Italy: Part 3 Siena
Our next adventure was Siena. Siena is a medieval town about an hour south of Florence in the Tuscany region of Italy. Before our trip, everyone told us not to miss Siena. I must admit that when I did my research and looked at pictures, I was not too excited. It looked like any old town. I trusted that all the people who had told us not to miss it could not be crazy. Turns out, they were NOT crazy. In all fairness, there are lots of quaint towns in Tuscany with tons of historic buildings. What sets Siena apart is not just its historic city center, but the steep hilly streets that surround it filled with shops, restaurants and lots of people! The city is surrounded by a 1000 year old wall and is best known for hosting the Palio horse race twice a year as well as its beautiful medieval architecture.
We stayed 2 full days and nights in this quaint city, though we really only had one afternoon and two evenings to explore. We had 2 action packed days planned! We arrived by private driver to our hotel, the Grand Hotel Continental Siena around 1:30 in the afternoon after hitting a bit of traffic coming from Rome. We had not eaten anything yet that day so we were hungry. The hotel was beautiful and the staff very welcoming. Historically the building was a palace built by Pope Alexander VII as a wedding gift for his niece. We were shown to our room which was clean, roomy and decorated beautifully in 16th century decor with plenty of modern touches. This hotel happens to be right in the heart of everything in Siena so nothing was more than a 15 minute walk. When we arrived we asked about dining at the hotel restaurant for lunch as they were closing at 2. The concierge said that there are many wonderful restaurants to eat at in Siena. As we were very hungry, we chose to dine at the Lounge Bar where lunch was being served. In retrospect, we should have listened to the concierge and gone to one of the dozens of wonderful restaurants in Siena.
The food was adequate and they were very accommodating of my gluten and dairy sensitivities. Lunch was just not their specialty, it was more of an afterthought. Their dinner restaurant is very highly rated and their breakfast was wonderful. They also have an incredible wine cellar which is located at the base of a recently rediscovered medieval tower! They will do private or group tastings and they have an incredible collection. The wine cellar itself is something to behold. The Sommelier, Gianluca was kind enough to give us a tour despite the fact that we did not have time for a tasting. It marries 13th century stone walls with modern glass and metal racking and stairs creating a dramatic and beautiful setting for a tasting.
After lunch and touring the wine cellar, we set out to explore the city center. The shops in town were an eclectic mix of chain stores and local shops. There were so many people meandering around that unless you had a very small car, driving here would be hopeless. Of course, our first stop was the Piazza del Campo (the main square), just a few blocks from our hotel. To access it, you must either walk down steps or a relatively steep stone ramp. Here we found the Palazzo Pubblico, the civic headquarters as well as the well known shell shaped square where the Palio horse race is held twice each year. We stepped inside to find the Piazza Chapel and the entrance to the Torre del Mangia, the tower you see in the picture which was built in the 13th century and is 102 meters tall. I was hoping to climb to the top to see the view but the tickets were all sold out for the day. Across the Piazza is the Fonte Gaia, a fountain filled with beautiful marble carvings. Within the square are lots of cafes to stop and have a drink or a bite to eat. Our next stop was the Duomo. Despite the fact that it was a cloudy day when we were there, it was truly a beautiful site. It is a great Gothic building filled with artwork by Pisano, Donatello and Michelangelo as well as frescoes by Pinturicchio. The exterior and interiors are decorated in white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, black and white being the symbolic colors of Siena.
We meandered back to our hotel stopping in a few shops along the way to purchase some olive wood kitchen spoons and such before getting ready for dinner. Our concierge had made reservations for us at Compagnia dei Vinattieri. We had no idea what to expect. We stepped into a dark and mostly empty restaurant to be greeted warmly by the host. The host promptly walked us through the dimly lit restaurant out to a beautiful garden seating area filled with lively guests, beautiful tables, lights and the smell of amazing food! We were immediately greeted at our table with the offer of Proseco, fresh bread (not gluten free) and warm smiles. The staff could not have been more welcoming. We felt like we were dining on a friend’s back patio. The food was outstanding as well. I started with tuna and salmon tartar over black rice with wasabi mouse and garlic sprouts. My entree was sea bass stuffed with chicory greens served with fresh tomatoes marinated in olive oil and oregano. So good! We left there with full and happy stomachs.
There were lots of people still walking around town so we decided to walk off our dinner for a bit before returning to the hotel. We were so glad that we did! Suddenly we heard music in the streets and a parade of hundreds of people singing, dancing and playing musical instruments. It turned out that the famous Siena Palio horse race had occurred just days before we were there and the celebrations were continuing! It was SO much fun to see! People of all ages were taking part, some in costume, some in plain clothes, but all having fun! Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel since we had a full day planned the next day visiting 3 different towns in Tuscany as well as a vineyard!
The following day we were picked up at our hotel for a private tour of Montalcino (the home of Brunello wine) along with a tour of a wine estate, Pienza (known for its Pecorino cheese) and Montepulciano (home of Vino Nobile). The views along the way were just breathtaking. We passed fields of sunflowers that we learned would be harvested to make sunflower oil as well as several towns surrounded by stone
walls. We arrived in Montalcino a bit early for our winery tour so the driver stopped at the fortress atop Montalcino for a quick walk around and more beautiful views!
From here we went to the NostraVita Estate. What an experience! The land, the people, the wines and the warm reception were all beyond words.
Here, they grow Sangiovese grapes and with them create some of the finest Brunello and Rosso wines. It is a family run estate and all the work in the vineyard, including harvesting is done by hand. Annibale, the patriarch and owner of the property, is an amazing man who is not only a vintner, but a scientist, artist, engineer and father/grandfather. He hand paints each wine bottle label with paints that his daughter Carlotta, has made using the leafs and flowers from their land. She is an incredibly talented artist having studied in Milan and returned to NostraVita to continue her art while helping her family. The entire family is amazingly talented and were so incredibly warm and hospitable! Their wines are ICEA certified organic. There are 3 vineyards named after the 3 sisters and there is a beautiful oak tree near their home that was the inspiration for their estate as well as their wines. The entire process from growing, harvesting, aging and bottling all occur right on the estate and are done with the love of the family. It could not have been a more perfect experience!
From here we went into the town of Montalcino. It was a lovely town with a beautiful fortress surrounding it, quaint shops/restaurants and amazing views! It is surrounded by Val d’Orcia Park and is world renown for its production of Brunello wines. Like Champagne from the Champagne region of France, Brunello can only be produced in Montalcino. The fortress here has remained practically intact since the Middle Ages and often becomes the special setting for festivals, concerts, and events, such as the famous Jazz & Wine Festival held in July each year.
After leaving Montalcino, we drove a short distance to Pienza, known as the “Ideal City of the Renaissance”. It is a small village with more spectacular views. It is also known for their pecorino sheep's milk cheese. The narrow streets are lined with shops and restaurants where you can taste the goodness!
Finally, we made our way to Montepulciano. Montepulciano is a medieval town located high atop a hill providing more spectacular views, but be prepared to walk up many quite steep streets! If you do, you will be rewarded, I promise! Beside the views, Montepulciano is known for its “Nobile di Montepulciano” red wines which you can enjoy at many of the cafes along your walk. Of course, there is always a gelato if you are getting too hot!
After a long day of touring, we returned to Siena for dinner and some well needed rest! Our concierge had made reservations for us at Osteria da Divo. The restaurant is located in the center of town under the cathedral. Yes, under. The restaurant is divided on 3 levels dating back to 1000 AD with stone and brick walls. It was definitely high on charm. Unfortunately, they knew it and we found the staff a bit pretentious, not overly attentive and the food, while good, not quite worth the hype. They were, however, helpful in guiding me toward dishes that would meet my dietary needs.
The next day we had planned a highly anticipated cooking class after which we were off to Florence! We had arranged the cooking class through our travel agent who knew that not only was I gluten and dairy free, I also do not eat pork or shellfish and I was looking for an advanced class since I teach GF/DF cooking back home. A tall order, but our travel agent promised that she could accommodate me and all of my desires. We love to take cooking classes wherever we travel and we were REALLY looking forward to this one! Unfortunately, the travel agent dropped the ball. She had coordinated with a local agent and had not properly followed through, because when I walked into the class I was greeted by a lovely local woman with bread (glutenous), pasta (gluten), cheese (dairy) and ground pork. Oh boy. I quickly had to make some choices. The woman spoke broken English and had NO IDEA of my restrictions. I decided to make the best of it. I do not have Celiac, so I figured the worst that would happen would be that I would be sick that night. Based on my decision, I went full force into the class, eating everything gluten and dairy (I skipped the pork and she swapped out some anchovies for me). It turned out to be a nice afternoon, but what we cooked was as basic as possible and obviously did not at all meet my needs or expectations. We made pesto for some boxed pasta, a bean soup and a no-bake tiramisu. We were very disappointed, BUT, I did not get sick! I was stunned! Despite the fact that I had heard rumors of people who were dairy and gluten sensitive in the states being able to eat it in Italy, I never believed it would be true! After this happened, I did some research as to why it might be that I did not get sick. Read Part 1 of this Italy Blog to read what I learned!
What restaurants had I researched in advance and where did we actually eat in Sienna?
In advance:
San Dominico - completely GF pizza/pasta restaurant - AIC certified
La Taverna di San Giuseppe - high end, GF bread, great reviews stating that they were very accommodating
Ristorante Tar-tufo - highly rated, #1 on Trip Advisor, accommodates GF
Casato - recommended by locals
Salefino Vino e Cucina - cater to GF and DF diners
Where did we actually eat? Read the full blog for details.
Compagnia dei Vinattieri
Osteria da Divo
There were not nearly the amount of AIC certified restaurants in Siena as there were in the larger cities, however, we found that everywhere we went the people were very accommodating. From Siena we traveled to Florence. My favorite part of the trip! Don’t miss part 4 of this series!