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Montalcino

We swung through tiny Montalcino to visit a winery and have dinner. It was a quick, but rewarding trip. The town is on a steep hill overlooking the Orcia valley, full of vineyards, orchards and olive groves, surrounded by walls and overlooked by a castle. The many enoteches offer tastings and will sell you as…

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Montapulciano

I’ve always enjoyed Montapulciano wines, so I was really excited to go to the source of beloved Vino Nobile! It wasn’t surprising that this small town (14,000 residents) was saturated with wine shops, wineries, wine accoutrements and restaurants serving wine. As the town is mostly pedestrians-only, we parked right outside the town walls and walked…

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Palazzo Communale, Siena

13th-century Palazzo Communale was built as Piazza del Campo’s centerpiece. Its concave façade mirrors the piazza’s opposing convex curve. The structure was built to house the government. Today, the council still offices in the upper levels, but the main rooms house the Museo Civico. The marble chapel at the base of the tower, the Cappella…

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Piazza del Campo, Siena

14th-century hilly Piazza del Campo is the heart of the city and the former site of a Roman marketplace. It is divided into nine sections, which represents the number of ruling council members in the Consiglio dei Nove (Council of Nine), an elected executive committee dominated by the mercantile class. 15th-century Fonte Gaia, or Happy…

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Siena, Italy

Siena is a striking, well-preserved Gothic city. Many of the original buildings remain, and few new structures have been built, mostly due to limited resources after its 13th-century boom and subsequent bust. Myth has it that Siena was founded by Senius, son of Remus, but it was likely founded by the Etruscans and established as…