TUSCANY
DAY 1
Arrival
Flight into Florence, transfers arranged to the hotel.
If you arrive in the morning, you will have a chance to enjoy the city and its attractions. Do a spot of shopping or enjoy the hotel’s facilities.
Evening:
Welcome drink with tour staff and presentation of the cars and their unique characters, ready for the next days of fun.
Dinner:
Dinner at Ristorante Enoteca Pinchiorri, winner of the Restaurant Magazine's Editor's Choice for Best Restaurant in the World in 2005 and still ranked as one of the top 50 best restaurants on the planet.
Overnight:
In the historic centre of Florence, an eighteenth century residence hosts the exclusive, refined Relais Santa Croce hotel. Surrounded by its sumptuous furnishings and frescoed ceilings, you will be assisted by highly professional staff and delighted by the evocative nature of this truly extraordinary location in which luxury and refinement are the predominant features. It is the ideal destination for those seeking the intimacy of a private residence in Florence.
http://www.baglionihotels.com
DAY 2
Morning:
We follow a special itinerary designed to take in the ever-changing countryside around Florence. City roads give way to countryside lanes as we drive through Chianti stopping along the way in tiny villages for a coffee and to swap vehicles.
Mid-morning:
We arrive at our destination, where we are met by the charismatic owner of the property. After an official welcome, we enjoy a hands-on cooking class.
Lunch:
Lunch will be served in a private garden of the village, a chance to enjoy the special things we prepared together.
Chianti is the territory situated between Siena and Florence which consists of the three present municipalities of Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti and Gaiole in Chianti. They became part of the regional territory of Siena at the beginning of the 19th century, at the time of the French domination, and were confirmed as belonging to the province of Siena with the unification of Italy. In the Middle Ages Ghibelline Siena, which was loyal to the emperor, and Guelph Florence, ally of the pope, clashed repeatedly in Chianti while trying to extend their possessions.
Early Afternoon:
A small visit of the hamlet which will include the extraordinary winery and the unique olive mill.
Afternoon:
In Siena we are met for an optional tour of the city by a local art-historian. The walking tour of the city will include the Cathedral as well as the world-famous Piazza del Campo, site of the Palio of Siena. During our walk we will also enjoy a behind the scenes visit of a Sienese Contrada.
The golden age of Siena was in the medieval period. A leading Ghibelline centre in 12th century Tuscany and thus a rival of Guelf Florence, Siena still celebrates her victory over Florence in 1260 at the battle of Montaperti. Totally ignored is the final victory of Florence nine years later which ultimately led to the annexation of Siena into the Florentine domination in 1559. Nevertheless the Battle of Montaperti is still commemorated every year and the very cross that was carried into battle is still preserved in the cathedral. Siena is quintessentially a Gothic City. The expensive and elaborate Duomo, the prized Palazzo Pubblico - seat of communal government, and all the best known paintings - Duccio’s Maestà, Simone Martini’s Maestà and Lorenzetti’s Good and Bad Government were all created in the late 13th - 14th centuries.
Dinner:
Dinner at leisure in one of the many restaurants of Siena.
Overnight:
The Hotel Continental is housed in Palazzo Gori Pannilini, built in the 17th century by the Chigi Pope Alexander VII for his niece Olimpia on the occasion of her marriage to the nobleman Giulio de' Gori. The grandeur of the architecture and the building’s sumptuous decorative scheme perfectly express the high social standing of the families. Thanks to its artistic splendour, the Continental later became the preferred Sienese residence for young European aristocrats and intellectuals on the Grand Tour.
http://www.royaldemeure.com/en/grand_hotel_continental/storia.htm
DAY 3
Morning:
Mid-morning:
Stop for a small garden tour of one of the most iconic gardens of Italy. We will enjoy a small drink in the garden to fully appreciate the views that made this region so famous.
Lunch:
Lunch at leisure in the wonderful Montepulciano.
The name of Montepulciano derives from Latin Mons and Publicianus ("Mount of Publicianus"). According to legend, it was founded by the Etruscan King Porsenna of Chiusi; recent findings prove that a settlement was already in existence in the 4th-3rd centuries BC. In Roman times it was the seat of a garrison guarding the main roads of the area. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it developed as a religious center under the Lombards. From 1390, Montepulciano was a loyal ally (and later possession) of Florence and, until the mid-16th century, lived a period of splendour with architects such as Antonio da Sangallo the Elder, Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, Baldassarre Peruzzi, Ippolito Scalza and others, building luxurious residences and other edifices here.
Afternoon:
Optional guided tour of Pienza with an expert art-historian, some free time to shop or just relax in the piazza.
Pienza owes its beauty and fame to Enea Silvio Piccolomini born in Corsignano on 18 October 1405 and elevated to Pope in 1458 taking the name Pius II. During the course of his Papacy, he changed the ancient Castello di Corsignano (first mentioned in 828) into a Papal residence in the Renaissance style, planned and constructed under the supervision of Bernardo Gambarelli called il Rossellino, a student of Leon Battista Alberti, and renamed it Pienza ("Pius").
Dinner:
Dinner at Le Logge, one of the best restaurants in Tuscany.
Overnight:
Hotel Continental, Siena
http://www.royaldemeure.com/en/grand_hotel_continental/storia.htm
DAY 4
Morning:
Last-minute shopping and packing.
Throughout the day:
Transfers back to airport or train station for onward travel.