MONTALCINO – 56,7km/1h9min. driving

Montalcino is a town in the Italian province of Siena in Tuscany. It is located in the territory to the north-west of Mount Amiata and the end of the Val d’Orcia. The city walls were built in the thirteenth century. The fortress was built at the highest point of the city in 1361, it has pentagonal structure and is designed by the Sienese architects, Mino Foresi and Domenico di Feo. The fortress incorporates some of the existing facilities including the main tower of Santo Martini, the San Giovanni tower and an ancient basilica, which now serves as the chapel of the castle.

The village has remained intact since the sixteenth century. Once you reach the top on which stands Montalcino, a true spectacle unfolds before the eyes: a continuous succession of sinuous hills dotted here and there with yellow and red flowers, ancient oak trees, picturesque olive trees, panoramic roads of campaign that meander through harmonious vineyards and cypress blocks here and there.

The town of Montalcino has become rich and famous by Brunello, one of the best Italian wines and among the most popular in the world. But Montalcino is not just wine, it is also art and culture. The old town is dominated by the mighty fortress, fortress built in 1361 as a mark the transition of the city under the dominion of Siena. The panorama from the bastions of the castle is truly spectacular; goes from Monte Amiata, through the Crete to Siena, and runs through the Val d’Orcia to the hills of Maremma.