Montepulciano - Cantina Contucci - Pienza - Romitorio di Pienza - Montalcino - Capanna of Cencioni

Route: Florence - Montepulciano - Cantina Contucci - Pienza - Romitorio di Pienza - Montalcino - Capanna of Cencioni - Florence
Duration: 10 h
Our first stop will be at Montepulciano which has picturesque Streets and Antique Wine Cellars, many sumptuous residences and buildings you can admire while walking in the historical center still testify to the power and wealth of the noble families here during the 14th and 15th centuries, although it was in the 16th century that Montepulciano reached its highest splendour under the powerful Medici family. DUring our visit you will see the Porta al Prato or Porta delle Farine,  the Corso, the Colonna del Marzocco,  the Palazzo Avignonesi, the Church of Sant'Agostino, the curious figure of Pulcinella, striking the hours on the big clock. There we will visit to Cantina Contucci. As far back as the Renaissance the Contucci family were cultivating the grape and by 1700 this activity of theirs' was much appreciated. In fact they were one of the "founding fathers" of Vino Nobile, as is documented in 1773; having a major role in making it world famous: "a noble wine destined for the table of nobles". The building of the Contucci cellars took place before the mansion of the same name, which was once inhabited by Pope Giulio III and the by the Grand Duke Ferdinand I. The mansion was built by Antonio Sangallo the older and painted internally with affrescoes by Andrea Pozzo. One can therefore say that both house and cellars were built in the XIII century and were part of the old inner walls of Montepulciano. You can tast the local wines like Rosso di Montepulciano, Bianco della Contessa, Il Sansovino and Vin Santo. Next we will visit to Pienza which was built on a hill that dominates the Val d’Orcia, in the southern Siena’s province, Pienza is a completely intact, elegant Renaissance town, proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage of Humanity site for its important example of Renaissance urban planning, architecture and monuments. The history of Pienza is inextricably linked to the figure of Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who went down in history as Pope Pius II. Enea Silvio Piccolomini was born in 1405 in Corsignano, a small village of little importance. Elected Pope in 1458, Pius II visited his hometown during a trip to Mantua. On this occasion, the poor conditions in which his hometown was facing, the pontiff decided to radically transform it to make it an “ideal city”. The intent of Pius II was to transform this small medieval village into a papal residence in the Renaissance style and you will see it. During our visit you will see the Piazza Pio II, Cathedral, Museo Diocesano d’arte sacra, Palazzo Piccolomini,  Chiesa di San Francesco, Pieve di Corsignano and Romitorio di Pienza. There we will visit to the Romitorio di Pienza, located near the church of Saint Catherine – exudes ancient charm, with a series of rooms carved into sandstone where hermit monks used to live between the 11th and the 18th centuries.  In the upper part of the structure, a chapel from the mid-16th century protects a high relief of the “Nursing Madonna”, a common depiction linked to the worship of fertility, which pilgrims came to visit until the early 1900s. In the lower part, instead, the remains of rupestrian sculptures were found, dating back to the period between the 14th and 15th centuries; amongst them, the image of a two-tailed mermaid stands out. Next we will visit to Montalcino where the dominant feature of Montalcino's skyline is the 14th-century Sienese Fortezza, expanded in 1571 by Duke Cosimo I. In one of the castle rooms, the last battle standard of the Sienese Republic is preserved. During our visit you will see of Montalcino is the tall and slender clock tower that graces the Palazzo dei Priori, the city's town hall, while below lies the main square known as Piazza del Popolo with its characteristic Gothic loggia, the Palazzo Vescovile and the churches of Sant' Agostino, Sant' Egidio and San Francesco,  the Palazzo Comunale (1292) where on the palazzo's exterior wall are attached rows of outsized acrylic wine labels. The town commissions one each year from a leading international designer to mark the vintage -- the number of stars (up to five) on each denotes the "quality" of the year's harvest. The town has been made incredibly rich and famous by its Brunello wine, one of the world's best and most appreciated Italian wines. Montalcino was already well-known for its fine red wines during the 15th century. However, the precious formula of the fantastic Brunello was invented in 1888 by Ferruccio Biondi Santi. Before the Brunello is ready, it must age for a minimum of 5 years, 2 of which must take place in oak barrels, while the Rosso of Montalcino is ready after only one year of aging.  There we will visit to Capanna of Cencioni where during the wine tasting, you will taste 3 of the most important and world-famous Tuscan wines, such as Sangiovese IGT or Brunello di Montalcino. The professional sommelier will provide in-depth explanations about what you taste and the uniqueness of these Italian wines. After we return to Florence.
Price: per person