CONTACT OWNER

• Mr. Mario Armini

My name\'s Mario and I am one of the owners and manager of I Pianelli. Once the home of paysant families, our villa has been lovingly renovated and converted into a holiday home.One of our purposes is to help our guests enjoy their stay in our farmhouse and discover such a unique surrounding area, so full of history and culture. We are happy to provide them with all the useful information of local amenities and sightseeing spots.Our main purpose, however, is to make our guests feel at home.

Why it is Famous ?

The Tuscany area is a charming land, blessed by the genius of man and nature. With its magnificent hilly landscapes spreading up from the mountains to the seaside and its historical and archaeological sites, it is one of Italy�s most famous regions. There is also a secret side of Tuscany that includes plenty of medieval hamlets and castles perched on hill-tops or dug out of rocky cliffs that were once the stage for harsh conflicts between local landlords. Each spot is a gem in its own right, not only for the countryside but also for the knowledge of the history of the land and the people living there. It can also represent a wonderful haven if you are looking for a place to unwind. Our farmouse I Pianelli is conveniently located. Some of the most famous sightseeing spots in Tuscany are very closeby: Siena (25� drive), Florence and Arezzo (1hr drive), San Gimignano, Pienza, Montalcino and Montepulciano (about 40� drive). A lot of famous sites in the southern Tuscany, including the beautiful white sandy beaches of Maremma, the Natural Park of Uccellina, the Mount Amiata and the Elba Island, can be easily reached from I Pianelli. We will be glad to provide our guests with some useful information about the tourist areas they are interested in.

Facts About Destination

The woody area around I Pianelli offers a wide range of paths and hiking tracks leading to beautiful, unspoilt spots like the nearby Crevole castle or the very scenic natural area south west of Murlo. Following the stream Crevole through the picturesque hamlet of Miniere di Murlo, you can get further south towards La Befa, entering the Natural Reserve of the Val di Merse, named after the stream Merse that flows through it. We will be happy to provide our guests with detailed information about the most interesting hiking tracks in the surrounding area. The people of the Val di Merse have always tried to protect from foreign invasion the thousands of acres of forests, the gently rolling hills, the thickets of holm-oaks, the chestnuts, the pines, the laurel, the berries, the oaks, the hornbeam, creepers and brambles which cascade into the white river Merse, and which continue to reproduce day after day and are a special feature of this valley. It is the river. which throughout its history, has fed many mills, and which seems to exist only to promote the flora which naturalists define as \"extraordinary \" or to encourage the increase of fauna, which even strangers to this area are amazed to find, and greatly admire.

Area Information

I Pianelli is situated at the edge of the Sienese Clay Hills (Crete Senesi) Without doubt the Sienese clay hills create one of the most fascinating landscapes in Tuscany with their original scenery and splendid historical and architectural heritage. Starting from Siena and reaching the heart of the Crete, the landscape unfolds between a stretch of clayey hills almost completely bare of tall vegetation, cut through here and there by deep erosion furrows. Their main chromatic note of grey takes on diverse shades and reflections with the passing of the hours and seasons. Mediaeval fortified villages, ancient farming complexes, parish churches and fortresses appear unexpectedly, fascinating signs of local history and man\'s noble endeavours. More splendid scenery is offered along the route taken to reach Asciano; here the Crete do not look quite so wild and may be covered by sunflowers in summer and green pastures or corn fields springtime. Asciano, with its Etruscan and Roman origins, has maintained its mediaeval appearance, enclosed as it is by its XIV century walls. The whole area is ideal for biking and hiking. The nearby walled village of Murlo includes a very nice Etruscan Museum called �Antiquarium of Poggio Civitate\" because it displays materials found in the important nearby Etruscan site of \"Poggio Civitate\". The decision of exhibiting materials found near the Etruscan site was taken in the Seventies and brought about the inauguration of the Museum in 1988. An extension was built onto the same Museum in 2002, the so-called \"Palazzina\", an adjacent building where new finds could be exhibited. The materials and finds exhibited in the Antiquarium of Poggio Civitate come mostly from a princely Etruscan residence dating back to a period between the VII° and the V° century BC. This makes a peculiar difference since most of other Etruscan museums mainly show objects coming from tombs. The finds include sculptures and terracotta reliefs as well as daily tools and domestic objects either in ceramic, terracotta, bucchero, bone or ivory. All of them provide precious information on the habits, the contacts and trades of such a sophisticated ancient civilization. Some of the Museum�s objects are just unique, like the well known princely residence�s roof and the recently added workshop�s roof, the horse race and the Banquet�s terracotta reliefs (sime), or the acrotère called \"Cappellone (big hat)\" for the peculiar shape of the hat, which has become Murlo�s trademark.

How to reach

Coming from the A1 Milan-Rome, when you reach Florence take the exit �Firenze Impruneta� and proceed on the motorway to Siena. After reaching Siena, carry on straight ahead direction Grosseto. Go straight on for about 14 km until you come across the sign for �Fontazzi� on the left side of the road. Bear left watching the signs for Vescovado and Murlo and passing the small settlements Fontazzi and Palazzina. Be careful not to take either right towards Casciano or left towards Radi. After 9 km past Fontazzi and 3 km before reaching Vescovado you come across a sign on the right side of the road, that points �I Pianelli�. Wenn you reach Siena from Rome you have to leave the highway A1 in Bettolle, Sinalunga and watch out the signs for Siena. Don�t get into the town but carry on straight ahead direction Grosseto. Go straight on for about 14 km until you come across the sign for �Fontazzi� on the left side of the main road, then follow previous instructions.

Transport system

A car is essential to stay in the countryside, since you cannot just rely on public transports (very few busses during the day). The nearest train station in in the village of Monteroni d\'Arbia, 15 minutes drive from I Pianelli. The nearest airport is Florence ( approx. 1 hour by car ). Other convenient airports are Pisa and Rome ( approx. 2% hours by car ). By Car GPS Coordinates: North 43° 10. 714� East 011° 22. 583�

Best time to visit

From the early spring to the late October

Languages

English, Italian