Tuscan Treasures

Oustanding rental apartment in Cortona

Tuscan Treasures aims to help you discover and enjoy to the fullest the less-travelled venues of Tuscany, in particular the hilltowns which are marvelous fonts of a rich and cultured lifestyle. They are also excellent havens if you're looking for a place to unwind. Each is a gem in its own right and can serve as a venue for either a short daytrip or the majority of your trip. The better-known stops on the "Grand Tour", e.g. Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, and the Chianti region are nearby.

Cortona
Cortona

Cortona is a beautiful walled city located centrally in Tuscany, midway between Rome & Florence.  Getting there by car is easy - it's convenient to both the A1 (Autostrada del Sole) and SS326 (Siena-Perugia Superstrada). Or, if you prefer taking the train, the Camucia and Terontola stations are just minutes away.  The central location and excellent transportation connections make Cortona a superb base for touring the rest of Tuscany and Umbria.

 

Loro Ciuffenna
Loro Ciuffenna

Loro Ciuffenna is a charming hillside town of medieval architecture, located about 30 minutes south of Florence,and east of Montevarchi from the Valdarno exit of A1 (Autostrada del Sole). If the train is your preference (note: an auto is recommended), the Montevarchi (Diretto/Regionale trains) station is about 15 minutes away.

Chianti
Chianti Region

 

There are many small but delightful villages in the Chianti region - among them Barbischio, Brolio, Meleto, Monteriggioni, Rietine, and Vertine. They are excellent for either biking/hiking (e.g. Barbishio to Vertine to Gaiole) or driving tours to visit the wineries (e.g. Brolio near Gaiole and Riecine in Gaiole).

Surrounding them are the well-travelled towns (not covered in any detail here) of Castellina, Gaiole, Greve, and Radda. If you want further info. on the major towns, please click on either the Chianti Net or Chianti News links on the links page.

 

Pienza Home
Pienza, Montepulciano, Montalcino, & Chianciano Terme

 

Pienza and the nearby towns of Montepulciano, Montalcino, and Chianciano Terme are located in the rolling hills and mountains SW of Siena. Pienza is the birthplace of Pope Pius II, who envisioned remaking it into a model town. Montalcino is renowned for its Brunello wines by Banfi & other producers; and Montepulciano is known for the Vino Nobile & Vino Rosso it produces, most of which is exported.

Lucignano
Lucignano, Monte San Savino, & area

 

The lively towns of Lucignano, Sinalunga, and Monte San Savino are located across the Val di Chiana from Cortona and are only 15-20 minutes distant. Lucignano is built in a unique elliptical ring design. There is a museum with a unique "tree" and works by Signorelli and other prominent artists.

There is a ginestra (broomflower) festival during the spring as well as harvest festivals each fall.

 

Castiglion Fiorentino
Castiglion Fiorentino

Castiglion Fiorentino is located on SS71 between Cortona and Arezzo. It overlooks both the Val di Chiana and the Val di Chio.

Artifacts were recently discovered which date the city back to at least the Etruscan period (Vth century B.C.). It was long a pawn of the city states of Arezzo, Firenze, & Perugia and thus known at various periods as Castiglion Aretino, Castiglion Perugino, and finally Castiglion Fiorentino since 1384.

There is a cinghiale (wild boar) festival during the spring as well as harvest festivals each fall.

 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I----
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.

"The Road Less Travelled" by Robert Frost

 

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Linksuscany Recommendations

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Links to "Grand Tour" cities/areas:

Chianti

Firenze/Florence

San Gimignano

Siena

 

Note: For the best exchange rate, use either a charge card (e.g. VISA) for purchases or use your bank ATM card (Cirrus, Star, Plus, etc.) in the local Bancomats to obtain cash (your PIN needs to be 4 digits to use the ATM card outside your home country). Also note that if you are exchanging other currencies or traveler's checks that most banks are open only Mon.-Fri. and typically from about 9:00am-1:30pm, close from 1:30pm-2:30pm, and reopen from 2:30pm-3:30pm. Euro conversion note: As of March 1, 2002 only the Euro is legal tender. (1 Euro = 1,936.27 Lit)

Taxi warning - you will be approached in most major train stations and airports by freelance drivers who are not licensed - AVOID THEM since they may not only rip you off with outrageous fares but can also be dangerous. A licensed taxi driver usually has a taxi sign on the vehicle (which is most typically white or gray) and must display their credentials inside the vehicle - if you have any doubts, ask them to show your their credentials (patente) before entering their vehicle. A licensed taxi driver will also not approach you inside a terminal or train station - they will be waiting at the authorized taxi stand outside the terminal or train station. And when you're taking the taxi to/from your hotel and the airport or train station, have the hotel arrange it for you if possible and ask them to write down the fare in advance to avoid a misunderstanding.

Tips for staying connected (e.g. phone, internet) while in Italy - click here.

How to get there

By air: Florence's Amerigo Vespucci [FLR] and Pisa's Galileo Galilei [PSA ] , both in Tuscany, and Perugia [PEG] in Umbria are the closest airports; Rome's Fiumicino [FCO], Milan's Malpensa [MXP], and Bologna [BLQ] airports are also convenient for visiting Tuscany and the rest of central Italy. There are fast shuttle trains (8.80 €) from Fiumicino Aeroporto directly to both Roma Termini and Roma Tiburtina [Note: for many destinations, transferring at Roma Tiburtina is faster and more convenient than Roma Termini]: click here for the link to train timetables). In Milan, take the direct shuttle bus from the airport to the Milano Centrale train station if you are transferring to a train; if you are going into downtown Milano & not taking a train immediately there's an express shuttle which goes to several of the metro (subway) stations. In Florence, take the direct shuttle bus from the airport to the Santa Maria Novella (Firenze S.M.N.) train station.

By train: Much of Tuscany can be reached from either the main north-south line between Firenze and Roma or the east-west line between Perugia and Siena, and their branches. The ES (EuroStar) or IC (Intercity) trains are the fastest (be sure to make seat reservations during high season [June-Oct] & holidays); the D (Diretto), IR (InterRegionale), and R (Regionale) are slower, sometimes with many "milk run" stops (click here for the link to train timetables). [Note: if 3 or more are travelling together, you can ask for "Mini-gruppo" rates which are 20-30% lower; however tickets are not refundable if you don't take the trip.]

By bus: Much of Tuscany (e.g. Arezzo/Cortona and Firenze/Siena/San Gimignano, but alas not the more remote areas) can generally be reached by bus (LFI (Etruria Mobilità Scarl ), SITA, ATAM, & others) and many of the routes - e.g. Firenze to Siena - are very scenic. Be sure to buy tickets at a Tabacchi, Bar, or Edicola [newstand] before boarding a bus.

Note: In most places, stamps and bus tickets can be purchased at the Tabacchi or Edicola (newsstand). In some cities, you can also purchase train and bus tickets at the Tourist offices (A.P.T.). Ask for "quattro corse" - a ticket which can be stamped four times (once at each corner) and is discounted compared with purchasing individual tickets. When travelling by either train or bus, be certain your ticket is stamped (timbrato) in the machine on either the train platform before boarding or on the bus - there are hefty fines for travelling either without a ticket or with an invalid ticket (& your ticket isn't "valid" until it has been stamped). In larger cities - e.g. Firenze, Roma, Venezia, you can obtain one- or multiple-day passes which are valid for all of the public transportation and are not only great bargains, but also allow you to see much more of the cities without getting fatigued. Maps of the lines are available either free from the tourist info. office or (much better versions) from the edicola at the train station or elsewhere for a nominal fee.

Transport strike (sciopero): There are often transport strikes - sometimes they affect only one means of transport (plane [aero], train [ferroviario / FS], bus [e.g. ATAM, SITA, LFI, etc.], or boat [marittimo]) but sometimes ALL forms of transport will strike together (sciopero generale). The good news is that strikes are usually announced several weeks to months in advance so you can plan around them. To check if there are planned strikes in the near future, click here>> Strike Info. Search (use Ctrl-F) for the word sciopero on the page.

Many museums and historical sites are closed on Mondays - check before making a long trip.

Weather

- Records/Averages (Temperature & Precipitation) by Month:

Florence / Firenze

Rome / Roma

 

- Current conditions & Short-Term Weather Forecast:

Florence / Firenze

Rome / Roma

 

 


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