Pure Palazzo Piccolomini Pienza

As a frequent visitor to La Collina del Sole  we have been fortunate enough to visit many Italian Palazzos and Villas in the area of Villa rentals in Tuscany and  Palazzo Piccolomini which is in Pienza a 2 ½ hours’ drive from our Lucca Villa Rental is a star among them all. It is Welcoming and cool, a hallmark of Italian Villa architecture which you would expect to see in all Villas for rent in Tuscany It is full of one of a kind treasures, a real treat to visit when you Rent a villa in Tuscany  it is grand yet sober and unassuming and so we consider it a star attraction when you are in Holiday Villas in Lucca Palazzo Piccolomini was donated to the state by the last in line of the  Piccolomini family, along with many of the family treasures, this family provided two Popes,  Pius II who was born in the Palazzo and his nephew Pius III The Palazzo itself is marvellously simple and sober, most of the rooms are lightly decorated with a few very special items, like a small drawer cabinet decorated in Agate fronted panels that look like landscape from 1 metre away but in fact are the result of salt deposits on the stone, which has been cut in slivers. There are only 2 other such items of antique furniture in the world. There is a fresco painting of the family tree on a very large and impressive wall that depicted the family up to the 1800’s, and off the main reception room is a small alcove that was for the Duchess of Piccolomini,  situated beside the fireplace, the alcove has decorated walls and a sitting area in plush red velvet with small portraits of the family and with a window, this is where the Duchess would retire to read as the Palazzo was very cold in the winter and this was the only way to keep warm while reading a favourite book.

At the entrance room there is a table called the “Arms rest” where all weapons aka arms would be placed upon as you came into the Palazzo, you can also admire family portraits, beautiful gold and silver inlay leather wallpaper given as a wedding gift by Catherine of Aragon, collections of arms and armour hanging on walls. The Pallazo houses the bedroom of Pius II with a portrait of him on the wall painted while he was alive, a very elaborate baroque bed which dates from a later time, and 3 items of furniture that belonged to Pope Pius II, one a 4 sided revolving bookstand, a short drawer armadio and a receiving chair with a very high back which also served as a commode [ talk about multitasking ! ] there were in another room many books some of them dating back to  XIII and a few star gazing apparatus and treatises. The Palazzo has a terrace on the 1st floor with a commanding view of the Val D’Orcia  declared a world heritage site and protected by UNESCO, and a simple garden, with Roses walled in by a box hedge. All had a wonderfully sober and uncomplicated feel. The Palazzo had been saved from looting during WWII as the German Commanding officer upon taking control of Pienza and the surrounding countryside during WWII issued a protective order for the Palazzo and its contents, the document can still be seen framed on the walls. On the way out and throughout the Palazzo you can spot the coat of arms of the family - a cross with 4 crescent moons which signifies the 4th crusade to which this family went to.

FEASTING at the Palio - Siena

A Tuscan summer is about sun, bravado, parties, pageantry, great food and great restaurants While you enjoy your villas for rent in Tuscany we suggest you visit Siena which embodies all these. The 16th of August marks the 2nd and final Palio of 2013 - a dramatic event to watch when you rent a villa in Tuscany   Good and affordable restaurants are a must when you visit from your villa rentals in Tuscany First up and a favourite with guests at La Collina del Sole  the very special Lucca Villa Rental  is La Corte di San Giorgio,  in Via di Pantanetto close to the main piazza with pretty outside tables and a fun interior décor with modern caricature art with a hare jumping from frame to frame or vegetables jumping off a boiler. These paintings are mixed in with period photos of interesting looking people.  The food is SUPER and well priced with stuffed zucchini flowers, saffron and asparagus risotto, special Sienese pasta called Pici with meat sauce and an unusual tiramisu partitioned into its different ingredients and tastes.   A real treat when you stay at holiday villas in LuccaSiena has a fondness for “Osterias” and they ALL look really good, one we loved is, Osteria le Logge Due, Via Porrione 33, Siena, tel +39  0577 48013 They have tables both outside and  a fun dish is tempura battered chicken in a garlic mayonnaise sauce. Many locals and visitors eat here, the menu is very tempting and it is easy to over order! The “cool” eatery in Siena is called “Morbidi 1925 Siena” in Via Banchi di Sopra # 73 Siena, tel +39 0577 280 268. For breakfast they have a table full of cakes and various inviting breakfast items like scrambled eggs, Croissants, chocolate and vanilla cake, muffins etc. For lunch or dinner they have salads and cold meats. The bar is decorated very much in the “loft NY style” with concrete beams still bearing the marks of the wooden planks that were there when the concrete is poured in Morbidi is also a delicatessen where smart local Siennese buy their pre-prepared delicacies. Another very good, well priced restaurant and wine bar is called Zest, [ on Costa di Sant’Antonio 13, Siena 53100 +39 0577 47139 ]  It is set on the steep incline of a side street, all the tables and solid bunk chairs are on uneven legs so that every table has a view of swallows swooping  in the sky calling to each other with the large Church of San Domenico as a backdrop.  The menu has lots of fish and shellfish dishes, non-fish items are also available like  caramelised gorgonzola cheese and onion tart, or cold beef salad. For those who have a sweet tooth we recommend being adventurous,  one  of the options when we went was chocolate torta, which was described as  “it is chocolate torta”, it was in fact a delicious melting hot chocolate sponge cake with a lovely cool cream. If you sit in the bunks outside you will notice a large number of visitors emerging from a covered walkway which leads into St Catherine’s home which has been turned into a shrine. It is off the beaten track and is cool as you go through a lovely Cortille of arches to a beautiful patio ... perfect to snooze the excess calories off !

Siena is not just about the Palio !

Although a huge amount of attention is given to the Palio scheduled for 16th of August, and all its surrounding preparations  if you rent a Villa in Tuscany you cannot fail to be overwhelmed by the beauty that surrounds your Villa rentals in Tuscany.  When we visited La Colina del Sole our favourite Lucca Villa Rental in Tuscany we made a few trips to Siena and found that among the Duomos that are accessible from  Villas for rent in Tuscany the one in Siena has the most wonderfully preserved art. So if you are enjoying your Holiday villas in Lucca grab your car and visit or just kick off your shoes, pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy the blog you will feel you were there ! When you buy your entrance ticket for the full works check out the Violinist busker, who produces a lovely sound although his over-tight trousers and overdramatic rendition is a little distracting.  In 2013 the Special attraction is the  “door to heaven” which needs to be booked in advance, either from the website opasiena@operalaboratori.com or call 0577 286 300 the tickets cost €25 per person.

The “Window to Heaven” tour assembles by the ticket office and heads up the spiral staircase of the right tower of the Duomo, past alabaster windows and arrives at the flank of the roof, with small gargoyles placed at the interior of the building they were destined to be seen by very few people,  the gargoyles were in the shape of animals, mythical animals and humans, they carry the water that made its way through channels in the roof into other copper channels that go into a cistern for the use of the local priests or to the water disposal ducts.

This top area of the Duomo has taken 30 years to restore and opened to the public for the first time in 2013.  The restorers have changed most of the ceiling beams and roof tiles while encouraging the local fauna like scorpions and other beasties to move out. One of the original roof tiles found has a dogs paw print in it, “a medieval paw” with rather long nails! The guide explains that the White and Black stripes in the Duomo are made from relatively local white marble [ not pure white as in Carrara which is only used in the Michael Angelo sculpted side altar ] and Serpentine marble which is in reality very dark green, the little accents of red marble are true Sienese marble.

The tour takes you past open windows that look down onto huge sculptures of saints and angels that overlook the people below, on the side of the interior walls you can see the original craftsmen’s drawings  centuries old on the walls that served as blueprints for the carving of architectural marble details of the building to be carved, you walk behind balustrades that have the most incredible views down the body of the church and terraces that overlook the whole of Siena, you can stand just below the main stained glass roundel and stand behind the large guardian angels that mount guard outside the front façade of the Duomo, with their huge copper wings outstretched.

The entire floor in the Duomo of Siena is in carved white marble which has been indented and stained Black or has been intaglio’d with slices of Black marble, the guide explained the meaning of the floor carvings. On both sides of the Duomo, there are the 10 Sybille; all women, 3 Middle Eastern, 3 European, 3 Far Eastern and One African; who lived pre-Christ and who predicted His coming and how Christ would die. Then the first part of the main body of the church depicts Oracles and the “Magical” world before Christ’s life, it also depicts the animals that represent the main cities of Italy,  the central area of the Duomo has floors that depict Christ’s Life with the 2 sides floor spaces depicting several scenes from the Gospel, the most sticking is the massacre of the innocent.

At the Duomo there are several kind and informative guards who point out the treasures found here there are Michael Angelo and Donatello statues alongside many other treasures by Pisano [ from Pisa]  and Rosino who  had red hair ! The library has wall paintings that are as fresh today as the day they were originally painted centuries ago alongside illuminated books one of which has a depiction of “wind” who looks as though he had a bad afro day in medieval times.

The Baptistery  has paintings and sculptures by Donatello, Ghiberti, Pisano and many others the main theme of the depictions are a graphic depiction of Heaven and hell The “Opera del Duomo” or museum has yet more sculptures by de la Quercia, Ghiberthi, Donatello, Pisano and Brunelleschi a beautiful stained glass window and the original statues of the saints that stood outside the Duomo, on higher floors there are Icons and sepia drawings one of Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit in the form of fire that is stunning , there are also a great many relics including full skulls so many that is it easy to be “relicked out”  One of the side rooms houses the huge paper sketches with the designs of the marble floor carvings for the Duomo in beautiful detail, these “maps” are huge paper drawings that fill entire walls All in all Siena is awesome !

a ONCE in a LIFETIME experience !

Have you ever wanted to do something that has not been done for centuries? Well… while you Rent a villa in Tuscany you can do just that... go through  Heaven’s door or “La Porta del Cielo” in Siena, not bad if you are staying at Villas for rent in Tuscany as Heaven’s door has not been opened since the Cathedral in Siena was built in the first part of XXIII.  With spectacular architectural vistas - an everyday occurrence when you enjoy Villa rentals in Tuscany as this region is steeped in majestic cathedrals, graceful towers, a joy to wake up to while on Holiday villas in Lucca  and fabulous fortresses and fortressed churches of which two fine examples stand near La Collina del Sole So if you are  visiting Lucca Villa Rental  between now and 27th October we highly recommend you check out “La Porta del Cielo”Sienna not only has a very beautiful Cathedral built in the traditional black and white horizontal striped decorated walls, it has the very famous Central Piazza where the Palio is held of which we wrote in our focus on Siena blog giving a few of our favourite places and eateries Siena has wonderfully [almost ] carless  streets and walkways, where you can see the original seat of the once might Bank Monte Paschi di Siena which is very austere façade. When you drive to Siena from La Collina del Sole  it is a great opportunity to swing by and check out Montalcino of “Super Tuscan Wines fame, and by the way Montalcino is not only about wine the town itself has many treasures to discover. But let’s Focus on the once in a lifetime opportunity of walking through Heavens Door, for €25 you get to see the cathedral from the giddy heights of the walkways close to the ceiling, where only the builders who built the Cathedral and their overseers got to see, in many cases you find drawings and sketches which were directly drawn onto the walls by the cathedrals architects and overseers.   You get to see the internal walls of the Duomo, the multi-coloured stained glass windows by Ulisse De Matteis,  the corridors and altar as from a bird’s eye view,  You will also get the most spectacular views of Siena itself and the Basilica di San Domenico, la Fortezza Medicea, and the whole cupola of the chapel of John the Baptist.  WELL WORTH the climb, the money and the special effort to get there and once you have descended from the giddy heavenly heights you can tumble into Gelateria Grom where you can find wonderfully rich ice creams, which are proudly made from ethically sourced ingredients and even ice creams for lactose intolerant clients, so you see life on earth can be rather good too  !

Focus on .... SIENA

Tuscany is FULL of amazing sites to visit when you rent a villa in Tuscany today we focus on Siena which is situated on the far south of the area when you are looking for Villas for rent in Tuscany Siena is well known for the Palio held on July 2nd and August 16th each year. It is a daredevil,  world famous, bareback horse race which lasts around 90 seconds held at the heart of Siena located a  2.5 hour car ride from La Collina del Sole The Palio races are run in the Piazza del Campo, a fan shaped town square which has a steep incline making it a death trap for many a horse and jockey who ride bareback. The race is FULL of passion and Italian bravado,  so after the excitement of the day it is good to retreat to the tranquillity of a Lucca Villa Rental with a view of the Carrara marble hills  in the heart of the best Villa rentals in Tuscany  if you would like to see the Palio it is well worth booking now as spaces to watch it go fast, Siena is well worth a visit when you explore while staying at  Holiday Villas in Lucca here are 4 secret treasures to find in Siena, if you woudl like more contact us at Lucca Villa Rental Siena is not only famous for the Palio as described before where each horse and rider represent a district or ward of Siena or “contrade” there are 17, each one is named after an animal or symbol,  each with its own long history and complicated set of heraldic and semi-mythological associations. Other marvellous sites are Torre del Mangia, from where you get THE MOST amazing views of Siena. Other important sites are the chapel of St Catherine and the Duomo, which is set to one side and on a hill within Siena. The following reccomendations are 4 hidden local secrets in  Siena, that deserve a visit when visit this beautiful town. The Candle Shop, in Via dei Pellegrini, 11, Siena, Province of Siena, Italy. Where they hand carve and create intricate designs in front of you, explaining the process as they go and even personalising your candle for you if you wish.

The Tea Room, is a quirky place with a relaxed atmosphere which is great fun for tea and cakes, live music and even a game of cards or a board game, enjoy it in Via di Porta Giustizia 1, Siena, Italy

Il Pomodorino, is a haunt for Pizza recommended by all the locals of Siena, so you can’t go wrong. They even do gluten free options and are in Via Camporegio, 13 - 53100 Siena

Ristorante Enoteca Millevini is a gourmet restaurant set in the old wine cellars of a Medici fort. The food looks incredibly experimental, the taste is EXQUISITE and will please even the fussiest diners, you will find it within the Fortezza Medicea, 1, 53100 Siena, Italy