top of page
This site was designed with the
.com
website builder. Create your website today.Start Now
Chianciano
 

Day 7

  •  Bus to Chianciano

    • Etruscan museum​

    • La Pietriccia agriturimo for cooking lesson and lunch

  • Arrive at Hotel Belvedere

  • Free afternoon to relax

  • Welcome cocktails in the garden

  • Group dinner 

We said arrivederci to Umbria as we entered the region of Tuscany on day 7 heading to Chianciano.  I love saying the name of this city because the "ch" and "c" are different in Italian than in English.  It is pronounced "kee-on-chee-yano." Our first stop was The Museo Archeologico, an Etruscan museum and then on to the agriturismo La Pietriccia for our Italian cooking experience.

Roberto was our guide through the interesting Etruscan museum.  He explained to us that the Etruscans were the inhabitants of Italy before the Romans assimilated the Etruscan culture into their own.  I was very surprised at how many archeologic treasures fit into the small building.  The artifacts were used to recreate the burial tombs in which they were discovered.  The Etruscan women were considered equal to men and perhaps even revered by society because of their importance as mothers.  The art around us confirmed this by showing women sitting as equals with the men.

Click first photo in each group to enlarge entire gallery

The art we saw was beautiful and the metalwork they used to create jewelry was quite impressive.  It was all very detailed and intricate for something that was created at least 6 to 8 centuries BCE.  Most of our tour members had never heard of the Etruscans and it was great to learn about this part of Italy's history.

Now it was time for our Italian cooking experience.  Mario delivered us right into the vineyard of La Pietriccia and Chef Stefano greeted us with a light snack of bruschetta, cheese, salami, and wine.  While we enjoyed the food and wine, Stefano explained the agriturismo business:  agriculture plus tourism.  The farm we were visiting is a working farm whose produce and animal products are used for the food served to the guests staying at the property. Stefano then led us into the classroom for our lesson.

​

The tour members all jumped in to mix ingredients, form stuffed pasta, and roll lettuce bundles. Bryan helped make the gnocchi while I enjoyed photographing the activities. The ingredients and instructions were pretty uncomplicated for each dish.  For example, the gnocchi only had three ingredients:  flour, salt, and ricotta.  The pesto that topped the gnocchi was made of arugula, olive oil, garlic, almonds, and pecorino cheese added together in a food processor and it was ready to eat in just a few minutes.

Once everything was prepared, Stefano's staff took the food into the kitchen to be cooked.  A delightful meal was the reward for the hard work.  We all enjoyed it together at long tables that overlooked the skyline of Chianciano just past the vineyards of La Pietriccia.

San Leonino

We reached our fourth hotel of the tour, the Hotel Belvedere, by late afternoon.  According to Tricia, we were staying in the Chianti wine region of Tuscany. The hotel was situated at the top of a hill with panoramic views from almost every part of the property.  Bryan and I quickly dropped off our luggage in our room and went to enjoy the lovely landscape from the hotel's hot tub.  Some people read by the pool, others sat in the garden with a glass of wine. 

Click any photo to take a closer look

The setting sun pulled people from their different locations into the gardens where we watched the magic of a Tuscan sunset. Then we all moved inside for a light dinner together.  Many of us were still full from our sensational lunch, so the traditional Tuscan soup and sandwich were just right for our evening meal.

bottom of page