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As the name
implies this trail skirts the borders of the province of Siena, the most
beautiful province of Tuscany and also the one most steeped in history
at the heart of one of the areas of settlement of the Etruscans, who
settled only in the most favourable parts of Italy. The starting point
of the tour is a small, picturesque town at the southernmost end of
Tuscany, on the border between the provinces of Grosseto and Siena. We
explore the countryside on country trails, crossing
rivers and visiting ancient places. You can feel the
history of this region filled with remnants of its
rich Etruscan past. Explore the borders of the three
provinces of Lazio, Umbria and Tuscany.
 IT-ITORV
Rates include accommodations in inns and
country hotels, gourmet meals
with table wine, 6 riding days
8 days/ 7 nights $ 2,565 Single: + $270
-- based on
€ 1,800 / €
190
2008 Dates:
05/04-05/11 05/11-05/18
05/18-05/25
check availability
Meeting: Proceno
Airport: Rome
Train Station:
Orvieto
Transfer: from Orvieto train station included at ~4 PM, from
Rome $125 per person
(€110)
with min. of 2 people.
Level:
Intermediate+
Tack:
English
Horses:
Locally-bred
Anglo-Arabs
and Maremma mix.
Pace : Moderate with trots and canters
Riding: 30-40 km in about 5-6 hrs. per day
Min/Max Riders: 5-8
Note: good train connections from Rome to Orvieto approx
1.5 hours
Accommodations and meals:
Very nice cozy inns and hotels with the typical
Tuscan ambiance. All double rooms have a private bath, some have an outdoor pool.
Meals start with an
Italian breakfast, a sumptuous picnic lunch or at a
restaurant and then
evening three course meal,
table wine, coffee and occasionally some grappa.
Itinerary
Day 1:
Transfer from Orvieto to Proceno. The first night will be spent
at the Castle of Proceno, a 12th century fortress
built to protect the ancient hamlet. The surrounding
region is full of Etruscan, Medieval and Renaissance
monuments that testify to the presence of ancient
civilizations. For dinner
your guide will introduce you to the
itinerary and plan for the next days.
Day 2: Starting from the stables, which
are a five-minute car ride from our quarters, our first outing will be a
round trip in the Conteé di Montorio and Castell Ottieri area, giving
riders the opportunity to get to know their horses. This countryside,
unique in Italy, offers the observer an ever-changing series of
staggered terraces. The fields lined with trees drop steeply at their
borders and continue below on another plane. There are continually
changing views into deep valleys and high plains. Overnight as on Day 1.
Day 3:
After breakfast you will find your horse ready for
you. The trek begins through the typical hills of
the region, the Crete Senese. Gentle undulations of
the strong clay soil sprout the odd cypress here and
there, with wide-open wheat fields and accessible
meadows dotted with grazing sheep. There are many
interesting ancient farmhouses in the area that are
generally isolated and mostly deserted. You cross
the river Paglia and the Via Francigena, a road
built in the middle ages to connect Rome and Paris.
Then comes a gentle climb along a country road
towards Celle sul Rigo. Crossing the bed of the
river Rigo we see above us our quarters for the
night, perched high on the Rocca di Radicofani. A
wonderfully pleasant hotel with another delicious
home-made dinner are our reward.
Day 4:
We continue north through forests, breaking through
into open country with a fine view of the southern
end of the famous Val d'Orcia. This is perhaps the
most beautiful and photographed part of Tuscany. No
matter how many times you may have seen the classic
calendar photographs of hilltop farmhouses framed
with cypresses, of gravelled roads snaking through
golden wheat fields, of ancient Roman churches
nestling among equally venerable olive trees,
nothing can prepare you for their beauty at first
hand. After a leisurely picnic we trace ancient
paths and country roads past extensive vineyards to
the highest point of the valley in Castilioncello.
From this vantage point we can again enjoy the
beauty of the whole valley before heading down the
hill to our next night's lodgings close to the
medieval town of Sarteanno.
Day 5:
The landscape changes as we move into the
world-renowned wine area of Chianti. Large fields of
sunflowers surround impressive fattorias, where the
wine is made and stored. Passing by several gorgeous
country villas we arrive at the small medieval town
of Piazze, where we enjoy lunch in a lovely olive
grove. In the afternoon we climb slowly up to the
area above the old Roman spa town of San Casciano
dei Bagni, seeing for ourselves the splendor of this
resort. Our hotel is cozy and welcoming and just 500
meters from the baths. Again, the owner herself
cooks us a delicious Italian dinner, in a more
modern style.
Day 6:
In the morning we follow the border with Umbria
towards Monte Cetona, the highest mountain in the
region. The sure-footed horses carry us along narrow
stony paths through the forests to the spectacular
cross at the summit. A fantastic panorama takes in
Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria for a memorable picnic.
After lunch the descent is slow and steep, but we
then pick up speed on sandy paths through the woods
to arrive back at the same hotel as yesterday. There
is time to explore the small town before dinner or
to have a massage at the spa.
Day 7:
Back through the Crete Senese and its gentle hills
and dales, through the expansive wheat fields and
the huge sheep pastures to a reservoir, vital in the
parched days of summer. Further downhill, past
romantic deserted farmhouses and fallow fields, we
meet the border between Lazio and Tuscany at Centeno,
near the Via Francigena that we crossed earlier in
the week. We picnic on the banks of the river Paglia.
The final stretch takes us uphill back to the
country house where our adventure began. For the
final dinner you will be a guest at the local castle
with its memorable rooms.
Day 8: Departure
after breakfast.
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Castle of Proceno
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