SARTEANO JAZZ & BLUES 2012

Montalcino's festival season has had its peak in July, but you can still get your share of live music if you don't mind a bit of a drive. Sarteano doesn't do Jazz & Wine but Jazz & Blues and the 2012 edition of the Sarteano Festival will be jammin' it from the 23rd to the 26th of August.

Without doubt one of the highlights of the festival is the concert of Italian jazz pianist Rita Marcotulli and Argentinian saxophonist Javier Girotto on Sarteano's piazza San Lorenzo (August 25 at 9.30pm).

Other gigs will take place in Catiglioncello del Trinoro, a medieval hamlet a few kilometers from Sarteano.

If you travel with children also check out some of the free concerts in Sarteano. Each day a marching band will tour the streets of the medieval town center. Not just listening but above all watching them will be fun with the kids.

August 24 - Zastava Orkestar

August 25 - Piccola Orchestra Casabei

August 26 - Large Street Band

The bands will start marching Sarteano's town center from 6pm. For more info on concert timing and prices check out the website of Sarteano Jazz&Blues.

If you can, leave early in Montalcino and enjoy the drive through the Val d'Orcia. Cypress trees, undulating hills and a beautiful sunset will make for some of your best holiday pics.

SANT'ANTIMO ABBEY - TUSCANY'S ROMANESQUE TREASURE

Sant'Antimo abbey near Montalcino You don't have to be a catholic to remain spellbound by the eternal beauty of the Sant'Antimo abbey. The Tuscan church and monastery can turn a stubborn skeptic into a reborn spiritual. At least for the time of the visit.

SWIMMING, READING AND DINING IN BAGNO VIGNONI

Whilst the sell-out of tourist destination is a well known plague all through Italy, t here exists a tiny town in UNESCO Heritage Val d'Orcia which forgoes made in China souvenirs and just opened a bookshop instead. Bagno Vignoni is one of Tuscany's oldest tourist destinations. In fact the historic spa town has never been anything else than a tourist destination, and the ratio of inhabitants to visitors must always have been at least 1 to 10. Having looked after medieval pilgrims, ailing popes and saints ( St. Catherine of Siena used to live here for a while), Bagno Vignoni isn't tempted at all to put out plastic chairs or pizza takeaways for present day travelers. I used to live close to Bagno Vignoni and have fond memories of chasing my first -born around the town's main square which consists of a steaming hot water pool (a must-see sight for urban architects!). Our healthy m...

VAL D'ORCIA: A MAP OF THE UNESCO HERITAGE SITE

About 40 minutes south of Siena and a bit over an hour from the Tuscan coast, Val d'Orcia lies to the east of the Maremma and to the west of Montepulciano and Umbria. The UNESCO world heritage site is made up by the territories of Montalcino, San Quirico d'Orcia (with historic spa town Bagno Vignoni ) , Pienza, Castiglione d'Orcia and Radicofani. The Orcia river crosses two more municipalities (Castel del Piano and my hometown Cinigiano ), where it divides the province of Siena from the province of Grosseto (Tuscany's two southernmost areas) before flowing into the Ombrone river. View VAL D'ORCIA MAP in a larger map

Mapping MONTALCINO

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