Transfer Option:

Day 1 Saturday
Meet your host Jenny or her son Nicholas at the main bar in Florence train station at 5:45 PM. (look out for the SELF-SERVICE sign!)  After a forty-minute train journey to Montevarchi take a ten-minute drive in a minivan to the riding center, the 400-year-old typically Tuscan home of your hosts. Settle in and then enjoy with them a glass of Chianti Classico. Dinner and overnight.

Day 2. After breakfast meet the horses in the stables behind the house. Set off on a two and a half hour ride through the olive groves, vineyards and woodlands of the Arno valley, passing pretty farmhouses and medieval villages. After lunch a short siesta (most welcome!), and then some local sightseeing with Jenny, who is a very knowledgeable guide. First a short drive to the medieval village of Loro Ciuffenna, built round a ravine. Enjoy some Italian ice-cream and then drive to a Romanesque church nearby with an 8th century pulpit and animal carvings. On the way back walk along the main shopping street of Montevarchi. For supper a choice of genuine Italian pizzas.

Day 3. After breakfast a two and a half hour hour ride on the Eastern slopes of the Chianti mountains with panoramic views. After lunch at Rendola go by van to the Abbey of Coltibuono, and have a guided tour of the cellars and gardens, followed by a chance to sample and buy Chianti wine and local ceramics in the estate shop. Dinner and overnight.

Day 4. Ride southwards, passing the tower of Galatrona, a lake and the ruined castle of Cennina. After a picnic in the woods above the village of Montebenichi, ride past its two castles, and then on to a riding-centre owned by a friend of your hosts, situated near the Castle of Montalto. The ride lasts nearly five hours. Dinner and night either there or back at the riding center.

Day 5. Today you ride for three and a half hours, first with frequent canters through the vast estate of Villa Arceno with its cypress avenues and extensive views, and then over the Chianti Mountains, following an ancient Etruscan way, tuntil you enter the area where theChianti Classico wine is grown, with its symbol of a black rooster. The horses are stabled at Corbina, a charming farmhouse with Siena visible on the horizon, and there you will have a picnic. Then you go by van to visit the gardens and chapel of the castle of Brolio, which has belonged to the Ricasoli barons since the 12th century. The most illustrious member of the family was Bettino Ricasoli, statesman, agriculturist and inventor of the traditional formula for the Chianti Classico wine. You are then driven to Siena, where you will have dinner and spend the night at Residenza d'Epoca Il Casato. The residence is situated in the centre near the "Palazzo Bardi" - a historical dwelling from the 1300, famous for its "Sopraintendenza alle Belle Arti", its architecture and its internal decorations on the ceiling. It is also famous for its 1700 pavement inlayed in marble, with rose ornaments in the central hall.

Day 6. Today you are free to explore the city of Siena, with its wonderful architecture, art treasures and great shopping. Don't forget to visit the cathedral in black and white marble and to stroll round the Piazza del Campo, where the famous Palio race is held twice a year. Night at Residenza d'Epoca Il Casato.

Day 7. Drive back to Corbina and ride through the vast estate of Brolio, passing the house where Bertolucci’s “Stealing Beauty” was filmed. After passing the brooding castle, follow a stream through shady woods and pass the village of San Martino with its herd of long-horned Maremmano cattle. Have a barbecue in shady woods near Castagnoli, then ride back over the Chianti mountains near Monte Luco (2.500 ft.) and descend to the riding center for your farewell dinner (5 hours’ riding).

Day 8. After breakfast you are driven to Montevarchi to meet your train for Florence. Alternatively, take the train to Rome. Own arrangements for your onward journey.
subject to change

Also see  Discovery Week itinerary

ITINERARIES ARE FLEXIBLE. CHANGES MAY OCCUR DUE TO WEATHER OR OTHER UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.

There is a washing machine if you need it.
Don't bring heavy books as there is a great choice of reading matter here.
Riders are advised not to bring too much luggage: for a week's stay a rucksack and a squashy bag should be enough. Bulky suitcases hamper you during your journey and are probably full of unnecessary stuff anyway! Experienced travellers travel light.

This small family-run farm holiday centre in the Chianti hills was established way back in1969. While surrounded by un-spoilt countryside (vineyards, olive-groves and woodland), it is less than thirty miles from Florence and Siena by car and only three miles from the station of Montevarchi.
The seventeenth-century house has a panoramic view over the Arno valley. It is typically Tuscan, with its pigeon-loft, beams, terracotta floors and arches. Each bedroom is attractively furnished and has its own small bathroom. There is a sitting room with a large selection of English books and of classical music and a fire is prepared on the hearth on wintry days.
It is not for people who are looking for elegance. Hens and ducks peck around the house, the family dog lies on the doorstep and you may find a cat curled up in an armchair. No one has to dress up on any occasion. Jenny Bawtree and her son Nicholas are happy to welcome true country-lovers to their home and guests quickly become friends, often returning again and again.
There is free internet access at thje riding center. 

Two nights in Siena
This is usually the Palazzo Ravizza. This Renaissance Palace, which stands in a quiet area of the historical center of Siena, was trasformed into a Pensione in the 1920’s.
Still owned by the same family, it has been recently renovated to offer the modern facilities nowadays required, while maintaining its original character. It is a small charming hotel with lovely air conditioned rooms, a high quality restaurant and a beautiful garden overlooking the Tuscan hills.

Meals
You will be amazed at the variety of Tuscan dishes offered. Pietro and his son Sergio have been cooking here for years and Pietro has even written a cookbook (“Pietro’s Book of Recipes”, on sale at the riding-centre). A typical meal comprises three courses: a “primo piatto” of pasta or rice, a meat or fish dish, followed by fresh fruit or dessert. Vegetarians are amply catered for as Sergio has a well-stocked organic vegetable garden. Eggs, turkeys and ducks are home-produced and the extra-virgin olive oil used for cooking comes from the groves around the house. Local Chianti wine is served with every meal and each evening there will be a chance to sample other local wines and liqueurs.
As for the picnics on the trail, they are lavish!

This trip includes some wine with dinner and can accommodate special dietary requests.

The Horses
There are eighteen of them and they are of various breeds, as Jenny believes that it is the temperament of the horse, not the breed, that matters. There are two Arabs, three part-Arabs, three Sicilian horses, and two half-thoroughbreds, while the others are, well, just horses with good characters, strong hooves and plenty of stamina. All the horses do ringwork as well as rides out, so they are obedient and responsive to the aids on all occasions. We have no upper age limit, as elderly riders are often the most experienced (once they get into the saddle). As this is hilly country, we do have a weight limit of 85 kilos (187 lb.). This could be a motive for dieting...

Tack:		English
Horses:		local Sicilian and Maremma
Pace:		Moderate with trots and canters | Walk | Trot | Canter |
Level:		(2.5 to 3 out of 5)    Low Intermediate+
Age:		Min 12
Weight:		Max 185
Riders:		Min 3 riders	Max 7 riders

The Horses
There are eighteen of them and they are of various breeds, as Jenny believes that it is the temperament of the horse, not the breed, that matters. There are two Arabs, three part-Arabs, three Sicilian horses, and two half-thoroughbreds, while the others are, well, just horses with good characters, strong hooves and plenty of stamina. All the horses do ringwork as well as rides out, so they are obedient and responsive to the aids on all occasions. We have no upper age limit, as elderly riders are often the most experienced (once they get into the saddle). As this is hilly country, we do have a weight limit of 85 kilos (187 lb.). This could be a motive for dieting...