Casa Signorile

Castelmuzio is a medieval Tuscan gem - off the beaten track, yet close to all the must-sees of Tuscany. You'll love the feel of this quaint village - its ancient walls and tower, the original stone arch at the doorway, its ancient churches, and museum. There's real history here - Etruscans, Romans, pilgrims on their way to Rome - to discover during your stay. But the best part of all is becoming a part of that history yourself and living as part of this Tuscan community. Experience firsthand the community spirit of the 250 residents, their friendliness and hospitality, and the charm of a place where generations have lived for centuries. Although English is hardly spoken here, you'll feel the enormous Italian charm as you mingle with the locals at the Coop grocery store, the cozy café-bar and restaurant in the piazza, the church service in the village center, or the playground where parents and "nonni" bring their children for fun and fresh air.
Castemuzio, is situated on the top of a hill of tuff overlooked by Mount Lecceto and facing the green valleys of Trove. It has the typical medieval structure of a fortified castle, walls and bastions. At the entrance of the town before a brief climb which leads to the entrance door, inserted in a war memorial, is the stone on which San Bernardino from Siena used to stand. The old door has the original “gangari” to open and close it and the spots from which the big stones were thrown to defend from attacks. The most interesting building resides in the central square: the tower which currently homes the Palazzo Fratini, recently restructured, which was once the court rooms; the Spedale di San Giovanni Battista which welcomed wayfarers and orphans offering them a place to stay and food as well as providing the dowry for girls without means; and the site of the Brotherhood of the SS. Trinita and of San Bernardino, which were attached to the pharmacy and a four bed hospice for pilgrims who walked to the nearby via Francigena.

If you are an avid walker the Via Francigena is an ancient road and pilgrimage route running from the cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and Switzerland, to Rome, and then to Apulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for the Holy Land. It was known in Italy as the “Via Francigena” (“the road that comes from France”). In medieval times it was an important road and pilgrimage route for those wishing to visit the Holy See and the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul. 

Pienza is a tiny village in the beautiful Val d’Orcia we highly recommend you visit. The village is located about 20 kilometers east of Montalcino and a few kilometers to the west of Montepulciano amidst gentle undulating hills and wonderful natural landscapes. Pienza enjoys a strategic position standing high atop a hill, dominating all the Orcia Valley with extraordinary views. This charming village is widely known as the “ideal city of the Renaissance”. The unfinished “utopian” city, was commissioned by Pope Pius II in 1459. In just three years the cathedral, the papal and bishop’s palaces and the central part of the town were completed, but the extensive project ended abruptly when Pius died only two years after the consecration of the cathedral.

San Quirico: In the heart of the Val d’Orcia, nestled amidst hills of incomparable beauty, sits an ancient village that probably dates back to the Etruscan era, immersed in a landscape dotted with olive groves, vineyards and oak forests. The territory is one to be admired for its perfect balance honed over the years between the natural landscape and man-made marvels. San Quirico d’Orcia, with its splendid fortresses and medieval parish churches, is in this area so famous for its stunning landscapes - one of those places that must absolutely be visited if you’re in this enchanted territory. Among the must-see attractions are the parish church of San Quirico, a Romanesque building that preserves an altarpiece painted by Sano di Pietro, a 15th-century painter of the Sienese school, and, in the town’s central piazza, the Church of San Francesco, whose interior contains several Gothic elements. The center of the town is particularly picturesque thanks to the inviting paved streets and beautiful stone fountains. Something that stands out in the history and, partly, the appearance of the town is the fact that it sits along the Via Francigena, whose importance for San Quirico is evidenced by the presence of the Ospedale della Scala, where pilgrims were once offered refuge. Visitors won’t be disappointed should they stop by the ruins of the Cassero tower and the Horti Leonini, a typical 15th-centuy garden that can be accessed through an entrance between the wall and the piazza.

Montepulciano is a graceful Tuscan hill town, best known for it’s Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which was being praised by connoisseurs over 200 years ago and can certainly contend with Italy’s best today. The many churches and handsome palazzo, the steep cobbled alleys and vine-trailing stone bastions are essential viewing for anyone venturing south of Siena. On a clear day from the top of the town you have tremendous panoramic views across the countryside, stretching towards Assisi’s Monte Subasio, Monte Amiata, the Val d’Orcia, Pienza, and even the towers of Siena.

Bagno Vignoni is a small spa of medieval origin, although it was already know in Roman times. Bagno Vignoni sits on a hill above the Val d’Orcia just south of San Quirico. The fascinating tiny village is clustered around a large pool closed on three sides by the town walls, with water that flows at 52°. The pool essentially fills the square, surrounded by a 1.5 metre-high wall on three sides. All around are buildings designed by Bernardo Rossellino in honor of Pope Pius II, while on the fourth side is the archway from which St. Catherine of Siena admired the view. This place also fascinated Lorenzo il Magnifico of the Medici family, who spent part of 1490 here. The old Francigena road passes near the village, and as the diary written in 1581 by Michel de Montagne confirms, piligrims and travelers heading toward Rome frequently stopped in Bagno Vignoni to find comfort in its hot springs.

Montalcino is beautifully situated on a hill inhabited since Etruscan times, swathed in vineyards and olive groves. It is a quiet, affluent, attractive town with pretty buildings and flower-filled squares, and many shops selling the Brunello di Montalcino.

Sant'Antimo is surely one of the loveliest Romanesque buildings in all of Italy. It is hard to imagine a more sympathetic combination of architectural grace and natural setting. Originally founded by Charlemagne in 800, the abbey was once home to a prominent Benedictine community. Creamy stone bricks, luminous Volterran alabaster, playful carvings and frescoes of animals give it a peculiarly sunny air. A group of French Cistercian monks now runs the abbey, celebrating Mass with Gregorian chants several times a day.

The landscape in this region of Tuscany is spectacular: The Crete Senesi are the eroded clay hills in the Orcia valley. These strange, pale, barren looking slopes, with their bare cliffs, broken gullies and white Jurassic limestone, look altogehter more lunar than terrestial.