Under the Tuscan Sun Tour from Rome-Cortona & Montepulciano 1 day in Italy

Transfer from Rome to Orvieto with stop for a little tour and lunch.. Orvieto, a little medieval village just one hour away from Rome, is definitely the right place to begin this four days tour in Toscany. In this small town, life flows very slow and incredibly soon you will be overwhelmed by the peace and relaxation and the wish to be acquainted with all the information of a genuine local life-style! Orvieto offers much to tourists, Art, Architecture, History and ...good food!!  Very interesting is the Duomo, whose façade, according to art critics, is one of the most beautiful in the world. Then a striking tour can be through the "Undergrounds of Orvieto", a network of subterranean galleries with a long history behind, and then the panorama can be watched from the tall city clock-tower.

Transfer from Orvieto to Cortona, tour and hotel's check in.. Cortona is a small welcoming town in Valdichiana, in the province of Arezzo. The city, enclosed by walls where Etruscan and Roman features are still visible, was built on a hill, which reaches about 600 meters in height. This elevated position guarantees an excellent view from different points of the city, which allows you to admire the splendid landscapes of the Valdichiana, also seeing Lake Trasimeno. The center of Cortona develops around the Republic Square, which overlooks the Palazzo Comunale. Several small shops selling handicrafts and local gastronomy are located on the main streets of the center of Cortona. In the area, excellent wines are produced (we are also a few kilometers from Montepulciano and Montalcino) and there is no shortage of wine bars. In the city, there are several restaurants, mostly oriented towards traditional local and Tuscan cuisine (in the Valdichiana Chianina is bred, one of the most ancient and quality Italian cattle breeds). Well, here are all the ingredients for an unforgettable stay! 

Transfer from Cortona to Saint Gimignano for small tour. San Gimignano, a small fortified city halfway between Florence and Siena, is famous for its architecture and for its beautiful medieval towers that make the city profile truly unique. In the most prosperous period, the wealthy families of San Gimignano came to build 72 towers as a symbol of their well-being and power. Of these, 14 remain today which contribute to making the town atmosphere even more fascinating. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990, San Gimignano is one of the small pearls of the Sienese province and also offers excellent local products such as saffron and a white wine called Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

Transfer from ST. Gimignano to Siena for lunch and a small tour. It is commonly called " The Medieval Town of Tuscany" Siena, located in the heart of Tuscany and surrounded by hills, is one of the most beautiful medieval cities in Italy. The heart of the city is the famous Piazza del Campo, with its particular shell shape, in which the famous Palio is held, one of the most important events for all the citizens. The Palio di Siena is a passionate horse race that takes place every year, in July and August and its origins seem to date back to the seventeenth century. According to legend, Siena was founded by Senio, son of Remo, and in the city, there are several statues depicting the mythical Romulus and Remus suckled by the she-wolf. Piazza del Campo has been the central nucleus of Siena since Roman times, which had their forum here. The square was repaved during the Government of the Nine, a semi-democratic group in power between 1287 and 1355, with a division into nine sections in memory of the Government and symbolizes the cloak of the Madonna that protects the city. The Campo is dominated by the red Palazzo Pubblico and its tower called Torre del Mangia. The Palazzo Pubblico, as well as the Cathedral of Siena, were built during the Government of the Nine, which was the period of maximum economic and cultural splendor of Siena. The Palazzo still houses the offices of the Municipality, similarly to Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. From the internal courtyard of the Palace, you enter the Civic Museum and the Torre del Mangia, on top of which, climbing the 500 steps, you can enjoy a splendid view of the city. The Civic Museum houses some of the most beautiful paintings of the Sienese school. The Sala del Concistoro offers one of the most beautiful works by Domenico Beccafumi, who frescoed the ceilings by painting the cycle of public virtues. In the Sala del Mappamonto and in the Sala della Pace (or Sala dei Nove) then there are real masterpieces: the great Majesty and the equestrian portrait of Guidoriccio da Fogliano at the siege of Montemassi by Simone Martini and the Allegories of Good and Bad Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, considered one of the major pictorial cycles of the Middle Ages.

Transfer from Cortona to Santa Maria degli Angeli and Assisi, lunch and back to Cortona. The church of Santa Maria degli Angeli contains a priceless jewel. Built at the end of the 16th century, the church, the 7th world’s largest building and, was conceived to house and unify the structures of the famous convent called Porziuncola, where the Saint choose to live, where he founded his Religious Order, and where he died October 3th, 1226. The city of Assisi is a fairly small village, surrounded by fantastic countryside, special for having a relaxed day, away from the crowds of our common noisy cities. As you approach the city you could be overwhelmed by the sense of peace it conveys. The city was founded in Roman time, but its fame and importance date back to the middle age of Comuns and, when in the 13th century the basilica of St. Francis was built outside the city center, the town of Assisi had already been built by using the pink and white local stones from the Subasio mountain.

Transfer from Cortona to Pienza for a small tour. Pienza is a small village in southern Tuscany, in the famous Val d'Orcia, absolouting to be visited! It is located about 20 km east of Montalcino and a few miles west of Montepulciano in the beautiful region of Val d'Orcia south of Siena, among soft and poetic hills and fabulous views. Pienza enjoys a truly strategic position perched on the top of a hill, overlooking the entire Orcia valley with a breathtaking view. This charming village is widely known as the "ideal" city of the Renaissance, created by the great humanist Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who later became Pope Pius II. Piccolomini had the economic possibilities and influence to be able to transform his humble native village, Corsignano, into what he believed should be a utopian city, which should have embodied the principles and philosophy of the classical age and of the great Italian Renaissance.

Transfer from Pienza to Montepulciano for a small tour and back to Rome. The city rises on the crest of a tufa hill between two valleys, in a very suggestive panoramic place; it is a charming, typically Renaissance town. According to tradition, the city was founded in the 6th century by the inhabitants of Chiusi following the barbarian invasions and called by these Mons Politianus, as recalled by the name of the same citizens (poliziani) The "vino nobile" of Montepulciano, of the color of ruby, has even been celebrated by poets.