Villas in Tuscany & Umbria Since 1998

A clien'ts suggestion for walks:

TUSCAN WALKS
A walking holiday in Tuscany meant buying a good book. There is one fortunately whose title is listed at the end. We chose four walks all of which were distinctive and beautiful. It is a good idea to know a plan of the route you want to go on and how long it takes as Italian footpaths are not well signposted. A red, green and white (the Italian flag) mark on stones, trees and boulders indicating a path does exist but not everywhere. Footwear is of the utmost importance and walking boots or walking trainers are essential as many paths are often stony and many are steep gradients, so a good grip is vital.
We established our four circular routes written in the book and kept to them.  At times it proved a little difficult to follow owing to the sometimes amusing instructions but we were well rewarded and never completely lost our way. We enjoyed wonderful views of the Tuscan countryside where the blue hills unfold into the distance, cool strolls through dappled, half sunlit mossy woods, the sights of swallows and swifts cutting through the balmy air, clouds of exotic butterflies, a multitude of different scents, and the feeling of having known a uniquely beautiful and graceful landscape.
The walk from Monteriggione near Siena proved the most challenging and there was a long winding route uphill from one village Abbadia Isola where a shop was thankfully open for us to replenish water supplies. However we enjoyed the magnificent views of the medieval fortressed town with its intact walls from the Monte Maggio and the beautiful route down the hill through sunflower meadows and carefully tended olive groves in the amber evening light.
One particular walk to Lamole from Monte St Michele was very close to the villa Puliti in Lucalena. On this particular walk down to Limole varieties of wildflowers proliferated creating a tapestry of colour. We could find oxeye daisies, cornflowers, celandines, vetches, lilies, field scabious, and pretty wild sweet peas, among the great bushes of yellow broom on the side of the footpath. Most of the trees seemed to be either the hardy fir and small chestnut and oak trees with twisted trunks growing out of the harsh sunbaked soil. On the rocks small lizards could be seen scuttling into the undergrowth. In the air we could detect various scents of mint, lavender and balm. The cicadas were heard with their distinctive metronomic clicking sounds.
There is a fine restaurant in Lamole, called Ristoro di Lamole, with an adjoining shop which would have been useful had it been open. It is worth checking to discover whether places are open or not before setting out for the walk. The restaurant however is not very accessible by road from the villa but would be worth a visit for the aspect alone.
Further away from the villa in Lucalena the attractive hairpinned road winds out of Greve affording sublime views over the undulating, open cast countryside of Chianti. Our third walk took us to Badia a Passignano a monastery founded in 1049 where Galileo taught. Inside the church of Saint Baigio rests the remains of frescoes dating back centuries. Sadly the monastery was closed so it is worth checking beforehand if places worth visiting are open. This did not detract from the walk’s beauty and we were rewarded with a sighting of wild boars crossing our path as they crashed from the woods. Along the route we discovered hard thin porcupine spines, although we did not spot any of the creatures. On the route home it is worth visiting Montefioralle, a picturesque village with more superb views across the land, views that formed the background of so many Renaissance paintings.
The landscape is dotted with hilltop towns some of which pass through the route described in the books. One such town was Volpaia near Radda in Chianti a short drive from Lucalena which provided a timeless medieval view from afar and did not disappoint on closer acquaintance with its circular stone houses and terracotta roofs. The castle has many of its walls formed in an ellipse still visible as well as the smaller towers. In front of the town grew the silvery olive trees and green neatly spaced light green vineyards interspersed with the ubiquitous dark cypress trees.
Volpaia basked in warm sunshine yet between the shuttered stone buildings and in the alleyways we could find a cool shade. The church known as La Commenda shows architecture from the brunellesque order. Restoration work was taking place underlining its importance. There were several cafes in the square and we enjoyed a refreshing drink under a shady canopy in the café Ucci.
The castle and towers were the legacy of its role as a military lookout in the sixteenth century acting as a bulwark in the endless medieval battles between Siena and Florence. The town built in the eleventh century lies on the border between the two warring towns and at the head of two valleys, hence its strategic importance. A son of Volpaia was a friend of Leonardo and built the planetary clock in the Plaza Vecchio on commission for the Medici in Florence.
We walked down a long avenue of tall cypresses leading out of the town with its interplay of light and shade. We continued past several lovely farmhouses and down through the chestnut, fir and oak woods, such a feature of the Tuscan landscape. Like the church in Volpaia the church at Santa Maria, which ended our trek, was similarly being restored indicating the importance of preserving Italy’s rich heritage. Here the church a date back to 1010 and has splendid decoration on the capitals unusual for the area. This was our last walk and in some ways the most splendid but every walk we did had its own unique delights.
We did walk during the midday when the heat was at its fiercest, but evenings and mornings are the best times especially in the summer months. Walking in the early evening when the heat is lessening, the shadows lengthening, the route almost completed and the sunlight playing on the round wooded hills and hilltop distant towns was an unforgettable experience. This is a gentle rolling landscape which casts a spell over those fortunate to visit.
Our Four circular routes chosen were:
Monteriggione roughly 5 hours
Badia a Passignano roughly 4 hours
Lamole roughly 3.5 hours
Volpaia roughly 4.5. hours
These walks and others can all be found in the book which is listed on the Amazon website. The title is ‘Walking And Eating  In Tuscany And Umbria’ by James Lasdun and Pia Davis.
Martin Swanzy