SOCIAL PROGRAM ::
TOUR ITINERARY 3
Full Day Guided Coach Tour to Pienza, Montepulciano and San Quirico d'Orcia
Meeting outside the Jolly Hotel, La Lizza at 9:30 am, we will first visit the small town of San Quirico d"Orcia. San Quirico lies along the historic Via Francigena, which crosses Europe and connected the most important religious sites of the continent, such as Canterbury and Rome. The importance of San Quirico in history can be seen in the beauty and richness of its Collegiata, with its statues by Giovanni Pisano on one side, and the façade, which contains important examples of medieval decoration full of symbolism. We will visit the inside of the beautiful polyptych of Sano di Pietro, a painter of the Sienese school who worked intensively in the area and also the fascinating wooden choir by Antonio Barili with seven different inlaid panels. The tour of San Quirico ends at the Leonini Gardens, a small but very interesting example of an Italian formal garden. Next we will visit Pienza, a pearl of the Italian Renaissance, with its cathedral and picturesque alleys and lanes. Pienza was the dream of Pope Pius II, made real by the great architect Bernardo Gambarelli, also known as il Rossellino. After visiting the town, we will move to a traditional restaurant, eating an antipasto of Tuscan salame and hams, followed by the most typical of Siena pasta, Pici. Before heading off to Montepulciano, there will be some free time in Pienza to visit the local shops, specialising in typical delicacies such as pecorino cheeses, Tuscan hams and olive oils. The visit to Montepulciano will start with the church of Saint Agnes, before climbing through the town to Piazza Grande, where we will visit the beautiful Cathedral. Before returning to Siena, we will visit a local wine cellar to taste the famous Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
Meeting Point: 9:30am in front of Hotel Jolly, La Lizza.
Duration of Tour: 8 hours
Cost per Person: €80.00 (including coach, guided tour, lunch and wine tasting).