The Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta on the road from Pienza to San Quirico d'Orcia

In 2001 I came to live in Italy. I had some fun, wrote a journal and this is the blog of my story...

"Tuscany is a state of grace. The countryside is so lovingly designed that the eye sweeps the mountains and valleys without stumbling over a single stone. The lilt of the rolling green hills, the upsurging cypresses, the terraces sculptured by generations that have handled the rocks with skillful tenderness, the fields geometrically juxtaposed as though drawn by a draughtsman for beauty as well as productivity; the battlements of castles on the hills, their tall towers standing grey-blue and golden tan among the forest of trees, the air of such clarity that every sod of earth stands out in such dazzling detail. The fields ripening with barley and oats, beans and beets. The grape-heavy vines espaliered between the horizontal branches of silver-green olive trees, composing orchards of webbed design, rich in intimation of wine, olive oil and lacy-leaf poetry. Tuscany untied the knots in a man's intestines, wiped out the ills of the world. Italy is the garden of Europe, Tuscany is the garden of Italy, Florence is the flower of Tuscany." Irving Stone from my favourite book " The Agony and the Ecstacy" A fictional biography of Michelangelo



128. Mont Oliveto Maggiore and Montalcino

May starts here! It's Audrey Hepburn film season at the British Institute library and all my weekends are booked up!

Today is the first of May, which in Italy is traditionally the workers bank holiday and spent together with families. However I'm on my own today as Annette has to study all weekend... My chosen destination is a famous monastery south of Siena.

Monte Oliveto Maggiore







 The drive south of is Siena is very panoramic, with the gentle rolling green hills of the Val d'Orcia contrasting with the very austere grey, clay of the Crete Senese. The red-bricked monastery is set in a very pretty wood.

Monte Oliveto is actually a Benedictine monastery dating back to 1313 and has some of the most famous frescoes of the Rennaisance, executed by Cortona native, Luca Signorelli and the affectionately named 'il Sodoma' real name Giovanni Antonio Bazzi.

  I join a guided tour and enjoy the very beautiful and extensive colourful fresco cycle...





Afterwards I head  on to the hill-top town of Montalcino for only my second visit. I am of course in Brunello wine heaven and after tasting half a dozen samples, buy a couple of bottles.






 In the fortezza courtyard there is a huge marquee and a special dinner and band as it's the first of May, so I decide to stay and pick up my plate of wild boar pasta and glass of Brunello...




 Good timing or what?
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