Trip Length: 4 days and 3 nights
2006 Adult Price (Twin-share Accommodation): From € 750.00 (min. 3 participants)

  Along the medieval roads and churches of Casentino (3 days)

In prehistoric times the Arno, which runs straight through the Casentino from north to south, was not a uniting factor but a border between two or more tribes confronting each other from the heights of the Pratomagno to the west and the Apennines to the east. The only meeting point for trade and social intercourse of the two populations of the valley were the three hills of Bibbiena, Poppi and Romena. The Etruscans first and the Romans later, reclaimed the flood plain and a road was built running along the foothill on the right bank of the river. In Roman times the road was dotted with inns, public baths and places of worship at crucial crossroads. When in the early Middle Ages the road was restored, the ruling Germanic counts provided it with great churches, the “pievi” or rural cathedrals, each the focal point of  a community. These churches grew up on the ruins of Roman establishments whose remains are often visible beneath the floor and in the crypts of most of them.

The main square of Stia

Day 1 – From the town of Stia, we shall visit the “pieve” of Santa Maria, in the beautiful village square. Beneath the Romanesque building lies an Etruscan temple whose remains are partly visible. From Stia there is but a short walk to Pratovecchio where the traveller will visit, among other things, an extraordinary 12th century device for alchemy in the Monastery of the Camaldolesi. The climb to the Castle and Pieve of Romena – the latter built on the ruins of a Roman bath- will follow on the right bank of the Arno.  Overnight stay at a local hotel and restaurant.

Day 2 – The party will descend, through pleasant countryside, to Strada and its magnificent rural cathedral of St Martino. Towering above it is the dark profile of the Castle of San Niccolò and adjacent to the church, the picturesque market town of Strada. Crossing the Solano river on a medieval bridge, the party will walk along the medieval road. The party will reach Strumi, a farm preserving the remains of a Roman inn and of a later monastery of San Fedele.   The walk will continue along the Roman road to Poppi where the visitor will enjoy exploring palaces, churches, abbeys and the  stunning castle of the Guidi. Overnight stay at the local hotel and restaurant.

The castle of Poppi                          The Convent of La Verna in winter

Day 3 – The Roman road descending from a shrine of the Madonna, next to Poppi, will run along the most beautiful corn fields in the Casentino. The walker will enjoy a great view of Bibbiena and La Verna to the south east. Coming to a rural hamlet called Buiano, the visitor will be surprised to find, among old farm buildings, haystacks and manure heaps, what remains of another rural cathedral, Santa Maria, erected on the ruins of a Roman bath, still visible in the crypt. The walk will then continue across the fields to the hamlet of Toppoli and down towards the bridge of Bibbiena. We will follow the Arno all the way to Sòcana, a village and rural cathedral where an enormous Etruscan sacrificial altar is still standing behind the great church. At Socana the visitor will enjoy excellent food and if necessary a good night rest.

Starting Point: Florence

Along the Etruscan Way from Stia to Camaldoli (3 days )

The highest mountain in the so-called “Etruscan Apennines” is Mount Falterona (1.658 m) , a name dating back at least 3.000 years and probably deriving from an ancient deity of  the waters who once dwelt in the bowels of the dark giant. It is a fact that as recently as the 1960s the inhabitants of the valley of the Arno, - a river whose reputation is vastly disproportionate with respect to its size- which has its springs high on the Falterona, believed that should an earthquake awaken the deity dwelling inside the mountain, we would all be drowned. This belief must be a very old one, since the Etruscans used to keep the mountain god happy by throwing bronze figurines and other valuable artefacts in the waters of a small lake from which the Arno originates. In the 1830s, a shepherdess found a bronze statue of Hercules on the shore of the lake and took it to Stia; immediately the local people drained the lake and grabbed as many as 600 small bronze statues and votive figurines, besides ornaments, arms and other devotional objects, which quickly were sold to the main museums around the world. The figurines of Mount Falterona may nowadays be admired in the Louvre, the British Museum, the Berlin Museums and Hermitage.

Day 1 – (4 hours) - To recapture a little of the awe of this legendary mountain we shall depart from Stia. The travellers will reach the village and medieval tower of Porciano 610m, and then proceed up to Poggio Alberini 765m. Following the beautiful ridge-way the traveller will reach Pian Delle Gorghe where archaeologists are digging up the ruins of several small houses dating from the 3^rd to the 6^th cent. b.C., probably belonging to Gothic auxiliaries guarding what was the last barrier between northern Italy and Rome for any invaders. Passed Poggio Castellare, the traveller will reach 1000m of altitude and by the end of the day will be at Bocca Pecorina, inside the Nature Reserve of the Forests of Casentino. This is a crossroad of droves, where we will spend the night in a mountain chalet nearby.

Day 2 – (5 hours) Leaving Bocca Pecorina the traveller will  take the path leading to the “Lago degli Idoli” (Lake of the Idols) at about 1300m of altitude. Here the lake bed is being re filled with water after having been thoroughly excavated and analysed by archaeologists and scientists between 2004 and 2005. The lake, actually a mere pond, has recaptured its ancient look, and from there the path leads easily to the sources of the Arno at 1358m. Here, as many as seven springs converge into one stream which after about 80 km will become the river of Florence.  From the source of the Arno, a very strenuous and steep path will take the traveller to one of the two summits of the mountain, at 1654 m, then, after one km he will reach the highest peak at 1658, from where a fantastic view of the valleys and crests of the Apennines may be enjoyed and on a clear day both the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic sea may be seen on the horizon. From Monte Falco the traveller will reach the Pass of La Calla (4,000 ft) and spend the night in our mountain chalet.

Day 3 (3 hours) From the Pass of La Calla, the traveller will continue to follow the crest of the Apennine range for a long stretch, all at an average altitude of 4,500 ft to Poggio Scali, , then Giogo di Seccheta, to descend to the Hermitage of Camaldoli. Camaldoli is, today, an international centre for conferences  and symposia, covering matters of morality and religion of the widest interest. It is a world-renowned centre of learning and hospitality, yet, this is the result of a relatively recent rebirth, since only one century ago, visitors from abroad reported a sad situation; the monastery had fallen into almost total neglect and abandonment, and it then lay forsaken and ignored. Nevertheless, although over one million people visit the place each year, only a fraction of these look further than its walls and the surrounding forest. A small fraction of this mass of visitors realise that Camaldoli is an integral part of Casentino, and that it is an integral part of its history and heritage, and that without understanding this fully one misses the whole point about Camaldoli. And with these thoughts the traveller will head for a much deserved rest in the splendid hotel run by the monks.

Departure Dates: Every Monday from early April through end October (2006 and 2007)

Starting Point: Florence

Ending Point: Florence

Trip Length: 3 days and 2 nights
2006 Adult Price (Twin-share Accommodation): From € 650 (min. 3 participants)

Single Supplement: € 100.00

The Tour includes:

Transfer from/to Florence with air conditioned bus or mini-van;

All transport fares, luggage transfers and taxes;

English speaking guide for the three days;

Accommodation for the two nights in mountain chalet style (equiv. to 3-stars) in Casentino on a bed-and-breakfast basis;

Two buffet breakfast;

Two gourmet dinners;

Unlimited local wine with all meals.

Along the smugglers trail from Casentino to Anghiari (3 days)

The small commune of Chitignano, in Casentino, was an independent principality until the late 18^th century.  Chitignano was a fief of the Counts Ubertini since the 10^th century, when Otto I of Saxony, Holy Roman Emperor (936 – 973), granted the fief to them. The people of Chitignano took a long time to adapt to the modern world and to the acceptance of the laws of Tuscany and later to those of Italy.  The small district of Chitignano enjoys lush pastures on top of its mountain which is clothed with coniferous forests on all its higher slopes. Albeit invisible to the eye, since kept in stables, cattle, pigs and sheep are still quite numerous today. However, the comparatively dense population of Chitignano could not have survived in the past with the fruit of the land alone, thus a smuggling business arose early on and thrived over the centuries. Back in the 15^th century trading in salt and gunpowder developed, then tobacco followed.

These astute and resilient men had relied on a vast network of hidden footpaths connecting various districts of Tuscany with Umbria and the Marches to establish their trade. They managed to carry through their business without too much trouble from the finance police partly because they shut an eye on the matter, partly because they were unable to trace the smugglers. The last smuggler was caught red handed in 1963.

Day 1 – (10 miles’ walk) - From the centre of the village of Chitignano a unmarked path leads steeply towards the top of the mountain called Alpe di Catenaia. The name “Alpe” means simply “pasture” in the local idiom, and “Catenaia” means “chain” as applied to mountains. This mountain is in fact a chain that keeps apart physically and culturally the valleys of the Arno and the Tiber. Reaching the high ridge after the shelter Casina dell’Alpe, the traveller will follow it due north to visit a hermitage of Franciscan memory, called the Romitorio della Casella, founded by St Francis of Assisi when he walked this ridge, in 1220s, heading for Assisi where he soon after died.  Returning due south, the traveller will find a path which descends to the village of Fragaiolo, in the Tiber valley and from here he will easily reach Caprese Michelangelo. The birth place of the great artist. Here there will be an excellent inn and superb food.

Day 2 – From Caprese the smuggler’s trail runs due south, from valley to valley along the flank of the Alpe di Catenaia until it reaches a traditional smuggler’s halting point, the Ponte della Piera. A village with a picturesque medieval bridge. Between Caprese and Ponte there is a string of villages connected by both a road and footpaths. The evening meal and the night stay will be enjoyed at a local farm. Here the traveller will be able to actually meet people who remember the smugglers and their stay here.

Day 3 -  From Ponte della Piera the traveller will continue due south, from village to hamlet, until he reaches the hill town of Anghiari. First he will climb to the castle of Montauto, then Casenovole and Tavernelle, to descend upon one of the most breathtaking landscapes in Central Italy. Anghiari will be there before the traveller's eyes, on the backdrop of the Tiber valley, exactly as it was masterly painted by Piero della Francesca 500 years ago.

Anghiari is a splendid medieval town on the border between Tuscany and Umbria, the latter once part the Papal States; its mighty walls insured that it stayed with Tuscany. The most famous battle that granted Anghiari’s independence is known in the history book as the Battle of Anghiari. The scene was painted in a fresco by Leonardo in the Palazzo Vecchio of Florence, but unfortunately it did not survive the ravages of time.

Departure Dates: Every Monday from early April through end October (2006 and 2007)

Piero’s Country: Arezzo,Sansepolcro,Urbino,San Marino,Rimini (4 days)

Sansepolcro was a burgeoning Roman town thriving of the timber industry. Pliny the Younger had a magnificent villa in its neighbourhood and he described it in a famous letter, known to all classicists. Pliny praises the weather of the district, the scenery and the old age and excellent health of the local peasants. Nothing much seem to have changed since Pliny’s time. However, the Goths came in the 5^th century, and the wars that followed their invasion were horrendous. Pliny’s villa was razed to the ground, and so was the city, along with all other cities of Central Italy. In the 6^th and 7^th centuries, Middle eastern Christians –mostly Syrian Greeks- escaped from the sword of Islam reached this wide and pleasant valley, just off the main road leading from Rome to the Po valley, and halted here. The ruins of the old city became a quarry for the building of their new town which they named after the Holy Sepulchre: Sansepolcro. The town grew up prosperous on account of its trade with the Levant and from one of the local bourgeoise families Piero della Francesca, one of the most inspiring artists of the Italian Renaissance, was born in 1415. His works can be admired all over the province of Arezzo and well beyond in the great museums of the world. Our journey will be a tour by minivan, leading from Arezzo to Sansepolcro, reaching Rimini and Urbino, across the landscapes masterly depicted by Piero and which have been largely preserved.

Day 1 – Arezzo: guided visit to Piero’s famous frescoes (The Legend of the True Cross) in the Church of San Francesco, and walk through the city. By minivan to the village of Monterchi to see the Madonna del Parto, Piero’s famous fresco in the local museum. Luncheon at Monterchi in a local inn. Slow transfer to Sanasepolcro, through Piero’s country, with halts for snapshots. Arrival at Sansepolcro, stroll through the town, possible shopping in local shops, gold jewellery is the main local craft. Dinner and overnight rest at the hotel.

Day 2 – Sansepolcro: Tour of Piero’s town, visit to the Pinacoteca, or Fine Art Museum where the visitor will admire the great fresco of the Resurrection. A visit to Piero’s birthplace will be followed by a tour of the Duomo. After lunch in Sansepolcro, transfer to Urbino across the Apennines, with halts for snapshots, including a visit to the site of Pliny’s villa. Arrival at Urbino, stroll through the town with possibility for shopping. Dinner and overnight stay at local hotel.

Day 3 – Visit to the Ducal Palace of Urbino: the Dukes of Montefeltro were great patrons of the arts and culture, their guaests were not only Piero della Francesca, but also Luciano Laurana, Leon Battista Alberti, Francesco di Giorgio Martini, and last but not least, Raphael a native of the town. Transfer, across the Montefeltro region and arrival at San Marino. Tour of the capital city of the oldest republic in the world, and transfer to Rimini. Arrival at hotel in old Rimini with grand dinner party.

Day 4 – Visit of Rimini old town. Rimini was an important Roman city, at the start of the great Via Aemilia, the highway leading to the Alps. It was also a centre of culture during the Renaissance and it was for this reason that Piero came to work here. The Duomo of Rimini, known as the Tempio Malatestiano, itself an architectural masterpiece designed by Leon Battista Alberti, is packed with works of art.  Film director Federico Fellini was born in Rimini and the city is proud of its famous son whose name crops up everywhere. End of the day with walk on the world-famous beach of Rimini.

Departure Dates: Every Monday from early April through end October (2006 and 2007)

Under the Tuscan Sun (4 Days) -Arezzo, Cortona, Lucignano, Gargonza

This trip by mini-van will take you through the glory of sunny Tuscany, along a string of some of the least known and most beautiful hill-towns of Tuscany, in the border area between Arezzo, Siena and Umbria. Cortona is the best known and world famous hill-town of Tuscany and deservedly so, since Cortona is as old as Troy, and this is proven by recent exciting archaeological discoveries, and by the numerous finds now displayed in the newly restored Archaeological Museum. Other highlights of this trip are the towns Lucignano boasting one of the most extraordinary works of art of the early Middle Ages; the towns of Monte San Savino with a mixture of Medieval and Art Nouveau styles in its architecture, all culminating with one of the most secretly guarded and most ancient Spas in Tuscany: the Baths of Rapolano, frequented by St Catherine of Siena, where the visitor will finally relax.

Day 1 – Departure from Arezzo and arrival in mid morning at Castiglion Fiorentino. Short visit to the Castle and the recent Etruscan finds, and lunch. Departure and arrival, after a slow trip, at Cortona. Stroll through the town, with guided tour of the architecture and shopping. Night stay at a local inn provided with excellent local cuisine and best wines.

Day 2 – Departure from Cortona and visit to the Etruscan tomb of the Sphynxes, recently discovered. On across the Chiana Valley to the old dilapidated but interesting town of Foiano. Lungheon. From here the minibus will take you to visit the extraordinary town of Lucignano with an elliptical plan.  Here the traveller will see, among other works of art the extraordinary “Golden Tree”. Overnight stay at the local hotel restaurant.

Day 3 -  An early start will take the travellers to Gargonza, the castle and residence of Count Guicciardini, which epitomises the typical farming estate of Tuscany owned by a Lord of medieval ascendancy. Light lunch and departure with early arrival at Monte San Savino, Visit to the town and its works of art, shopping and overnight stay at a local hotel restaurant.

Day 4 –Departure from Monte San Savino and long , slow trip with halts for snapshots across the most breathtaking landscape. Lunch in a country inn, and finally arrival at San Casciano de’ Bagni, with relax in the medieval baths.

Departure Dates: Every Wednesday from mid-March through mid-November (2006 and 2007)

We design personalized tours for individuals, couples and small groups of participants, whether you want to bike through the Tuscan Maremma, or explore the limestone caves of the Umbrian Central Apennines.

DO CONTACT US BY E-MAIL FOR ANY QUERY: YOU WILL ALWAYS GET A FRIENDLY ASNWER BACK WITHIN MAX. 24 HOURS !