Film shot in the province of Siena

Your journey to discover the places senesi whose charm has won numerous film, Italians and foreigners, and encouraged them to settle their film, begins to San Gimignano , A town of beautiful towers, the Manhattan of the Middle Ages. Walking through this village, along its long narrow streets paved in stone, resulting in a sudden squares now stands in the central tank, now faces the Dome, you feel that, like Chaplin and Benigni in Non ci resta che piangere even happened to you is to go back over the centuries, as by a spell. And in fact this place has really been able to inspired many celebrities, including Zeffirelli who wanted as girarvi film set for some scenes, in 1972, to Brother sun and sister moon, and in 1999, of a Tea with Mussolini. So that the "witchcraft" is complete, I advise you to climb on the Rock of Montestaffoli located at the highest point of the city, from where your eyes smarrir? between the towers of the village and the hills dotted with olive trees and vineyards of the Val d'Elsa from which we get the famous Vernaccia first wine to be awarded the DOC, one of many that gives the famous Italian wine in the world, this area where Tuscany is a role of first floor.

The next stage is located in the heart of a fertile wine-growing area: the Chianti. Here, passing through green hills planted with vineyards, olive groves and oak woods, reach the villages of Radda and Gaiole where Francesca Archibugi has shot some scenes with my eyes closed.

While the journey back, the warm amber light of sunset is reflected on the soft hills of Chianti, in a perfect blend with the style of calm and serene story taken from Bertolucci to narrate the sentimental initiation of the young American protagonist of Io ballo da sola. At her innocence and beauty at the same time savage ago echoes that of the landscape scenery, and will capture both the look of indugiante director who seems to want to steal moments and places in a sort of pure aesthetic pleasure referred to by the English title of the movie: Stealing Beauty, literally stealing beauty. And similarly to what happens in the fiction film to a group of aliens who, for years, living in lands of Tuscany, so the viewer / visitor of these places can easily happen to let them capture the charm. So, before you leave to the time of the next goal, while the sun is now almost entirely hidden behind the hills, stop at Villa Bianchi Bandinelli , Set the night of the film, that during the past centuries has hosted, among others, Alfieri, Stendhal, Montale, Saba and Guttuso. In this dwelling, which, together with the garden, is a complex historical landscape of great beauty on the quality of the furniture and decorations eighteenth, you can stay, with a private garden with swimming pool and outdoor Jacuzzi hot.

Dirigiamoci hours to Montepulciano where Michael Hoffman has turned part of his Shakespearean Sogno d'una notte di mezza estate. The mythological story of Theseus and Ippolita Greeks are made to relive, in the nineteenth century, in an Italian village of fantasy, Monte Athena. In the area between Montepulciano and the High Lazio director believed to find ideal places to bring the tale Shakespeare, as such a location next to the one used in ancient times by Ovid settle for "stories of nymphs, satyrs and Naiadi and centaurs and dryad" , Then fantastic creatures, just like those who populate this Sogno d'una notte di mezza estate, a dream made of amorous intrigues and promiscuity between human beings and creatures fatate and enlivened by the colors and flavors characteristic of the Tuscan countryside.

After having asked to follow the example of this merry company fill in the eyes of these colors, and the mouth of the products of this land, continue along the road that winds through the profiles of undulating hills, marked by rows of cypress trees and topped by isolated farmhouses and churches, leading to Pienza . In this small jewel of Renaissance Tuscany, while walking along the streets where you can admire a breathtaking view on Mount Amiata and the beautiful Val d'Orcia and exploring the narrow streets of the village, you can have the feeling of making a trip back in time, until to reach the time where you set the story of conflict between Romeo and Juliet Zeffirelli who was touring the note to Pienza instead of Verona, gaining several awards, including two Oscars. Once again the Siena province was chosen as a film set of Shakespeare, the director for no other land like Tuscany is "so full of inspiration, beauty, natural diversity."

After having tasted the famous pecorino and seeing the beautiful Piazza Pio II, rimettetevi marching towards San Quirico d'Orcia. Before to achieve it, allow a deviation from the main path, you will not regret it. When you get right on a dirt road that winds through the woods, get leads you to the monastery of Sant'Anna in Camprena A real oasis of peace. In this ancient monastic refuge, one of many scattered in the province of Siena, the nurse Hana looked after dell'agonizzante de Lazlo Almansy, better known as the English Patient, the film directed by Anthony Minghella and winner of nine Oscar awards . While visiting the big rooms, wide kitchen, where they were shooting several scenes, in the refectory soffermatevi admiring the beautiful cycle frescoes painted by Sodoma between 1503 and 1504. From this lonely place, in the green, you can witness the magnificent spectacle of color mutar fields to set the sun and then relax as the monastery is now primarily a bed & breakfast, open from March to October.

When the morning to resume the journey, away from the monastery across the long street lined with cypresses, crossed by Hana in the film and his Indian friend Kip, who attributed the main road. From here go towards Bagno Vignoni, observe good places to cross, it is possible that some will seem familiar if you have seen Gladiator, film dall'Academy rewarded with five statuettes. Ridley Scott has turned in Val d'Orcia, half km from San Quirico, some of the most memorable scenes: a beginning, when Maximus, played by Russell Crowe, he returned home from his loved ones, and the final one in which the protagonist, after facing many hardships, finally seems to find peace in death. So while the crowd moved the Colosseum pays tribute to its value, the gladiatore through the Champs Elysees, a long avenue of tall cypress trees and a vast expanse of golden set, identical to those that surrounded his home.

And while watching a similar landscape, which is the case to define "paradise", spread to view an eye around you, there will be clear why the Unsco said the Val d'Orcia World Heritage Site. In this context of rare beauty lies a special mention to Bagno Vignoni , The next goal. Known since Roman times for its thermal waters, that location was attended, among others, St. Catherine of Siena, Lorenzo the Magnificent, Pope Pius II Piccolomini and recently by Carlo Verdone who has toured the scene of the bathroom at night wolf wolf in its large rectangular tank, placed at the center of the country, instead of a more traditional square, is a real rarity urbanism. The water flows at a temperature of 52 ? C in this place, closed on three sides by walls, reflecting the buildings all around. So enjoy, and follow the examples showing you to relax in thermal waters of this unique place, whose name derives from that from a castle overlooking the valley below.

Reached along a dirt road, the castle dates back to the eleventh century, when was part of the possessions of 'Abbey Sant'Antimo , Another precious jewel set in this land. Visiting the shrine, where the inviolability of the sunlight and the music combine harmoniously with the body of the building, is an experience you missed. Some parts of the church, mainly the capitals and columns were made of alabaster, whose translucency makes the rays appear to cross this rock and making it live shine and resonate around the Gregorian chants recorded by the small community of monks who still live nell'abbazia. Immersed in an atmosphere of charm so strong, you appear to understand the choice of Zeffirelli here to turn the scene of Brother Sun, Sister Moon in which Francis, during the celebration of Mass, is attracted by an intense light, especially on in the presbytery, the result of an emanation of God that guides him to leave their wealth to lead a life marked by extreme poverty.

The journey back to shortly after a stop in Montalcino. "What's best to remember the beauty of" that taste the famous wine produced in this area, as do the protagonists of the barbarian invasions, film by Denys Arcand.

As you walk towards the Cassia, greet the Val d'Orcia, with gentle slopes of hills bordered by rows of cypress trees, with fields of sunflowers, corn and poppies, a real riot of color and pure joy for the eyes, and started to the Crete Senesi. Navigating the waves of this earth is a journey to be done with care: this landscape clay, mostly harsh and bare, is characterized by alternating Calanchi and biancane. Following the continued rise of the roads you will arrive at Siena . Located in a privileged position at the center of a vast landscape of hills, here's to you this wonderful city, whose beauty has always been very taken on film and, walking in his ways, you can understand why. While the visit, soffermatevi to admire the Piazza del Duomo and the Campo, whose international reputation has helped that here takes place the famous Palio, "the oldest, the most beautiful, the most dangerous, the most exciting horse race in the world, "Vittorio Gassman as claimed in The Girl of the prize. In this film, directed by Luigi Zampa in 1957, the claimant is the clothes of Prince Piero di Montalcino, intent to show the beauty of his city to a Texan tourist. This will leave you gain so much from this event to participate. Earlier, in 1931, was Alessandro Blasetti to devote to this event a film, Il Palio.

We conclude this journey into the land of Siena film at the great Cistercian abbey of San Galgano Andrei Tarkovsky where he set the final scene of Nostalghia. The spirituality that characterizes its cinema is especially pronounced here, coming to a mystical religious tones. Which scenario is most suited to this magnificent ruin, isolated in the green, for such a film! As in a German artist Friedrich, impressive stands before you the body of this giant medieval, whose ancient walls are After the heavenly and the grassy floor. An example of such strong symbiosis between art and nature is not easily found elsewhere and is particularly suited to communicate the central message of Nostalghia, which can be summarized in the figures written in charcoal on a wall (1 +1 = 1), which allude to a concept the knowledge that one more drop another drop, as does the director say to Domenico, not to let two drops, but a single larger drop.