There is a statue of Giovanni da Verrazzano here in the Piazza Matteotti, a gently sloping square which is the hub of life in Greve. Around this square under the graceful porticoes you will see many local shops and wine stores. The famous butcher shop Falorni is here and has been for 500 years! At Falorni’s you will be welcome to taste free samples of much of their local productions, including their delicious boar salami and prosciutto. If you like after your visit to Greve, your driver will bring you to the imposing Castle of Verrazzano, which is located on a hilltop between Siena and Florence right in the heart of the Chianti Classico wine producing area. First and Etruscan village and later a Roman one, the castle became the property of the Verrazzano family in the 12th century.

This is where Giovanni da Verrazzano , the Tuscan explorer, was born in 1485. Verrazzano discovered the New York Bay area and a main portion of the east coast of America. If you like, at the Verrazzano Castle you can book a guided tour of its gardens and wine cellars. Wild boar roam freely in the surrounding woods, so besides their famous Chianti wines, all the other products of the Verrazzano estate can be tasted, including olive oil, salted meats, boar sausages, and other local delicacies.

After your stop at the Castle of Verrazzano your driver will continue with a scenic drive through a typical Tuscan landscape. He will take you to other small Chianti villages such as Panzano in Chianti and Castellina in Chianti.

Near Castellina you will make another stop for a wine tasting at the renown “Rocca delle Macie” winery. On the way back from “Rocca delle Macie” winery you will have a chance to view the medieval fortress of Monteriggioni. This interesting village high up on a hill is entirely surrounded still by its medieval walls and towers creating the illusion that time has stood still here.

Pick up  - Drop off location:at your accommodation in Florence
Suggested pick up time:9.00 am
 Notes :Meals and drinks are not included

With prosperity, many patrons in San Gimignano were able to hire the best craftsmen and artists to magnificently decorate the churches and monasteries here. Dante Alighieri came to San Gimignano on May 8, 1300 as the Ambassador of the Guelph League in Tuscany. Today, San Gimignano’s important cultural and natural heritage have been recognized by UNESCO. As in all of Italy, the Black Plague of 1348 greatly reduced the population of San Gimignano and led the city into a grave economical depression and caused the town to submit to Florence’s rule in 1353. Later on in the centuries though, San Gimignano rediscovered its cultural importance and beauty together with its agriculture and eventually overcame its decline becoming the beautifully restored town it is today. In spite of its rather small size there is plenty to admire in San Gimignano. Besides its 13 remaining towers (there were once about 40!), you can also see the “Duomo” or Collegiate Church and its magnificent frescoes, the “Palazzo del Popolo”, the “Palazzo Nuovo del Podestà” which is now the town hall. Other interesting places to see are church dedicated to Saint Augustine with its famous fresco cycle of this Saint’s life painted by Benozzo Gozzoli, the Museum of Holy Relics, and the infamous Museum of Torture and its macabre displays of early torture instruments. You will love just wandering up and down the main street in San Gimignano and going in and out of the numerous specialty shops. The ceramics are beautiful here, but there are also places for buying leather goods and linens.

For food and wine lovers there are many shops that sell delicious local products including San Gimignano’s “Vernaccia” white wine. You will be able to taste this wine in several of the wine stores in the town.

Next stop on the way from San Gimignano to Siena is Monteriggioni. This is one of the best known and classic walled towns in Tuscany. Also on the Via Francigena, this village was built on a hill by the Sienese between 1213 and 1219 to overlook the ancient Roman road, the Via Cassia. This was a perfect position allowing for surveillance of the valleys below in the direction of the city of Florence, which was the historic enemy of Siena.

We’ll be making a lunch stop here at a typical trattoria where we’ll enjoy some mouth-watering Tuscan food before we go on our way Siena. No trip to Tuscany is complete without a day trip to Siena, the birthplace of the beloved Italian Saint Catherine. This beautiful city made of brown Siena-colored bricks (so that’s how they named the color!), its jumble of narrow streets and delightful squares, the medieval towers that make such a spectacular skyline, its spectacular cathedral, the tall and trim Torre del Mangia, all together create an enticing atmosphere almost like stepping back in time. Siena is built on three hills and is home to one of the most authentic and important Gothic cathedrals south of the Alps. Despite the city’s architectural masterpieces, it is the unusual shell-shaped Piazza del Campo that receives the most consideration having been seen in numerous films and photographs. This brick covered square is used twice a year for the famous “Palio” horserace, an event that involves the entire population and is considered one of the most important events in the life of the Sienese people. This reckless bareback race is run on July 2nd and August 16th, has Roman origins but has first been officially recorded in 1283. A kind of happy frenzy rules over Siena during the time leading up to the Palio and visitors can get the chance to observe the locals during the many ceremonies that are involved in the “Palio” race. Almost anything will be done to win this extremely competitive race and bring home the “Palio” a silk banner that will proudly displayed in the “contrada” or neighborhood it represents.

Pick up  - Drop off location:at your accommodation in Florence
Suggested pick up time:9.00 am
 Notes :Meals and drinks are not included

It seems probable that the town was therefore founded by a group of nobles perhaps from Chiusi who came here to escape invasions from Barbarians. Montepulciano is surrounded by walls and fortifications designed by Antonio da Sangallo in 1500 by orders of Cosimo I.

Today Montepulciano is known for its very impressive Renaissance buildings, its beautiful churches and especially for its “Vino Nobile” (noble wine), one of the most distinguished of Italian wines in the world. The town developed on a steep hill between Porta al Prato and Piazza Grande and is crisscrossed by many short and narrow streets and alleys. There is plenty of sightseeing here and the cathedral is well worth a visit.

The cathedral or “Duomo” was built between 1592 and 1630 and designed by Ippolito Scalza on the site of the older “Pieve di Santa Maria” . The façade and also a portion of the bell tower from the older church, is still unfinished. Inside, you can see works by Michelozzo, Andrea della Robbia, Benedetta da Maiano, and Andrea del Sarto. Other buildings of interest are the Palazzo Comunale, the temple of the Madonna of San Biagio, and the church dedicated to Saint Augustine. Angelo Ambrogini was born in Montepulciano. He was commonly called the “Poliziano”, which is the name given to the inhabitants of Montepulciano.

This Humanist poet of the Renaissance went to Florence when he was only 14 years old and worked at the court of the Medici family. After visiting the sights of Montepulciano, your driver will give you some recommendations for some great places to eat here. Try one of the local specialties accompanied by a glass of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano!

Only a short car ride away, our next stop is the town of Pienza.  

This charming Tuscan town is recognized by the organization of UNESCO as having a world famous cultural and natural patrimony. The history of Pienza is tied to that of Pope Pio II born in Pienza the 18th of October 1405 with the name of Enea Silvio Piccolomini. He was a great Humanist and wanted to transform the town of his birth from a small medieval hamlet into a Renaissance style papal residence. Pienza was then called Corsignano after the ancient castle here since 828. The original project was designed by Bernardo Gambarelli, more famously know as “Rossellino”, who was a student of Leon Battista Alberti. The construction lasted for a little over three years and were consecrated by Pio II for the feast day of San Giovanni Battista on August 29, 1462 and finally given the name “Pienza”. Many of the palaces that you see today in Pienza are from this period. Neither Pio II or Rossellino were able to enjoy their work for long. By a very strange destiny, both died within two months of each other in 1464. There is a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside from the top of its hilltop location. From here you can admire an unforgettable view of the Val D’Orcia. The town’s main square is named after Pio II and is the center of the town. This trapezoid shaped piazza can be seen in the film “Romeo and Juliet” by Franco Zeffirelli. In Piazza Pio II you will see the Duomo, Piccolomini Palace and the church dedicated to Saint Francis. The streets in Pienza have curious names such as “Via dell’Amore, del Bacio, della Fortuna”, Street of Love, of the Kiss, of Luck. You will enjoy shopping here. The streets are lined with all kinds of shops selling local crafts and regional specialties such as the delicious “pecorino di Pienza” and wines, and many shops are willing to give out some samples of their fare to taste.

Soon, arms laden with your purchases, your driver will accompany you back to your car for the ride home. The landscape you enjoy during your drive will remain with you for the rest of your lives – the peaceful, green hills, clay fields, vineyards, and pastureland – all which is Tuscany.

If there is enough time, your driver will stop for a short break in Siena just so you can admire the most important sights like the cathedral and the incredible Piazza del Campo of the famous “Palio” horse race.

Pick up  - Drop off location: at your accommodation in Florence
Suggested pick up time: 9.00 am
 Notes :Meals and drinks are not included

The city expanded rapidly and soon Pisa was surrounded by a circle of walls. In 1062 the building of the Pisa cathedral was begun.

The cathedral and baptistery, the tower of Pisa, and the Campo Santo or cemetery, together form one of the most beautiful and famous building groups in the world. The “Piazza dei Miracoli” makes a perfect showplace for these exquisite examples of Romanesque architecture.

Today, the Leaning Tower of Pisa has become a symbol for the entire Italian Republic and after intense restoration has finally reopened to visitors. If you would like to experience the climb to the top and the “lean” in the tower as you go up, reservations must be made in advance and can be made on-line at http://www.opapisa.it/boxoffice/index.jsp

Next, your driver will take you to Lucca, one of the most famous and glorious walled cities of Italy.

Lucca was founded by the Etruscans but actually has origins even more remote. In 180 BC the town became a Roman colony and from this period has retained the rectangular grid of its Roman street plan and the Piazza San Michele occupies the site of the Roman forum. Where once its wide walls were used for defense purposes today Lucca’s citizens use it for walking and biking.

Lucca is a rather small town but there are many interesting places to visit here – the Romanesque cathedral of San Martino, the church of San Michele, and the Basilica of San Frediano with its exquisite mosaics, and the birthplace of the composer Puccini whose house is now a small museum. You will visit all of this on your tour to Lucca and the more energetic of you can rent bikes to do a “Wall Bike Tour” along the city walls. If there is enough time, your driver can bring you to visit one of the magnificent villas in the outskirts of Lucca. Years ago Lucca’s most illustrious families and foreign residents had their summer homes in this area. The beautiful gardens of the Villa Mansi built by the architect F. Juvarra are worth a visit as is the Villa Torrigiani with its luxurious apartments and grounds.

Pick up  - Drop off location: at your accommodation in Florence
Suggested pick up time: 9.00 am
 Notes : Meals and drinks are not included