2018 Italy Vacation, Day 8: Montalcino

From Montepulciano, we drove west through the Crete Sinesi, to Montalcino - home to the famous Brunello di Montalcino.  Montalcino means Mountain of Oaks, a reference to the surrounding forests.  It's surrounded by stone walls and dominated by its Fortezza, a.k.a. La Rocca.

We parked in the Parcheggio Viale Strozzi and moving towards the entrance through the town wall, we encountered the Chiesa della Madonna del Soccorso.

 We climbed the steps on the Via Spagni ...

 ... to reach the Cattedrale Santissimo Salvatore.

We rested here a bit and then continued along the Via Spagni envisioning our lives if we lived in this enchanting small town.    This would be our little apartment, upstairs at #41...

 Continuing on, we encountered the Montalcino's Chiesa di Sant'Agostino - closed up for the day.

Onward we marched to La Rocca - an impressive fortress.

I paid to climb the tower and walk along the ramparts.  Here is the view from one of the small window openings - looking back towards Sant' Agostino.

The views from the ramparts were well worth the small fee.

Truly, a city on a hill, Montalcino was aligned with Siena and they both prospered.  But when the Medicis of Florence gained control over the region, Montalcino faded into a humble little town.

However, in gratitude for their support, the Sinese invite the Montalcinesi to lead the parade that kicks off Siena's Palio celebrations. 

Walking back down the hill, we came to the Piazza Giribaldi and found another monument to Romulus and Remus.  According to local legend, Siena was founded by Senius and Aschius, the two sons of Remus.  Perhaps this statue is yet another indicator of the strong bond between Montalcino and Siena.

Along the street there was a spot decorated with tiles celebrating the region's famous wine - Brunello.  Some were serious, some were funny.  The public art in Italy is simply wonderful - always keep an eye out for the little things.

We were starting to get very hungry and the street side cafes were calling, but we were on the hunt for the recommended Taverna del Grappolo Blu.

One of the local newstands showed the results of the Siena Palio - Drago wins!

Finally, we made it to our dinner destination located on an unassuming little side street.

I think I had the cinghiale again, this time with sliced potatoes.  It was so inviting, I dove in before I remembered to take a picture!  The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was charming.

After a long day, up and down the hills of two different towns, and a dark drive through the countryside ahead of us, Kathi and I got only a half bottle of the Brunello to go with dinner. 

Exhausted, we retraced out steps back past the 

Cattedrale Santissimo Salvatore lit up with a backdrop of stormy skies.

The Chiesa della Madonna del Soccorso also looked impressive against that turbulent sky.

I really liked Montalcino, and would like to come back one day for a slower, more intimate, daytime wandering around the town.  

On the drive home, Google maps took us through some farm fields in Asciano, I guess as part of its "shortest route" or something.  After scaring the bajesus our of some romantically star-crossed pedestrians, I spotted some familiar landmarks from our daytime drives in the area, and we made it back to the Agriturismo unscathed.

Per the routine, we washed clothes in the sink, brushed our teeth, and went to bed.