Mapping MONTALCINO

Tuscany's most fascinating Romanesque abbey will for once not just be home to Gregorian chants, but also to the works for viola by Bach, Hindemith and Brahms. The compositions of the German composers will be interpreted by Bruno Giuranna. The Italian violist looks back on a highly successful career in which he collaborated with some of the world's foremost orchestras (the Berlin Philharmonic and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra) and with directors like Karajan, Abbado and Celibidache.  Italian pianist Roberto Arosio will accompany  Bruno G iuranna during his concert at Sant'Antimo abbey.  SANT'ANTIMO ABBEY, Castelnuovo Berardenga (10 minutes from Montalcino)  Sunday, August  25, 2013 - 6.30 pm Bruno Giuranna, viola Roberto Arosio, piano  Tickets 18 € (10 reduced).  Prepare for your visit at Sant'Antimo and read up onto the history of Brunello towns famous Romanesque church . 

The homebase of the Amiata piano festival has been for years in Poggi del Sasso near Cinigiano. Proud to have such a classy festival in the hills of my Tuscan 'hometown', I'm nevertheless happy to see that the Amiata Piano festival spreads its wings and takes in a new destination.  The first concert of Euterpe,  the second cycle of the summer festival, will take place in Montalcino's Sant'Agostino church,   which is home also to the town's art museum and the  Benvenuto Brunello  preview each February . The concert takes place here for a reason. The Bertarelli foundation - the main sponsor behind the Amiata piano festival - is also generously supporting the restoration of one of Montalcino's most beautiful churches.  Sant'Agostino church and Montalcino museum entrance Pianist and festival director  Maurizio Baglini  will celebrate the Verdi and Wagner year with works by the great composers performed together with a string quartet:  ...

Sant'Antimo abbey near Montalcino On the 14th of August Italian violinist Salvatore Accardo   and bassist Franco Petracchi will play works by Spohr, Rossini and Mendelssohn at Sant'Antimo abbey in Castelnuovo dell'Abate.  The concert is part of the Chigiana in Terre di Siena  summer concert series. The concerts start at 6.30pm but make sure you come early, so as to have time to explore Montalcino's beautiful Romanesque abbey  and Castelnuovo dell'Abate (the lovely town next to the monastery).  On the 24th of August another concert of the Chigiana in Terre di Siena will take place not too far from Montalcino in Monte Oliveto Maggiore . The benedictine monastery in the Tuscan hills  between Asciano and Buonconvento is a must see. The fresco cycle by Luca Signorelli and Sodoma and the beautiful landscape surrounding the abbey are a perfect background for the concert of David Geringas (cello) and Ian Fountain (piano). The duo will play work...

Montalcino's old town hall with bell tower and the theater (teatro degli Astrusi) to the left Every year in July Montalcino's lovely theater called teatro degli Astrusi is home to a classical music festival, that brings the soloists of Amsterdam's famous Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra to town. 

Castello Banfi at sunset It's summer and Montalcino knows it. July is an incredible month when it comes to live events and concerts in small  Brunello town .  This week the Melodia del Vino  festival will be guest at the Castello Banfi winery with famous  Russian violoncellist Alexander Kniazev. Tickets cost 23€ and include a wine tasting which will quite probably circle around Banfi Vintner's Brunello, S upertuscans and Banfi Brut (the winery's dry sparkling wine from Nothern Italy).   Wine tasting starts at 7pm, concert around 8.30pm.  Castello Banfi, Thursday July 5 - Melodia del Vino .  Earlier in the week you can dance off at Bar Le Logge (on Montalcino's main square opposite of Bar La Fiaschetteria ). DJ set with music from the 90s and a rich buffet make for a promising evening.  Bar Le Logge di Piazza - Wednesday July 4. On Thursday the party goes on at Kaffeina, which has been taken on by a new owner, who's starting...

Sant'Agostino Church: it's ex - monastery is Montalcino's museum Montalcino has it all - world class wines, a great event and festival calendar and medieval hill top villages with stunning views . The downside to all this bliss? Prices are steep. Brunello wines (and all that comes with them) don't come for free. So no wonder that locals and tourists alike will perk up if they hear about a free event in Tuscany, even more if it happens in Brunello town. This summer Montalcino's Pro Loco (literally 'for the place', ie the tourist office) organizes free classical concerts in town. The next two dates are Friday, July 6 and Sunday, August 5. The concerts start at 9.30pm and take place in the beautiful cloister of Montalcino's ex convent Sant'Agostino and now museum. The program can be found on Montalcino's tourist office website:  Free live concerts in Montalcino -  2012 .  The concert in July is part of the fantastic "Le N...

The perfect town square - Bagno Vignoni's hot water pool Just before Italy is facing Germany in the European football Championship,  Montalcino's bar Kaffeina organizes Kaffepinci  an afternoon dedicated to Pinci making . Pinci (in other villages of the Val D'Orcia also called Pici) are the area's famous hand made pasta, which looks like especially thick Spaghetti and taste heaven with a meat sauce or all'aglione (a tomato sauce heavy on the garlic). In case you know how to do fresh pasta just cook along. It's a proper competition and there are nice prices for the first three (a holiday trip and obviously plenty of wine). If your cooking skills are not on a level to join the competition, pop in anyway and see how it's done. And don't miss out on watching the game with the rest of the cooks at 8.45pm.  KAFFEPINCI , Thursday 28th of June 2012.  For more information about Kaffeina see our Restaurants in Montalcino page.  Libreria d'Orcia. the l...

The Northern Italian SAT Choir  Spring is in the air and thanks god, fairs and concerts start to become more frequent in Montalcino and in the rest of Tuscany.