Celebrating my 40th in Tuscany
The Plan
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Thursday: Friends from the UK will be flying into Pisa and having a little tour of the old center. We will all meet at the Villa at around 5pm, settle in and have dinner at the villa.
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Friday: Weather permitting we can take a trip into Siena then return for a dinner at a very local restaurant near Montefollonico
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Saturday: Friends from Rome will be arriving for the main event, a slow Tuscan lunch, with walks around the property, table tennis touraments, swimming, some music and other activites weather permitting. For those people that wish to stay, dinner with cold meats and snacks, dessert, dancing, bonfire and music
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Sunday: Chill out day and walk around the old town of Montepulciano.
Photos of the Property
Here is a collection of photos taken from several visits to Jim and Francesa's house. There are two houses on the land, one we will use for the party and the other, Jim and Francesca's house where several of us will be staying.
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How to get to Montepulciano
Here is a detailed description of how to get to Jim's place, provided by Jim:
The address is Via Provinciale 19, 53045 Montepulciano (SI) Via Provinciale leads from Montepulciano north through Gracciano to Sinalunga, Torrita di Siena, etc. So, how to get here:
Take the A1 autostada towards Firenze and exit at Chiusi-Chianciano Terme. Follow the signs to Chianciano Terme, which you should reach after 10-15 minutes. Proceed through it, again following the signs for Montepulciano.
Leave Chianciano Terme and continue following the signs for Montepulciano. You will reach the comune on Montepulciano after another 5-10 minutes and pass through a "suburb" called Sant'Albino. Go through Sant'Albino and climb over the last few hills until you see Montepulciano ahead.
You will reach the foot of the town walls at an intersection where the main flow of the traffic heads off to the left towards Pienza. Directly ahead, you will see a cypress-lined road leading to the Tempio di San Biagio. At this intersection, turn right (i.e., with the town walls above to the left). Continue to follow along the walls until you reach a little roundabout with a traffic light. You'll see another beautiful church, Sant'Agnese, off the the right.
Leading out of the roundabout, between Sant'Agnese and a farmacia, is Via Provinciale heading off to the right (i.e., north). Take this road and follow it out of the town for a couple of km until you see the Vecchia Cantina di Montepulciano dead ahead, with the road curving off to the right and heading downhill.
After you pass the Vecchia Cantina, we are the third dirt road heading off to the left. There is a garbage dumpster where this road turns off. This is the beginning of our drive.
Take the left, and continue straight (about 100 M) til you reach a large pine tree on the right and a fairly ugly house dead ahead. Turn to the right around the big pine tree and continue up the drive for another fifty meters or so and you'll see our house on the left. Continue on through the gate and you arrive at the villa.
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Location of house - Aeriel and street view using MS Maps
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Michelin or Google Maps- From Rome
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Info about MontePulciano
One of the most beautiful and picturesque towns in the area.
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-
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Hotels
When looking for a hotel remember the villa is on the Siena side of Montepulciano not the Chianciano side, see the link Location of house. Have a look here for the location of the hotels, or Venere for a price comparison.
These are probably the most suitable.
-
Hotel Granducato - Right in Town
- La Terraza di Montepulciano - Small but in town
-
Il Rondo - not sure where this is
-
Panoramic - About a 10 minute drive to the villa.
Celebrating my 40th in Tuscany
The Plan
-
Thursday: Friends from the UK will be flying into Pisa and having a little tour of the old center. We will all meet at the Villa at around 5pm, settle in and have dinner at the villa.
-
Friday: Weather permitting we can take a trip into Siena then return for a dinner at a very local restaurant near Montefollonico
-
Saturday: Friends from Rome will be arriving for the main event, a slow Tuscan lunch, with walks around the property, table tennis touraments, swimming, some music and other activites weather permitting. For those people that wish to stay, dinner with cold meats and snacks, dessert, dancing, bonfire and music
-
Sunday: Chill out day and walk around the old town of Montepulciano.
Photos of the Property
Here is a collection of photos taken from several visits to Jim and Francesa's house. There are two houses on the land, one we will use for the party and the other, Jim and Francesca's house where several of us will be staying.
How to get to Montepulciano
Here is a detailed description of how to get to Jim's place, provided by Jim:
The address is Via Provinciale 19, 53045 Montepulciano (SI) Via Provinciale leads from Montepulciano north through Gracciano to Sinalunga, Torrita di Siena, etc. So, how to get here:
Take the A1 autostada towards Firenze and exit at Chiusi-Chianciano Terme. Follow the signs to Chianciano Terme, which you should reach after 10-15 minutes. Proceed through it, again following the signs for Montepulciano.
Leave Chianciano Terme and continue following the signs for Montepulciano. You will reach the comune on Montepulciano after another 5-10 minutes and pass through a "suburb" called Sant'Albino. Go through Sant'Albino and climb over the last few hills until you see Montepulciano ahead.
You will reach the foot of the town walls at an intersection where the main flow of the traffic heads off to the left towards Pienza. Directly ahead, you will see a cypress-lined road leading to the Tempio di San Biagio. At this intersection, turn right (i.e., with the town walls above to the left). Continue to follow along the walls until you reach a little roundabout with a traffic light. You'll see another beautiful church, Sant'Agnese, off the the right.
Leading out of the roundabout, between Sant'Agnese and a farmacia, is Via Provinciale heading off to the right (i.e., north). Take this road and follow it out of the town for a couple of km until you see the Vecchia Cantina di Montepulciano dead ahead, with the road curving off to the right and heading downhill.
After you pass the Vecchia Cantina, we are the third dirt road heading off to the left. There is a garbage dumpster where this road turns off. This is the beginning of our drive.
Take the left, and continue straight (about 100 M) til you reach a large pine tree on the right and a fairly ugly house dead ahead. Turn to the right around the big pine tree and continue up the drive for another fifty meters or so and you'll see our house on the left. Continue on through the gate and you arrive at the villa.
-
Location of house - Aeriel and street view using MS Maps
-
Michelin or Google Maps- From Rome
Info about MontePulciano
One of the most beautiful and picturesque towns in the area.
Hotels
When looking for a hotel remember the villa is on the Siena side of Montepulciano not the Chianciano side, see the link Location of house. Have a look here for the location of the hotels, or Venere for a price comparison.
These are probably the most suitable.
-
Hotel Granducato - Right in Town
- La Terraza di Montepulciano - Small but in town
-
Il Rondo - not sure where this is
-
Panoramic - About a 10 minute drive to the villa.