Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
duce for each order puts a whole new spin on the word 'fresh', and both the results and
the house Brunello are spectacular.
WORTH A TRIP
ABBAZIA DI SANT'ANTIMO
This beautiful Romanesque church ( www.antimo.it ; Castelnuovo dell'Abate; 10.30am-12.30pm
& 3-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 9.15-10.45am & 3-6pm Sun) lies in an isolated valley just below the
village of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, 10.5km from Montalcino. It's best visited in the morning, when the
sun, streaming through the east windows, creates an almost surreal atmosphere. At night, too, it's im-
pressive, lit up like a beacon.
Tradition tells us that Charlemagne founded the original monastery here in 781 AD. The exterior,
built in pale travertine stone, is simple except for the stone carvings, which include various fantastical
animals. Inside, study the capitals of the columns lining the nave, especially the one representing
Daniel in the lion's den (second on the right as you enter).
Monks perform Gregorian chants in the abbey during daily services - check times on the website.
Three to four buses per day (€1.50, 15 minutes, Monday to Saturday only) connect Montalcino with
the village of Castelnuovo dell'Abate.
It's a two-to-three-hour walk from Montalcino to the abbey. The route starts next to the police sta-
tion near the main roundabout in town. Many visitors choose to walk there and return by bus - check
the timetable with the tourist office.
Pienza
POP 2134
If the road to Montepulciano didn't pass right through town, Pienza might still be the
sleepy hamlet it was before Enea Silvio Piccolomini (later Pius II) decided to rebuild it in
magnificent Renaissance style. And, frankly, that could have been a very good thing.
Summer weekends here are horrendous, with tourists outnumbering locals by a ratio of
around 50:1. Come midweek if at all possible.
Unesco added Pienza's historic centre to its World Heritage list in 1996, citing the re-
volutionary vision of urban space realised in Piazza Pio II and the buildings around it.
Sights
Piazza Pio II
PIAZZA
Search WWH ::




Custom Search