The quintessential Tuscan town of Montalcino begs to be wandered through, especially on a quiet morning, the air cool and still smelling of last night’s thunderstorm.
On a whim we had followed one friend’s travel advice, rented a car for the first time in Italy thanks to another encouraging friend, and after a most pleasant drive which took us about an hour from Florence, we found ourselves in Montalcino — the perfect Tuscan town for which I have been endlessly searching!
Waking early and strolling the streets is one of my favorite travel to-do’s. On this trip to Italy, I did not take nearly as many pictures of doors as in the past, but I found the doorways in Montalcino irresistible.
The blue tulle bow in the storefront below celebrates the birth of a baby boy. ❤ Auguri!
Above, tables in waiting for street side diners and below, pici pasta for lunch — a specialty of the region.
No trip to Montalcino would be complete without wine tasting Brunello tasting, as the only wine produced in this land is Brunello di Montalcino (I’m pretty sure it’s against the law to produce anything else). While there are a number of wineries in the area, we highly enjoyed discovering the enoteca — wine shops, which are plentiful here — where one can sample a number of wines from different wineries.
The most unique enoteca is La Fortezza, housed in Montalcino’s 12th century fortress.
Getting to Montalcino: While there is a bus from Florence to Montalcino (with a change in Siena), I would recommend renting a car or booking a private drive to get to Montalcino. There is much to see in this area (nearby is Montepulciano and Pienza), and it’s not well connected by public transportation. There are also organized tours available to this area (Val d’Orcia) of Italy.
Prayers & Piazzas 
Belle foto! The Val d’Orcia is stunning and I remember having delicious pecorino in Montalcini. Ciao, Cristina
Montalcino was the first town in Tuscany we visited on that first trip to Italy now 15 years ago. 24 hrs. and the area and we totally lost our hearts. We discovered a small town about a 20 min. drive away, Sant’Angelo Scalo, and that is our “Tuscan base” but we come to Montalcino every Friday for market day, to do laundry, have lunch, and simply enjoy strolling about. Unfortunately it has changed greatly over the years and now, during high season, can resemble a Disneyesque theme park. 😦 Many of the shops that supplied locals every day goods have disappeared and been replaced by wine shops. My suggestion is to stay in Montalcino so you can experience her after (and before in the early morning) the daytrippers are gone. It is a very special place and a piece of our hearts is always there.
Wonderful to hear the details of your attachment to Montalcino! I was smitten immediately as well. Good travel tip to stay overnight. We were glad we did!
Beautiful ….
Can’t wait to visit some day. 💙💖🌻
Lovely!!!
Simply beautiful 💗
Glad I’m not the only door obsessive! I feel my Sicilian take coming on….
Such a gorgeous town. I do love this area of Tuscany 🙂