The palace is located in the center of Pienza, next to the Duomo. It dates back to the mid 1400's…read moreand is considered an early example of Renaissance architecture. It actually served as the home of the Piccolomini family until early 1960's, which is interesting to me! It still houses a large collection of furnishings, books, and family items dating back to when it was first built.The Palazzo has a gorgeous and enormous courtyard where concerts and special events are now held, in addition to stunning gardens and views. If Renaissance architecture interests you, it's worth a visit.

We took a day trip here while staying in San Casciano and enjoyed the restored palace of Popes Pius…read moreI & II. The is a very impressive collection of artwork and family items that date back nearly 1,000 years. It is quite interesting to see the rise of the family and its influence in Tuscany. The view of the Val d'Orcia from the gardens is unmatched. Worth visiting if you are in the area and the admission is reasonable.

I had my first brunello ever 40 years ago that was their first vintage and fell in love with the…read morestyle. Visiting was a highlight for me made even better by my tasting with Lisa, who was very informative. She has been with Banfi for 24 years. I opted for the higher end tasting, which was the correct thing to do for me. Lisa also recommended a bird identification app produced at Cornell University that is quite comprehensive. That recommendation was prompted by a question about a flurry of activity of a species related to the swallows that used to dominate San Juan Capistrano.

Went here for a VIP tour. The tour start with a lunch in their taverna. The food was amazing. We…read morehad a full four course meal with a "cheese ball" starter, pasta as prima and veal as secondi with icrecream for desert. We have a great sampling of the vines from Banfi with the meal and great service. After the meal we went on a tour of the Banfi winery and ended up with a tasting. Our guide Paul did a fantastic job. This is a major brunello provider that goes back to 15th century with beautiful views. We loved the experience.

We were lucky enough to see the cathedral in October when the floors were uncovered and it was…read moretruly a sight to see. Absolutely worth the visit and make sure to go to the top of the bell tower during your visit for a spectacular view and a great photo opportunity.

The interior of the cathedral is lovely, especially the marble floors and stained glass windows…read more There isn't any printed information or leaflets. They have an audio guide but you have to use your phone. I didn't have good reception on my mobile so I wasn't able to get any information about the church or art. I did really enjoy the crypt, so I am glad I got the ticket that included access to that.

Siena was one of our stops on our all day bus tour through Tuscany and I'm so happy it was!…read more We grabbed aperitivos and enjoyed the sun set while people watching. It's such a vibrant city center. Really fun place to relax after a long day.

Siena was a day trip we made from Florence, about 1:20 by train. I was still under the weather, not…read moreup to making the early train, so we had to make do with arriving in Siena by late morning. We were looking forward to Piazza del Campo, cited by our son as one of the highlights of his Italy trip, and we weren't disappointed. Piazza del Campo is a wide open, curving square, slanting downwards toward the historic City Hall, and is just beautiful. We joined the throngs of other tourists sitting/lying on the high part of the square people watching. Fortunately, a nearby Gelateria offered up our gelato du jour for people watching sustenance! We could have stayed here for hours... This was once an open field (hence, "Campo" or "field"), situated outside the city walls. The City Hall tower, which dominates the square, can be climbed by the ambitious. The City Hall also houses a Civic Museum. We spent most of the day strolling through Siena, a town with a truly medieval feel throughout. Many of the streets are fairly steep, and made things somewhat problematic for me as I was recovering from a knee injury. But I'm glad we were able to visit here, and if there's a next time would love to stay longer.

This is St. Francis' hermitage, the place where he would escape to from Assisi town, to pray and…read moremeditate along with his 4 companions. Thank God the Franciscan brothers still keep this place sparse and little decorated and it hasn't been made into a tourist circus like the town has. Many of them regularly walk the trails in the woods also to make sure tourists and pilgrims are not acting stupid. This is a holy sanctuary. This is the place where the stories of St. Francis preaching to the birds, receiving the vision of the angels and even levitating while experiences his spiritual ecstasies happened. If you want to come here and meditate and experience the same serenity that St. Francis did, by all means do so, there are many places in the woods and trails here for that and if you are in the right state of mind, stay quite and reverent and in a receptive state, some magical insights will come to you given how much St. Francis loved nature. St. Francis' energy is here but you have to be very patient and quiet to pick up on it, it is not in the town nor in the basilica where his bones and relics are. You'll get the feeling that you are a million miles away from the ugliness of the world but please take a reverent attitude here instead of an obnoxious, tacky tourist one. I saw both types of behavior in action here unfortunately. I saw very quiet and serious Italian pilgrims here given that the day I came was immediately after St. Francis' Feast Day. I also saw a yogini barefoot and doing a serious session of Earthing but I also saw the most obnoxious, loud, rude and uncouth Asian and Eastern European tourists who only show up because their guidebook tells them to but don't understand the significance of this place, the same types I saw at the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Greek island of Patmos, Mount Shasta in California and who had literally taken over the Sistine Chapel, they walk through the hermitage with the same amounts of poise and discretion as a brontosaurus, without even a second's worth of appreciation, take their stupid selfies and leave. Seriously, if that's the attitude you take, why bother even coming here? I spent a good three hours here, walking the trails and meditating at the the outdoor alters in the woods and in the caves that Francis' four closest brothers often went into seclusion to, for the purposes of deep, deep meditation and prayer, specifically Brother Leo, Brother Masseo, Brother Rufino and Brother Angelo. All four of their caves are here. I seriously hope the Franciscan Brothers can protect this place, this is one of the last real pure, spiritual refuges left in this world.

This magical place will blow your mind! Spend at least two hours here to silently soak up the…read morepeaceful atmosphere. This place is gorgeous and holy. It's kind of a long and steep walk from town so you may want to ride up in a car. You should bring some water if you want to hike around here because you won't find food or beverages for sale here.

This was so fun and very affordable. It's set in and elegant…read moresurrounding and the pools are delightful. A fun way to spend a few hours in an otherwise sleepy town.

I love Bagno Vignoni. It's a tiny village just outside of San Quirico D'Orcia. At the center of the…read morevillage is known for Piazza delle Sorgenti, which has an ancient thermal bath right in the center of the square. It is not for swimming or bathing, but simply to enjoy the view. The thermal bath feeds all the others in the area. In the village you'll find a handful of restaurants and shops, as well as a couple of hotels. We stayed just outside the square, a two minute walk, at a hotel called Posta Marcucci, which most of the photos on this page are from. Looks like tourists confused the listings. The area is gorgeous. Plenty of views, hiking trails and thermal bathing spots located in various other hotels. We enjoyed staying in this village for several nights. It's so peaceful and charming.

I have been to Siena twice. On my second trip, I visited for Palio. The day of the festivities, I…read moremade my way to Torre del Mangia to do some sightseeing. Located in Piazza del Campo, the center and heart of Siena, Torre del Mangia is one of the most prominent symbols of Siena. It's one of TripAdvisor's most popular attractions in Siena and for good reason. Snap a few pictures of the tower from the outside and then walk inside. It's free to check out the courtyard area where you'll be able to take a really cool photo of the tower from the interior. You'll know what I mean when you're there. After you're done checking out the courtyard, for a fee, you can buy a ticket to go up the tower and get some panoramic views of the city. If they happen to be sold out, you can also get some scenic views by checking out the Duomo. Torre del Mangia is a must visit while in Siena!

10/28/2013 My…read morehusband and I woke up early and went to the City Wall Tower as our first stop of the day. Good thing we went early in the morning, as we were able to get some sparkling nice views from the top. Once you climb the 330 steps to the top (the staircase is rather narrow in some areas, so they will ask you to check in your bags about 1-2 flights up). This is definitely one of the best views of Siena and Tuscany. Well worth the 8€ per person. We were able to stay at the top for a good 20-30 minutes to take some photos of the beautiful Siena landscape + look out into the hills of Tuscany. GORGEOUS!! We think the best time to go is in the morning when the sun is not out in full force, and the fog is leaving the hills...so you can get some clear photos. :) We loved our experience and definitely recommend it. We know of others who went to the top of the Duomo, so that's another option as well; but we didn't do that one since we already went to the top of the City Tower. Either way, I'm sure the views are great. :)

2009. We pedal up to…read moreCortona, another medieval Italian town that sits on top of a hill. The road up is a steep serpentine that never stops serpentining. We push on, each switchback like another cruel demonstration of the defensive advantage of building a town on top of a fricking hill. Cortona and its environs is where 'Under the Tuscan Sun,' Francis Mayes' insanely popular 1996 memoir about renovating a farmhouse in Tuscany, is set. The book was then adapted into an equally popular movie that was also shot around Cortona, though the plot was jazzed up, Hollywood-style. Instead of a memoir of a couple college professors doing a gut rehab, the movie is about a San Francisco writer who finds out her husband is cheating on her, so she moves to Italy and buys a run down villa and, you know, slowly repairs the house and her broken heart. The book + movie turned Cortona into a pretty serious tourist destination. More than that, it turned it into a fantasy destination. A place you can go after your life falls apart to find good food and laughter and a significant other with Hollywood looks. In other words, a place you can find in your guide book and reserve a hotel room in, but that doesn't actually exist.

How do you even begin to review this town....suffice to say it's just breathtaking, picturesque to…read morethe core, at the top of a hill enclosed in an old Etruscan wall. The highlight of our holiday in Tuscany..

We did a wine tasting with Laura - she was amazing. Super knowledgeable and tailored to our…read moreinterest. She is funny, friendly and her English was on point. The tasting meal was divine - it was far more elaborate - and delicious than expected. The tasting room is elegant- furnished with antiques and vintage photos. Laura made sure we were well taken care of. We loved her sense of humor and how easily she engaged with us. Well worth your time and money. Highly recommend Laura as the host /guide and the winery.