Attractions

The Museo dell'Opera della Metropolitana or, better known as the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo di Siena, is located next to the cathedral. According to a fourteenth-century extension project, never completed, the premises in question should have become the right aisle of the "New Cathedral".
But why is it called Opera della Metropolitana? The gallery was the seat of the metropolitan bishop, and collects many works among the sculptures and paintings and stained glass windows. Here you will find the absolute masterpiece, Majesty, which once adorned the main altar of the Duomo built by Duccio Buoninsegna but also, the sculptures of Giovanni Pisano (who adorned the facade), Donatello, Giovanni Duprè and many others. As for the paintings, we find the works of painters such as the Lorenzetti brothers, Domenico Beccafumi and many others.

Ponte della Pia is a bridge of Roman origin but rebuilt in the Middle Ages, just before the Castle of Montarrenti.

It is reachable by car a few minutes from our hotel and is located along the 73 Senese Aretina state road shortly after the village of Rosia in the municipality of Sovicille.

Just 2 kilometers from our position there is one of the Romanesque buildings of great importance for the province of Siena, La Pieve di San Giovanni Battista in Ponte allo Spino.

The construction dates back to 1050, but was renovated in the following century by the Vallombrosan monks. There are few traces of the original structure, although the subsoil contains many traces of imperial age such as the mosaics.

The villa was built between 1676 and 1678 by Cardinal Flavio Chigi on the project of Bernini's architect Carlo Fontana, to celebrate the election of the papal throne of his uncle Fabio Chigi under the name of Alexander VII. This was never a place of representation but the residence where the Chigi retired for short periods of rest.

Three phases distinguish the construction of the complex: the first corresponds to the construction of the villa, its annexes and the formal garden (1676-1688); the second to the construction of the Tebaide Park (1698-1705); the third to the construction of the Romitorio (1716).

Cardinal Flavio Chigi left Cetinale to his grandchildren, who kept it for three centuries until 1977 when he was bought by British lord Antony Lambton, who led a careful conservation restoration, bringing Cetinale back to the ancient splendor.

Commonly known as the Cloister of the Abbey of Santa Mustiola, and one of the best preserved medieval sites, it is only a few minutes from our structure and once you reach the small village and park your car, you walk through the narrow streets, long and parallel to the highest point of the country, where in a narrow courtyard overlooks the marble side of the Abbey of Torri, an ancient monastic foundation Vallombrosan, in the Romanesque-Gothic style of the thirteenth century with a quadrangular cloister of great effect.

The Palazzo Pubblico is the most important building in Siena, as it currently houses the Municipality. The construction of the building dates back to the end of  thirteenth and the first half of the fourteenth centuries and at that time already played an important task, hosting the Nine lords who ruled the Republic of Siena. Inside the Palazzo Pubblico you can find and visit the Civic Museum and also the Torre del Mangia.

The river Merse bathes the provinces of Siena and Grosseto. It crosses almost 70 km of woods and then flows into the Ombrone.

At the river there are the picnic areas or a barbecue to spend some beautiful moments immersed in nature.

The Castle is located along the secondary road Francigena which takes you from Colle Val d'Elsa to Siena and overlooks the wonderful landscape that stretches from Siena to Monte Amiata.

On the way to Florence, you can not visit San Gimignano. A small unique fortified town. In the Middle Ages, wealthy families built the towers as a symbol of their power and 72 were built. Today only 14 remain, but the charm of the city has never changed.
In 1990 San Gimignano was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Among the vineyards and olive groves, on a hill rises the Castle of Monteriggioni. It is a small medieval village surrounded by a wall and dates back to the second decade of the thirteenth century. The castle was built by the Republic of Siena to defend itself against a great rival, Florence until the day when the entire State of Siena was annexed to the Florentine territory.
Today, you can visit the village and take a walk on the walls that offer views over the Val di Merse and Chianti.

Bagni San Filippo is a spa town located in the south of Tuscany. Here you will find the Fosso Bianco, a torrent immersed in the nature of the Val d'Orcia. Many springs of thermal water converge here and there is the possibility of swimming all year round.

The Crete Senesi, the desert outside of the city of Siena: the richest photographic park in the Sienese, the beauty of villages and abbeys, truffles and pecorino. ... are the frame of your experience in this land.

The points for observation and artistic creation remain unchanged over time. They are located along roads that can be traveled by car and along cycle paths, bridle paths and hiking trails.

A small village in the heart of Val d'Orcia, probably the most important center and the most famous in the zone, from an artistic point of view.

Excellent location also for the famous Pecorino cheese of Pienza, immersed in a unique setting.

Golf resort

The Baths are located along the banks of the river Farma, in a landscape of amazing beauty among lush and uncontaminated woods just a few steps from the Natural Reserve of the Basso Merse, easily reachable in 20 minutes by expressway.
Around, a concentrate of nature, art and history. The Baths are located along the banks of the river Farma, in a landscape of amazing beauty among lush and uncontaminated woods just a few steps from the Natural Reserve of the Basso Merse.

Florence doesn't need any presentation...............and it's located only 1 hour or less driving from our B&B ...a perfect day trip.

Florence is the capital of Tuscany. Here you will find many works of art and Renaissance architecture. Take a few steps to the city and admire the Duomo, Giotto's bell tower, Brunelleschi's dome. You can not miss Michelangelo's David exhibited in the Accademia Gallery but also, Botticelli's The Venus and Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation among the corridors and halls of the Uffizi Gallery.

The Airport of Ampugnano is the airport system of the city of Siena. Born in the thirties as a military airport. This was also the site of the meteorological station until November 1, 1966, later abandoned. Currently the airport is active only for private flights.

The birthplace of Santa Caterina from Siena since 1464 has become the Sanctuary of Santa Caterina, a well known place where we can find many testimonies about her life. Inside the Home-Sanctuary you can find and visit different environments such as the Church of the Crucifix, the Church of Santa Caterina and the two Oratories: Superiore -  the majolica paved and of the Chamber, entirely frescoed in 1896. Every year for the Festival of S. Caterina, which is celebrated on April 29th, a Municipality or an Association of one of the Italian cities offers oil to feed the flame of the lamp in bronze (desired by the mothers of soldiers fallen in war) that you can find in the portico of the Sanctuary. A stop not to be missed!

The 105 Biccherna Bars can be found in the State Archives of Siena. But what are exactly the Biccherna Bars? Simple, they are wooden boards painted from the 13th to the 18th century and were the covers of accounting records that administered the public income of Siena. There is a great story behind these Bars that are worth discovering. They are a precious testimony of "minor art" that depicts the centuries of history. The Tavolette depict situations of various kinds, religious, political and citizens events, and certainly cannot miss the representation of San Galgano with the sword in the stone.

The Museo Civico is one of the most important museums in Siena and you can find it inside the Palazzo Pubblico. The walls of this building contain so much history and many masterpieces of Tuscan art. Here you will find various rooms that contain works such as "Guidoriccio da Fogliano at the siege of Montemassi" and "La Maestà" painted by Simone Martini but also, "Il ciclo del Buon Governo" by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.The building was built between the end of the XIII and the first half of the XIV centuries and hosted the Nine lords who ruled the Republic of Siena Take the opportunity to fully breathe the history of Siena immersed in the marvelous rooms of the Palazzo Pubblico.

The Herbarium and the Botanical Garden have enriched the beauty and culture of Siena since the mid-nineteenth century. Here you can find a large and precious collection of plants that allow you to discover the variability and geographical distribution of these wonderful specimens of botanical species. Even visiting the Botanical Garden you can come across a vast collection of indigenous and exotic plants that you can easily recognize thanks to the appropriate cards.
We remind you to book your visit to the Herbarium, while you do not need any reservation to visit the Botanical Garden and admission is free.

The Accademia Gallery, or better known as the National Picture Gallery, was inaugurated in 1932 in the Buonsignori and Brigidi Palaces with the scientific system of Cesare Brandi. The Pinacoteca hosts many paintings, plates and polyptychs of great importance coming from suppressed convents, ruined churches and lay companies. But the thing that makes this place special and unique is the most important sienes collection of table paintings on a gold background made between '300 and '400.
The Gallery is a very well-organized three-storey building dividing the works for the year and importance. From the sculpture hall you can also admire the beautiful view of Siena.

The New Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art is located inside the premises of the Oratory of San Bernardino. Here you will find the paintings starting from the thirteenth century to finish with the seventeenth century of well-known artists such as Ambrogio Lorenzetti and Beccafumi. The Upper Oratory is an ancient hall that has always been the heart of the museum. Here you will find the frescoed walls with the stories of the Virgin made by the well-known protagonists of Sienese painting of the sixteenth century.

The Hermitage of San Leonardo al Lago is a religious building that you can visit near Santa Colomba, Monteriggioni. The reconstruction of the church dates back to the thirteenth century, and is embellished with numerous frescoes. Here you can admire the frescos in neo-Gothic style that we can date between 1360 and 1370 and many others.

Walking through the mysterious streets of Siena, the suggested stop is Santa Maria della Scala, the Museum Complex, where you can find the Archaeological Museum of Siena.
In the twenties and thirties of the twentieth century, thanks to Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli, the Archaeological Museum was born. Currently it is divided into two sections. The first, is a Topographical section that illustrates the panorama of the archeology of the Sienese territory. The second, the Antiquarium, houses the public and private collections resulting from excavations or donations. If you want to know the Sienese territory, do not miss the opportunity to visit this museum.

A few miles from the enchanted city of Siena, there is an airport dominated to the west by the Metalliferous Hills. The Aeroclub of Siena is the flying school in possession of the JAR-FCL certification (I-FTO-028) issued by ENAC. Here you can learn how to fly ... You can have fun by admiring Siena and its hills immersed in the green and in history. Or, you can take the liner or private pilot's licence. Remember ... Only those who dare can fly high!

Walking towards the Porta Tufi you should stop to visit the Botanical Garden of the University of Siena. This property of about two and a half hectares contains many specimens of plants starting from fruit plants, exotic plants, plants used in pharmaceuticals, perfumery and cooking, Tuscan wonders, semi-desert plants and much more.
The Garden was known as the Garden of the Simple since the beginning of the seventeenth century, attached to the Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala. Curative plants were cultivated here. With the arrival of the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo di Toscana, this garden was transformed into a University Botanical Garden in 1784. For the needs of extension of land, the Garden was transferred to the Academy of Fisiocritici in 1856 and in 1860 It has been expanded and equipped allow the cultivation of exotic plants. Four years later, in 1864, the extension of the Garden was doubled and equipped with new buildings for the university institutes. It was opened for the first time to the public in 1866.

The museum of the Academy of Fisiocritici is a collection of the museums of Geomineralogy, Zoology and the Botanical Garden managed by the University of Siena. The property was the seat of the Accademia dei Fisiocritici, as well as Santa Mustiola monastery. The premises can be visited from Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 2 PM.

Volterra has substantial structures from the Etruscan, Roman, and Medieval periods. 

It is a walled mountaintop town in the Tuscany region of Italy, Volterra's history dates to before the 7th century BC.

Beautiful village in Val d'Orcia, where you can enjoy beautiful views and regenerating thermal waters just 50 minutes drive from our B & B along the Crete Senesi.

The castle of Brolio is located in Località Madonna a Brolio, 53013 Gaiole In Chianti, in the heart of the famous Chianti area, homonymous with the finest wines of the area.

Just 20 km from Siena, the ancient castle dates back to the Longobard era and is strongly linked to the birth of the excellent Chianti wine for more than 10 centuries.

Traveling a few kilometers towards Siena, you will come across a beautiful medieval village dominated by an ancient castle and protected by a large city wall, Montalcino. The village dates back to the sixteenth century and thanks to its location offers a beautiful view of the Val d'Orcia.

You can not miss a taste of Brunello di Montalcino. The Brunello formula was born in 1888 thanks to Ferruccio Biondi Santi. Here you can also visit the Biondi Santi Winery and have wine tastings, but we advise you to book in advance.

Going along the roads of the Montagnola, you can taste the Sienese Chianti. It was once the retreat for the cloistered nuns, then a renowned winery, La Tenuta di Trecciano. A villa with 22 hectares of vineyards and olive groves, this company produces red and white wines and the delicious Vinsanto.
You can book your visit with tasting and you will be amazed by the wonderful landscapes and the genuine taste of the grapes.

The Pieve di San Giovanni Battista or, also called the Church of Pernina, is located in the Municipality of Sovicille. It is a Catholic place that offers a beautiful view thanks to its altitude of 499 m above sea level.