Bagno Vignoni

Bagno Vignoni is an ancient thermal village located at the South of the province of Siena, just a few kilometers away from the famous city of Pienza. Since the Old Times, Bagno Vignoni has been a thermal centre, where people from all social classes came to enjoy its warm waters rich in sulfur, which spring out naturally from the underground.

Nowadays Bagno Vignoni is a beautiful village, which still preserves its medieval aspect and counts with two very important thermal centers. The first one is housed at the Hotel la Posta. The entrance to the hot springs costs 9-10 Euros, and from the pools people can delight themselves with the spectacular landscape of the beautiful Tuscan hills.

On the other hand, the second thermal center is located at the brand new Luxurious 5 Star Hotel Adeler Termae. The entrance to this hot springs is more difficult as it requires prior reservations.

There is a third thermal pool (see picture at the left bottom corner) with free access, where the waters of the Hotel de la Posta fall into a suggestive natural pool 20 meters away from the hotel. This pool can only be used in the summer as the water loses its natural heat in the fall and as a result it can be quite cold. For those who can enjoy this place in the summer, I recommend to bathe in the natural pool, which is far less �fashion�, but much more original.

The village itself does not have much more to offer. However, I suggest visiting the old natural pool (see picture at the top right corner), located right in the heart of the village (where bathing is forbidden) and making a stop at a cute inn right behind the pool, where you can indulge into homemade bread with all types of cheeses and cold cuts accompanied with one of those good typical wines of the area.

I hope you find our recommendations useful.

I have uploaded a cute video, which will give you an idea of what the old village pool was like.

Sincerely,

Giovanni.

Routes through the cities in Tuscany.

As we have noticed that many of you are demanding more articles about Tuscan cities, we have decided to open a new section in our Blog especially devoted to one- day routes in Tuscan cities.

Today the route is:

Siena-San Gimignano and Monteriggioni.

This route is surely one of the most beautiful routes you can do in one day.

Starting off in Siena and parking at the "Siena Stadium� or �Piazza del Mercato� parking lot you will find yourself practically right at the city center and at ten minutes� walk from the most beautiful Piazza del Campo, one of the most impressive historical monuments in the city.

The visit will continue with the Duomo. The Duomo, or better say, the Siena Cathedral, is ten minutes� walk from the square. It is a landmark you can�t miss and, in my opinion, it�s the second most beautiful cathedral in Italy after San Pedro. Its richness lies not only in its exterior, but mainly in its interior. Siena was one of the richest cities during the Middle Ages and the Sieneses wanted their cathedral to be the wealthiest and most stunning one in the world. The interior of the cathedral is home to marvelous mosaics as well as art masterpieces of all times.

After visiting the Cathedral I especially suggest a stroll around the center narrow streets and two brief stops at the following palaces: The Accademia Chigiana (the Siena Music Academy) and the Palazzo Salimbeni (the historical venue of Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the oldest bank in the world.)

The visit to Siena should last around 3 hours and end by 12.30 am, so you can continue your trip to Monteriggioni.

Monteriggioni is an incredible medieval village located at 15 km. from Siena( the access from Siena is really fast). I highly recommend having a meal here as the place houses two really interesting restaurants. The first one is called Bar dell Orso, where you can enjoy simple, but exquisite food based on cold cuts, cheese and wine in its fabulous terrace. The other eating spot is called il Pozzo and is located in the village of Monteriggioni, right in the heart of the Square. Il Pozzo is more expensive, but, at the same time, more refined. It offers superb pasta and fried food. Il Pozzo also boasts of a beautiful small terrace, where you can eat under the shade.

The town of Monteriggioni has a small church, which, from my point of view, is really worth visiting as it seems to be unscathed by the pass of time with its medieval towers and walls in perfect conditions.

Around 3 pm. you should be leaving Monteriggioni and heading towards San Gimignano, a true architectural medieval jewel. San Gimignano is absolutely fantastic; it still conserves many of the towers, which belonged to rich merchants and rich families, who wanted to show their power to the rest of the city dwellers in the Middle Ages.


San Gimignano offers a most interesting cathedral with Ghirlandaio�s marvelous frescos. A stroll round the city is a major experience. The highest location in town is home to a bar, where you can relax and have a good wine surrounded by breathtaking panoramic views.

The visit should be finishing by 5.30 p.m. to allow for enough time to get back to your hotel or villa, have a wonderful bath and get ready for a superb Tuscan dinner.

As usual, I hope this article is of your interest.

Yours,

Giovanni.