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Food Tour
Siena is renowned not only for its artistic treasures but also for its culinary specialties. We can easily combine sightseeing with a delightful food-tasting experience if you’re interested.
For those particularly passionate about local cuisine, this tour offers much more than just tasting—it’s a journey into Siena’s rich traditions. We’ll begin with the city’s signature sweets, such as Ricciarelli, Panforte, Panpepato, Cavallucci, and Pancosanti. Our first stop will be Siena’s oldest bakery in an ancient noble palace. Here, the owner—part of the second generation of bakers—spends most of his time in the pastry workshop, personally preparing these traditional treats. You’ll have the opportunity to step behind the scenes, witness the magic in action, and see the historic oven from 1956 while learning about medieval baking recipes.
Next, you’ll savor the renowned Cinta Senese ham paired with local Pecorino cheese before concluding with a unique wine tasting inside an ancient Etruscan tomb! You’ll discover the incredible variety of wines produced in our small region, including Brunello, Chianti, and Supertuscan.
Truffle Hunting
If you’re a truffle enthusiast, I can connect you with the best truffle hunter in town—and his wonderful dogs! His name is Alessandro, and he would be delighted to take you along as he searches for these prized truffles. For more information, visit www.sienatartufi.com.
Organic Olive Oil
Villa Santa Chiara, a former convent initially built in the 1600s just outside the gate “Porta Romana,” will welcome you with an excellent organic olive oil that my family has produced since the early 1900s. The property is conveniently located a few hundred yards from Siena’s city walls. We own about 500 olive trees and every year we prune them and take care of them with organic fertilizers only. Then, in the fall, we collect the olives and go to the oil mill “Etrusco” in Murlo. Here, we sit down and wait for the fresh and spicy olive oil to be squeezed out of the harvest: enjoy that great moment with us!
Vegetable Garden at Villa Santa Chiara
I’ve learned from my grandfather how to plant and grow many types of salad, tomatoes, zucchini, artichokes, green beans, beet, aubergine, pepper plants, onions, garlic, broccoli, and many herbs; hard job, but very satisfying.
Honey
My recent passion, being a beekeeper and honey producer. I take care of two hives, thousands of bees working hard around Villa Santa Chiara: I love all of them! The first honey production was in October 2020 from ivy, and then during the 2021 season, I took very good wildflower honey; I can’t wait for the next one.
Last experiment: VINSANTO!
In 2020, we let dry some Malvasia and Trebbiano grapes from Montepulciano from September to December in a ventilated area…then now, we wait 4 years for the best sweet wine in Tuscany.