If you are spending your holidays in Tuscany and you have rented a farmhouse or a villa around Siena for one or more weeks, you could spend a day in nearby Montalcino.

Evidence has been found that the Etruscan and the Roman settled in the area around Montalcino, renowned all over the world for its reddish gold, the Brunello. In the Middle Ages, the town was the object of a struggle between Siena and Florence, and it is to this rivalry that its inhabitants owe their nickname, "beccamorti" (meaning lounge lizard).

At present Montalcino is considered a real paradise for wine lovers.
In addition to the many wine houses within its city walls, numerous farms surround the city centre, whose owners are always pleased to welcome tourists who want to visit their vineyards, and to offer them guided tastings.

But Montalcino is not only synonym with wine.
Here a short list of things to see during your one-day trips.
In the city centre, you can visit the Rocca, the Palazzo Comunale (the Town Hall), the church of Sant`Agostino and the Museo Civico e Diocesano. And on the last Sunday of October, Montalcino hosts the Sagra del Tordo (a festival dedicated to the thrush), during which the four contrade into which the town is divided challenge each other in an archery contest.
In the outskirts, the abbey of Sant`Antimo, the abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore (in Asciano) and the castle of Poggio alle Mura, also known as Castello Banfi (hosting the Museo del Vetro e del Vino, a museum dedicated to wine and glass), are worth a visit.

Have a nice day in Montalcino!