Skip to main content

FREE MUSEUM VISITS IN PIENZA, BUONCONVENTO AND THE CRETE SENESI, MAY 2013

The art museums in Pienza, the truffle museum in San Giovanni d'Asso, the Mezzadria museum in Buonconvento and the Etruscan museum in Murlo all have decided to join the European museum night on the 18th of May. 

Food, art and Etruscan heritage lovers can visit the museums for FREE on Saturday night. If you drive as fast as the Italians, you may even be able to combine two free museum visits in one night. 

The truffle museum in San Giovanni d'Asso grants free access from 8 - 10 pm. This interactive visit is not just for foodies, but great fun with kids too. The Mezzadria museum in Buonconvento, which tells the story of Tuscany's sharecroppers, can be visited from 9 - 11 pm. This is another great visit for kids - at least if yours stay up as late as our Italian ones (if in Buonconvento on Saturday also check out the Mille Miglia website - the oldtimers will roll through town from around 11 am). 

The archaeology museum in Murlo near Buonconvento organizes a star gazing the Etruscan way (from 9 pm), and the art museum at Palazzo Borgia in Pienza will not just open its doors at night time, but also tie in a dance performance (Zbandaj Ballet at 9.30 pm and at 11am, 3.30 and 5.30 pm on Sunday).  




Last but not least, there is Montalcino's sacred art museum. No nighttime opening from what I can see (these people probably have to be back in the vineyards early in the morning), but a vernissage from 5 to 7 pm with local artist Carlotta Parisi, who will present her installation called 'Nunziatina' in the museum's Sant'Agostino courtyard (last time I was there world class wine journalists were slurping Brunello).

Carlotta's work will be at the museum till the end of October. The Montalcino born artist and illustrator also has a little studio and shop near the town's cathedral (via Spagni, 57), where you can find lots of bric-à-brac, some of it made with used wine corks (not surprising she came up with that one in Brunello town). 

Still looking for more freebies? Three of Siena's art museums have joined the crowd, so you better hit the gas pedal. 


Popular posts from this blog

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 mornings were usually finished off  with a slice of fudge chocolate c

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