Sinalunga

Sinalunga is a hill-town with Etruscan origins where farming is still one of the most important sources of income along with flourishing small industries. Numerous hotels and farms attract tourists from all over the world. During your stay in the splendid countryside around Sinalunga, don't miss a visit to the Teatro (Theatre), built in the 18th Century and named after famous local musician, Ciro Pinsuti. Also worth seeing are the coats of arms of the Podesta' on the walls of the 15th Century Palazzo Pretorio. Sinalunga boasts several churches of great importance including the 17th Century Collegiate Church of San Martino with works by Girolamo del Pacchia, the 18th Century Church of Santa Croce, and Santa Lucia. On the hill at Poggio Baldino just outside the town you will find the Convent of San Bernardino with works by various 16th Century artists.

Around Il Casone

All the notable tourist destinations in Tuscany including Florence, Siena, Pisa, Montepulciano, Pienza and San Gimignano are within a short travelling distance from the house giving you the ideal spot for exploring Tuscany and offering the most idyllic retreat after a day in the towns and cities. Local transport from nearby Sinalunga (approx. 2km) will take you anywhere you wish to go in Italy.

Siena has definitely got to be my favourite. It�s just 30km down the road and has to be one of the most interesting places in Italy. You might have heard of Il Palio, which is the famous horse race around the main square of the city. This takes place twice a year. The main square, Piazza del campo, is the most amazing square in the world (this is of course my opinion, but give me another to compare with it and I'll sure argue my point!) and you could spend a great day out here visiting Siena's renowned landmarks. This can easily be visited by train, bus or car (bit of a nightmare parking though).

Pienza is a short drive away and is another hill top town. Why not sit down, admire the spectacular views with some of Pienza's mouth watering, infamous cheese (Pecorino di Pienza) and a glass of red wine....oh, the memories! Can get here by bus or car.

Montepulciano is of course famous for it's Rosso di Montepulciano (and in my opinion is hard to beat�but I�m biased I suppose). Really nice historical part of town with fantastic views over the Val di Chiana. Again you can get here by bus or car.

San Gimignano can be found on the outskirts of Siena and deserves to be seen. Lots of unusual towers!

Florence, well I could be here for years talking about this city so I'll leave the research to you. But one thing I must say�� GO! You can spend a day exploring this beautiful 'outdoor museum' at your own pace. You can get there by car or bus which will take just over an hour or you can get a couple of trains from Sinalunga.

Rome is also possible to visit in a day from Sinalunga (Even bunked off school once and decided that we�d visit Rome for an hour before getting back home for 3pm!).

And many, many more....