impatient to wait until the restaurant opened, we enjoyed it in the car. It wasn’t the most elegant setting, but it was certainly satisfying.
Day 2:
Manciano – Bagno Vignoni – Monticchiello – Montepulciano – Pienza – Montalchino – Florence
Place: Italy, Florence
Living Accomodation: I Parigi Corbinelli
Address: Via Luigiana 12, Florence, FI, 50125 Italy
Fantastic place in the Tuscan countryside but 1 short bus trip ( 10 minutes ) away from Florence centre. Very convinient. Great breakfast. Amazing views, the swimming pool is fantastic, the gardens just breathtaking!
ACTIVITIES
1. Fattoria Pianetti – Bagno Vignoni ( 1 h 20 min )
Unlike any other town in Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia, Bagno Vignoni boasts a central pool fed by a mineral spring. This “Piazza delle Sorgenti” (Fountain Square) has been a place of healing for centuries, dating back to the Etruscans. Quaint hotels and restaurants surround the pool, while a historic Church of San Giovanni Battista adds a touch of charm. But it’s the thermal waters that truly define Bagno Vignoni, a natural wonder unlike any other. Very cool place.
Free Parking:
2. Bagno Vignoni – oak of Checce ( 10 min )
A whopping 370 years old, this massive oak tree is a beloved local landmark. Just stop by and snap some photos!
3. Oak of Checce – Monticchiello ( 10 min )
Monticchiello: A Cinematic Cypress-Lined Road. Meander along the picturesque cypress-lined road that graces the outskirts of Monticchiello, a charming Tuscan hill town. This enchanting stretch of road served as the backdrop for the 2003 American romantic film “Under the Tuscan Sun”, adding a touch of cinematic magic to the already captivating landscape.
As you cruise along this scenic route, don’t forget to capture the breathtaking views with your camera. The rolling hills, vineyards, and olive groves provide a picture-perfect panorama that will leave you breathless.
4. Monticchiello – Montepulciano ( 16 min)
Montepulciano is a medieval hilltop town in Tuscany, Italy. Surrounded by vineyards, it’s known for its vino nobile red wine. The Torre di Pulcinella is a clock tower topped by a figure of the Pulcinella, a commedia dell’arte character. On the Piazza Grande is the 14th-century Palazzo Comunale, with a tower offering views of the surrounding countryside. Also here is the Duomo, with a huge triptych above its altar.
– Visit winery De’ Ricci Cantine Storiche in Montepulciano. Resrvation required. You can park in Via dei Filosofi (there’s a parking area), then reach us by feet. It’s pretty near to the cellar.
Address: Via Ricci, 11 – 53045, Montepulciano (Siena), Italy
– Vist Piazza Grande a Montepulciano. Veduta Panoramica is a beautiful viewpoint at the edge of the historic center walls.
– Try local cheese pecorino.
Podere Il Casale. Among the first in the area to make pecorino di Pienza, Podere Il Casale is an organic farm-to-table restaurant and campground that also offers cooking classes.
Podere Il Casale, 64;
www.podereilcasale.com
39-0578-755109
Cugusi di Cugusi Silvana. A farm, dairy, and shop, Silvana Cugusi makes some of the most formidable pecorino in the valley.
Via della Boccia, 8
caseificiocugusi.it
39-0578-757558
5. Montepulciano – Pienza ( 20 min )
PARKING: We park the car on a small parking lot, situated about 300 meters from the western entrance to the Old Town. If there is no free place anymore, you can try to park your car in the larger parking lot located on the northern side of the town.
– Visit The Old Town.
Pienza is a tiny village in southern Tuscany in the beautiful valley called Val d’Orcia we highly recommend you visit. We enter the area of the Old Town from the Piazza Martiri della Liberta, through the gate Porta al Prato. Then we go the narrow street Corso il Rosselino. Here you can find the shops with local products which are primarily cheeses that we already mentioned. So, if you like cheese, you should definitely visit them! After about 200 meters we reach the square Piazza Pio II, where the cathedral Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta from the fifteenth century and the Palazzo Piccolomini are located. Try to go next to the cathedral on its left side, and then come to the nearby vantage point on the southern walls of the town – the views of the Tuscan countryside are breathtaking! Then you may return to the street Corso il Rosselino and go it up to its eastern end. You can of course choose a different route and walk many other narrow streets of the town.
6. Pienza – Chapel Vitaleta ( 15 min )
The Chapel of Vitaleta is on a hill beside the scenic road connecting Pienza and San Quirico d’Orcia. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered one of the most beautiful and evocative landmarks in the entire territory.
Legend has it that the Virgin Mary appeared to a shepherdess on this very spot, leading to the construction of the small chapel. Framed by two rows of cypress trees, the chapel initially held a statue by Andrea della Robbia (1533). Today, the statue resides in the Church of Madonna di Vitaleta in San Quirico.
How to get to the Chapel of Vitaleta
From San Quirico, you see the chapel to your right and you have two options to get there:
Option 1: soon after you spot the chapel, a sign on the right-hand side of the road indicated a path to the chapel and a small parking space on the side of the road. From here, the walk to the chapel takes about 45 minutes.
Option 2: a little further down the road, again on the right-hand side of the road, you will find a turn onto a white road with a brown sign indicating the chapel.
Drive down this road (no special car needed, it is a white but well-kept country road), and follow it until you get to a parking area and a gate.
Park the car and follow the large path to the chapel: signs indicate exactly where to go and you see the chapel the whole time, meaning there is no chance of getting lost.
The walk to the chapel only takes a few minutes, it is flat and stroller friendly. You can easily take the walk to the Vitaleta Chapel with kids in tow.
7. Chapel Vitaleta – San Quirico d’Orcia – Montalcino (30 min)
Val d’Orcia, a valley in Tuscany, Italy, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known for its rolling green hills, charming medieval hill towns, and picturesque cypress trees, it’s a haven for lovers of stunning landscapes and rich history. Don’t miss exploring the many wineries [wineries can be pluralized] that dot the countryside, offering delicious tastings and breathtaking views.
Wineries on the way:
Azienda Agricola La Rasina di Mantengoli Marco
Località Rasina, 132, 53024 Montalcino SI, Italy
Sat: 10-6
Azienda Agricola Patrizia Cencioni – Brunello di Montalcino Winery
Podere Capanna, 102, 53024 Montalcino SI, Italy
Sat: 9-6 pm
2. Montalcino – I Parigi Corbinelli, Florence ( 1 h 30 min )
CAPARZO SRL SOCIETA AGRICOLA, Strada Provinciale del Brunello, Montalcino, Province of Siena, Italy. Here movie Letters of Juliet was filmed. Most of the movie seems to have been filmed in and around Caparzo’s beautiful vineyards.
Becoming part of an ancient scenario of history and architecture I Parigi Corbinelli is strategically situated at the city gates amidst the typical florentine hills, where the streets of Florence dwindle away and Tuscany begins among olive groves. Arriving to the next stay to I Parigi Corbinelli, Florence
