Day 8: San Quirico
Very blue sky this morning…..on my morning stroll, I enjoy taking pictures of the town bathed in sunlight.
After breakfast, we get in the car and head for the town of Radicofani, located in the far southeastern corner of the Val d’Orcia. We have driven within miles of the town any number of times and its muffin-shaped hill topped by a tower is visible from almost anywhere in the area. We take the long way round and get to experience some roads that we have not been on before…..but no matter which route you take (even the main highways), the countryside is stunning, especially with the early spring green everywhere.
Arriving in Radicofani, we drive immediately to the fortress and park the car right at the entrance. The hilltop is heavily wooded outside the fortress and since we are the only people there (besides the ticket taker who doubles as the barman at Brigadoon Snack Bar), it is very, very peaceful.
The fortezza is the epitome of what a Tuscan hilltop fortress should look like….heavy stone walls and a tall grey tower in the middle. From the ramparts, it would be hard to miss an invading band of marauders or an army. The tower rises up and adds even better sightlines for defending the area.
The fortress dates back to the 12th century but it was enlarged significantly in the early 1400s when Siena took control of the area. It fell into ruins during the 1500s and only was restored during the 20th century. Now it is in fine shape and there are detailed explanations of the fortress and its restoration in the interior rooms that you pass through as you climb the five flights to the top.
Needless to say, the views from ramparts are extensive and spectacular. On a clear day, they say you can see the Tuscan coast and the towers of Siena. On a not so clear day, here is what you can see–Monte Amiata, the town below and "le crete", the eroded clay soil common to Siena Province.
Back down at the bottom, we park the car and take a leisurely walk through the very pleasant and friendly town.
We spend a few minutes looking around the main church–San Pietro–which has a very handy brochure that explains all the art work displayed inside the church including a very stunning della Robbia statue and also some works by local artists of the 19th and 20th century.
Diana buys a piece of local pottery at one of the stores at on the main street and we walk around the remaining stalls of the market which is closing up.
Next stop is Monte Amiata….the almost 5,700 foot peak that dominates the Val d’Orcia. There is an extensive road system that serves the mountain–it is a ski resort in winter–and we plan to drive to the summit. But we stop first for lunch at a restaurant outside Arcidosso where we ate a few years ago and remember very well. We find it without a problem and the host at L’Aoiule greets us like regulars, although we are sure that he couldn’t possibly remember us.
No menu, the waiter recites what is available. We decide to make this our main meal of the day so we start with the antipasto, follow with one plate of the house specialty–fioco di neve (snowflakes) which are like light gnocchi served with a rich butter and cheese sauce–and one bowl of an excellent zuppa di ceci and farro (chickpeas and barley-like spelt). The waiter entices us to have a "secondo"….a plate of grilled sausages and pancetta–both extremely delicious. We finish about 3/4 of a bottle of the house wine which is very pleasant. Dessert is out of the question but we certainly will be back on our next trip to the area.
We have enough energy to drive to the summit of Amiata after lunch though a hike would have done some good…..the route to the top is heavily wooded and passes by a number of ski communities…all closed up now. The trees are just starting to leaf and the foliage is a very delicate shade of green.
We also pass areas (on the north side of the mountain) that are still snow covered.
At the end of the road, there is a very large parking area and three hotels with assorted restaurants and bars–not exactly a wilderness setting. We forgo the walk to the actual summit to admire the view and see the large metal cross at the top because the wide trail is completely snow covered.
The ride down is very scenic with areas where big rocks are interspersed between the trees and there are some good vistas as we descend below the forest.
When we get back to town, it is still sunny and warm and we get our first real chance to sit out in the garden. However, after a short while, the skies darken and we are driven inside by a fierce thunderstorm. My computer begins to act up–I don’t think it has anything to do with the storm–and it basically stops working. I brought an older laptop as backup so I can still connect but it is slow and the connection is quirky. I start to call around to find out if there is a computer repair place in the area and find out that there is someone in the next town over, Castiglione d’Orcia.
After the rain subsides, I go out to the store to buy some strawberries and we have a light dinner–cheese, bread, salad, strawberries–in the apartment.
Tomorrow we will try to get the computer problem taken care of and hope for another beautiful day.
After breakfast, we get in the car and head for the town of Radicofani, located in the far southeastern corner of the Val d’Orcia. We have driven within miles of the town any number of times and its muffin-shaped hill topped by a tower is visible from almost anywhere in the area. We take the long way round and get to experience some roads that we have not been on before…..but no matter which route you take (even the main highways), the countryside is stunning, especially with the early spring green everywhere.
Arriving in Radicofani, we drive immediately to the fortress and park the car right at the entrance. The hilltop is heavily wooded outside the fortress and since we are the only people there (besides the ticket taker who doubles as the barman at Brigadoon Snack Bar), it is very, very peaceful.
The fortezza is the epitome of what a Tuscan hilltop fortress should look like….heavy stone walls and a tall grey tower in the middle. From the ramparts, it would be hard to miss an invading band of marauders or an army. The tower rises up and adds even better sightlines for defending the area.
The fortress dates back to the 12th century but it was enlarged significantly in the early 1400s when Siena took control of the area. It fell into ruins during the 1500s and only was restored during the 20th century. Now it is in fine shape and there are detailed explanations of the fortress and its restoration in the interior rooms that you pass through as you climb the five flights to the top.
Needless to say, the views from ramparts are extensive and spectacular. On a clear day, they say you can see the Tuscan coast and the towers of Siena. On a not so clear day, here is what you can see–Monte Amiata, the town below and "le crete", the eroded clay soil common to Siena Province.
Back down at the bottom, we park the car and take a leisurely walk through the very pleasant and friendly town.
We spend a few minutes looking around the main church–San Pietro–which has a very handy brochure that explains all the art work displayed inside the church including a very stunning della Robbia statue and also some works by local artists of the 19th and 20th century.
Diana buys a piece of local pottery at one of the stores at on the main street and we walk around the remaining stalls of the market which is closing up.
Next stop is Monte Amiata….the almost 5,700 foot peak that dominates the Val d’Orcia. There is an extensive road system that serves the mountain–it is a ski resort in winter–and we plan to drive to the summit. But we stop first for lunch at a restaurant outside Arcidosso where we ate a few years ago and remember very well. We find it without a problem and the host at L’Aoiule greets us like regulars, although we are sure that he couldn’t possibly remember us.
No menu, the waiter recites what is available. We decide to make this our main meal of the day so we start with the antipasto, follow with one plate of the house specialty–fioco di neve (snowflakes) which are like light gnocchi served with a rich butter and cheese sauce–and one bowl of an excellent zuppa di ceci and farro (chickpeas and barley-like spelt). The waiter entices us to have a "secondo"….a plate of grilled sausages and pancetta–both extremely delicious. We finish about 3/4 of a bottle of the house wine which is very pleasant. Dessert is out of the question but we certainly will be back on our next trip to the area.
We have enough energy to drive to the summit of Amiata after lunch though a hike would have done some good…..the route to the top is heavily wooded and passes by a number of ski communities…all closed up now. The trees are just starting to leaf and the foliage is a very delicate shade of green.
We also pass areas (on the north side of the mountain) that are still snow covered.
At the end of the road, there is a very large parking area and three hotels with assorted restaurants and bars–not exactly a wilderness setting. We forgo the walk to the actual summit to admire the view and see the large metal cross at the top because the wide trail is completely snow covered.
The ride down is very scenic with areas where big rocks are interspersed between the trees and there are some good vistas as we descend below the forest.
When we get back to town, it is still sunny and warm and we get our first real chance to sit out in the garden. However, after a short while, the skies darken and we are driven inside by a fierce thunderstorm. My computer begins to act up–I don’t think it has anything to do with the storm–and it basically stops working. I brought an older laptop as backup so I can still connect but it is slow and the connection is quirky. I start to call around to find out if there is a computer repair place in the area and find out that there is someone in the next town over, Castiglione d’Orcia.
After the rain subsides, I go out to the store to buy some strawberries and we have a light dinner–cheese, bread, salad, strawberries–in the apartment.
Tomorrow we will try to get the computer problem taken care of and hope for another beautiful day.
posted by Jim Zurer at 6:24 AM
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