Have you ever heard of Brunello di Montalcino?

Brunello di Montalcino is one of the world's best and most appreciated Italian wines. It is a red wine and it is produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino (about 120 km away from Florence). The climate in this area is one of the warmest and driest in all Tuscany and this helps the healthy growth of the grapes.

After a charming tour through the wine growing areas you may also visit this pretty town, named Montalcino. The historical center of the city is dominated by the imposing fortress or Rocca built in 1361 in order to mark the passage of Montalcino under the domination of Siena. This Rocca offers very spectacular views from its ramparts, across the Crete to Siena, towards Monte Amiata and across all of the Valdorcia and the hills of Maremma. Within the fortifications is an “enoteca” or a “wine bar” where you can sample or buy the local wine.

Inside a former monastery you can find “il Museo Civico e Diocesano d’Arte Sacra” where you can see some interesting works by Andrea di Bartolo, Sano di Pietro and others artists. There is also a fine collection of painted wooden sculptures.

We also recommend a visit to “il Museo del Vetro” (the Glass Museum) that tells the history of glass making. Located inside of a lovely castle called “il Castello di Poggio alle Mura”, this museum hosts an interesting collection of glass and instruments from Egyptian to Roman times up to the great Venetian masters but also some examples of modern art bottles, made by great artists like Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau.

The streets of Montalcino have a special medieval atmosphere with its charming arts and crafts shops, cafes, wine bars and restaurants.

If you already like this charming place and can’t wait to taste this excellent wine, our best advice for whom would like to visit Montalcino is to rent a lovely luxury villa with a spectacular position, surrounded by vineyards, olive trees, cypresses and with views of the surrounding hills. We are pleased to recommend you the Fontanelle villa, a recently restored one. This villa is furnished to an exceptionally high standard by the owner, a well-known Italian interior designer. The house has been featured in several books and magazines, including House and Garden, Elle Decor and Tuscany Interiors.

Fontanelle