Porta Sant’Agata with its two watchtowers is the entrance to the fortified hamlet of Monticchiello (note everyone wearing masks, early November 2020).

Monticchiello: A Medieval Village in Tuscany

November 30, 2020 by Joanne Bartram in #italytravel, #medievalitaly, Hill Towns Italy, Tuscany

Italy is now struggling with a second wave of COVID-19 infections. Each week since the end of October seemed to bring a new governmental decree with tighter restrictions. As I write this, in mid-November, Tuscany has quickly progressed from the yellow zone (lowest risk) to the orange zone (moderate risk) and now to the dreaded red zone (highest risk). At present, travel outside of the comune (municipal area) of Lucca is forbidden except for urgent reasons. I was fortunate to be able to travel to the Val d’Orcia in south central Tuscany just before the current restrictions went into effect. Right now, such a trip would be impossible. So, while currently under lockdown in Lucca, over the next few weeks I will share glimpses into some of the small towns and hilltop villages I encountered during my week in the Val d’Orcia.

To begin this series, let’s start with a place that seems to come straight from the pages of a medieval story book, the fortress-like hamlet of Monticchiello.

Stone buildings line medieval streets in the fortified hamlet of Monticchiello

A bit of history: the settlement here is old - dating back to Etruscan times. The current fortress dates to the 1200’s. Today, Monticchiello is the most serene of places, but its history tells a different story. The fortress was part of the defenses of the Republic of Siena (long before there was a country called Italy) making it a 13th century pawn in the conflicts between Siena and Montepulciano. Later, control by Siena gave way to the power of the Medicis. Later still, Monticchiello became a part of the district of Pienza (1777) where it remains today.

Jump ahead to 1944 for some more recent history. During World War II, the area around Monticchiello was the site of conflict between the occupying German forces and the local partigiani (partisan fighters). In an act of reprisal for partisan activities, the German army entered the town and rounded up all the residents, intending to massacre them. In a fortunate turn of events, a young German woman, the wife of a local man, was among the villagers. She was able to convince the soldiers (with the help of the village priest) that the people should be spared. And so the citizens in Monticchiello that day survived the war.

The approach to Monticchiello is up a winding, cypress lined road - the classic Tuscan landscape. On arrival, and before entering the walled village itself, is a scenic overlook with sweeping views of the valley below.

Monticchiello is a fortified village designed to keep invaders out. Entrance is through an arched opening in the fortress walls, the Porta Sant’Agata. The remains of two watch towers, one rising high and one which has lost its top, flank the archway (top photo). What lies inside is a picture perfect medieval village with sloped streets, stone buildings, open piazzas, steep steps leading up to houses, and pretty flower-filled windows and balconies. There are a couple of restaurants (including the well known La Porta with fantastic views over the valley from its outdoor terrace) as well as small shops and galleries (most closed on this visit, due to the impact of COVID). Of course, there are churches to visit and a museum dedicated to the local theater company.

Beautiful stone buildings are found throughout Monticchiello

Monticchiello is so perfect that is almost looks like a movie set. In fact, it has been often been used in movies, most recently the film “Made in Italy” starring Liam Nelson which was filmed in and around the village. The residents here (only about 200 in number) show great pride in the village, which is spotlessly tidy and full of colorful plants and flowers.

This is a quiet place and definitely not a tourist hotspot. Many who do visit come in the summer for the Teatro Povero, which is unique to Monticchiello. The Teatro Povero (Poor Theater) began here in the 1960’s, an era when the local way of life was in the middle of dramatic transformation. In post-war Monticchiello the agricultural tradition of share-chopping was fading away, people were moving to the cities for work, the economic and societal changes were dramatic. The theater, in which a play is produced based on a theme of current local importance, has involved the community in a type of public self-reflection and expression for more than 50 years. The theme is chosen by the local theater group, the play is written, directed, and acted by locals . One play is produced each year and presented as an outdoor event during July and August. A 2017 documentary film, Spettacolo, tells this story beautifully and insightfully.

Monticchiello may be off the beaten track but that is exactly what makes it so magical! Stopping here gives a glimpse of life in medieval Italy, a chance to walk the steep streets of a fortified village, a taste of the spirit of an authentic hilltop hamlet, and amazing views. And if, like me, you find Italian doors and windows fascinating, then Monticchiello is your kind of place.

Changing colors on a hillside near the Abbazia Sant’Antimo

Autumn in the Val d'Orcia

November 16, 2020 by Joanne Bartram in Hill Towns Italy, Italy, Italy travel, Tuscany, #fallinitaly

Tuscany is incredibly diverse. The land includes hills, valleys, mountains, forests, rivers, marshlands, lakes, and coastlines. There is even an island - Elba. Tuscany boasts small hilltop villages that few tourists have discovered, popular walled cities such as Lucca, the bustling port city of Livorno, Florence which is famous for its art and architecture, industrial areas and transportation centers. Whew - I could go on and on describing all the different aspects of Tuscany.

But when you ask someone to close their eyes and picture Tuscany, the image they are very likely to conjure is one of soft hillsides dotted with farmhouses, winding roads lined with tall cypress trees, fields terraced with grapevines, and groves of olive trees. This classic image of Tuscany comes from one specific area - the Val d’Orcia.

A classic Tuscan landscape, just outside of the small hamlet of Montichiello in the Val d’Orcia

The Val d’Orcia lies in south central Tuscany, beginning just south of the city of Siena. The whole region - comprised of the municipalities of Montalcino, San Quirico d’Orcia, Pienza, Castiglione d’Orcia, and Radicofani - is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are no big cities in this region. Small towns and even smaller picture-perfect hilltop villages are scattered throughout. Driving around the Val d’Orcia provides one astonishing view after another. Gorgeous at any time of year, seeing the Val d’Orcia in fall is a special treat.

After the harvest, grape leaves turn yellow and red on the vines — After the harvest, grape leaves turn gold and red on the vines

The colors of autumn, as the leaves on the grapevines turn gold and then red, the olives ripen on the trees, the valleys and oak forests shimmer with color, are nothing sort of breathtaking. I was fortunate to spend a week in this area in late October / early November - peak color season. Each day brought changes - deepening hues on the grapevines, vines which seemed on fire as their red leaves climbed up stone walls, waves of yellow in the fields, ground covered with oak leaves which crunched beneath my feet as I walked, and the sound of acorns falling from the trees.

As a bonus, the autumn skies had ever changing cloud formations and mornings often began with deep fog rolling down the valley, cloaking familiar sights in an air of mystery.

As for the autumn sunsets and moonrises - wow.

Dusk in the Val d’Orcia, from the grounds of Agriturismo Cretaiole near Pienza

The Val d’Orcia is beautiful when viewed close up on a walk or on a drive, but is even more spectacular when viewed from high up in a hill town. There is something deeply moving about these small hill top villages, about the land here, and about the changing seasons view from above. It fills me with a sense of peace, hope, and the feeling that everything really will be all right with the world, everything in its season.

Fall seen from Montepulciano which lies just beyond the border of the Val d’Orcia

As Italy entered into a “soft” lockdown (less restrictive than last spring, more restrictive than summer and early fall), I felt incredibly fortunate that it was still possible for me to travel to this part of Tuscany and experience the wonder of autumn in the Val d’Orcia. The experience was not diminished by the need to wear masks outdoors, the lack of evening dining (the latest decree meant that restaurants had to close by 6pm that week), frequent hand washing and never being far from a bottle of hand sanitizer, and the closure of many shops. In fact, I think those restrictions gave me a deeper appreciation for the things we can still do and the beauty we can still experience. And next year, when (fingers crossed) things open up again, I hope that visitors will once again return to this region. The area will need our support to recover from this year of economic hardship and we will need the beauty of these places to help restore our spirits.

Sunset, near Pienza, early November 2020

Wandering Through Volterra

November 02, 2020 by Joanne Bartram in #volterra, Hill Towns Italy, Tuscany, Volterra

One of the joys of living in Italy is the ability to return to a favorite place on multiple occasions without the need to fit everything into one visit. It feels decadent to, for instance, go to Florence just to shop for shoes or to dinner in Pisa and not even wander past the Torre Pendente (Leaning Tower) because, well, you’ll do that next time. For me, one of those favorite places is the town of Volterra, about an hour and a half drive from my home in Lucca. Being so close to home makes this perfect for a day trip (or two or three day trips).

Volterra never disappoints. It has a unique charm that keeps drawing the visitor in. There is something about its city walls, stone buildings, narrow streets spanned by arches, charming cafes and restaurants, and many artisan workshops that makes it the perfect Italian hill town. And the views! Situated on a plateau high above the Val di Cecina (Cecina Valley), the views are nothing short of spectacular. As a bonus, since Volterra is a bit out of the way, it has fewer tourists than nearby San Gimignano. This is especially true in the off-season when a visit here provides uncrowded streets and the experience of “ordinary” daily life in a small Italian hill town.

Looking down on the valley from Volterra

This year I have been able to visit Volterra twice. The first time, last March just before the start of Italy’s COVID-19 lockdown, my main objective was to visit the Etruscan Museum. Volterra was an important city during the Etruscan times (roughly from the 9th to the 2nd century BC). Today it is one of the best places in Italy to learn about Etruscan life and art. The museum here is small and the explanations are mostly in Italian, but the collection of art and artifacts, including bronze sculptures, intricately carved alabaster and terra cotta funeral urns, and objects of daily living such as coins, jewelry, and kitchen ware, is fascinating (photos below by Judy Giannettino).

My second visit to Volterra this year was a spontaneous lunch and shopping excursion with a friend. We started with an arrival coffee at the popular bar / pasticcieria L’Incontro. This is a wonderful spot for morning coffee, lunch, or an apperitivo. The pastries and candies are tasty and eye-catching. And there is fun art inside too!

After a quick stop at the Etruscan Museum gift shop (for a purchase my friend regretted not getting on our last visit) we spent the day wandering through town and stopping at any place that grabbed our attention.

We walked down the wide “main drag” of Via Gramsci, with a brief stop in the tiny Oratorio di Sant’Antonio. Somehow these tiny Italian churches always move me, even more so than the grand cathedrals.

After some window shopping and a stop to buy some newly pressed olive oil, we passed by a small ceramic shop, the Bottega d’Arte. No classic italian pottery designs here! The charming owner and his daughter make colorful and whimsical pieces with undulating curves and colorful glazes. As is so often the case in Italy, he took time to speak with great enthusiasm about his work, his studio, and his philosophy of art and life. Experiences like these are part of the reason I love Italy. I will treasure the two small pieces that I bought here.

After spending time in the ceramic shop we passed by what is surely the most photographed view in Volterra, at the end of the Vicolo degli Abbandonati looking out over the valley. It’s impossible to pass by without taking a photograph of this scene.

Next, it was on to lunch at restaurant Fornelli. It has a scenic position, an outdoor patio, and a beautiful interior with interesting decor. Most importantly, it has wonderful food and friendly staff. I ate here in March with a group of friends (photos below); it was just as good the second time around!

I hope to return to Volterra soon. There is still a lot to see and do - the Roman amphitheater, the Alabaster museum, a walk up to the castello, and I will look forward to once again wandering those beautiful streets.

Volterra

January 14, 2019 by Joanne Bartram in Italy travel, Hill Towns Italy, Tuscany, Volterra, #italytravel, #volterra, Italy

The days between the hubbub of Christmas and the celebrations of the new year are perfect for a low-key day trip into the Tuscan countryside. I’m always a bit lazy during this time of year, so a drive, a walk around a pretty town, and a good lunch were all that was on the agenda, saving museums and other more in-depth explorations for a later visit.

One of the entrances into the city of Volterra

Volterra is a place I’ve always wanted to explore but until now had never visited. So, when a couple of friends suggested a day trip, I jumped at the chance. On a crisp and foggy morning a few days after Christmas, we set out from Lucca and headed for Volterra, about an hour and a half away by car. Because Volterra is a little out of the way, without a train station or easy bus connections, it has fewer tourists than some of the other Tuscan hill towns (such as Arezzo or Cortona) and doesn’t seem to get the large tour groups that visit San Gimignano. And on this winter day it was almost free of tourists.

Volterra is a very old city, dating to Etruscan times. It is particularly known for two things - Etruscan artifacts and the creation of objects made of alabaster. We skipped the museum but did manage to do a little shopping for alabaster. It was fascinating to watch an artisan at work in her small shop (Gloria Giannelli Alabastri). Her work was gorgeous - delicate small carvings, bowls, vases, light fixtures. She was happy to talk about her work and the process of making alabaster pieces. She demonstrated how she began with raw alabaster and worked it to create objects made either from a solid alabaster block or as a mosaic from slabs of different colors of alabaster. Of course, I bought a small piece!

All pieces are handmade by the artist

Raw Alabaster

I couldn’t resist this little bowl

The town of Volterra is beautiful, with it’s old castello (castle), town wall and arches, beautiful stone buildings, little alleys, carved doors, and ornate iron windows.

A small vicolo with steep stairs heading to the castello

The wide gently sloped streets are lined with homes, shops, and restaurants. And at this time of year it was made festive with Christmas lights and decorations all through town.

Our lunch stop, at Ristorante La Terra di Mezzo, was a treat. We chose several pasta dishes, all delicious. The chocolate soufflé dessert, recommended by our waiter, was fantastic.

Pappardelle with ham and truffles

A spicy Arrabbiata alla Calabrese

A warm chocolate soufflé

After lunch and a bit more wandering around town, we headed home to Lucca, knowing that we’d have to return soon for more exploration and to visit the Etruscan Museum. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect late December day in Tuscany! -post by JMB

Looking out over the valley from a viewpoint in Volterra