Tuscan Discovery Week

Introduction
Tuscany Italy
Horseback ride through the picturesque Chianti hills - the lovely unspoiled region between Florence and Siena, famous for tasty food, great wine and stunning scenery!

Our rides take you through the beautiful countryside, with its terraced vineyards, cypress avenues and extensive woodlands. As riders you are especially privileged, able to ride off the beaten track, away from tourists and vehicles, to explore the land of Dante, Galileo and Leonardo da Vinci. Even if the region was not full of history and culture as it is, you could truly just simply bask in the beauty of it all!

The charming farmhouse and stables (it is not a hotel or luxury villa) are on the eastern slopes of the Chianti Mountains. Before it lies the broad valley of the Arno and beyond, the long ridge of the Pratomagno, with its highest point at 1,591 meters. On the other side lies the Casentino Valley, rich in castles and Romanesque churches, while behind the farm stretches the beautiful range of Chianti. Here is a place where animal and nature lovers will immediately feel right at home - there are eighteen beautiful horses, but also many dogs and cats, chickens, ducks and a resident goat. Jenny, your hostess, fell in love with this special part of Tuscany forty years ago and is happy to share with you the beauty of the Italian countryside she calls home. She is knowledgeable about local art and history and happy to give you the details. A guest once said of her holiday haven here: “It’s the perfect combination of riding and culture.”

Accomodation


Accommodations
This is a stationary ride so all nights are spent at the same location.

Description
This small family-run farm holiday center in the Chianti hills was established back in 1969. While fully surrounded by pristine countryside (vineyards, olive-groves and woodlands), it is conveniently less than thirty miles from Florence and Siena by car and only three miles from the station of Montevarchi.

The 17th-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 classical music and a fire is prepared on the hearth on wintry days.

It is not for people looking for elegance. Hens and ducks peck around the house, our Labrador Miranda greets you on your arrival, and you may find Catkin the cat curled up in an armchair. 
The farm is primarily a riding-centre: the stables are just behind the house, a dozen or so horses graze in the surrounding paddocks. No one has to dress up on any occasion. Non-riders are welcome, of course, but they must not be shocked at the occasional whiff of manure! The house itself is clean and pretty, but it is after all a family home, with books spilling out of the shelves and jackets hanging on the back of chairs.

Jenny and her son Nicholas are happy to welcome country-lovers to their home and guests quickly become friends. The place is suitable also for single people, who will here feel looked after and cherished.

Washing machines are on site. There is free internet access (WIFI) at the riding center.

Room Occupancy
Single room accommodations are available free of charge, subject to availability.



Meals
All meals are included in this trip.
At meal-times the guests all sit together at a long table and there is plenty of merriment as well as good food and wine.

You will be amazed at the variety of Tuscan dishes offered. Our cook has a large repertoire of pasta, rice and meat dishes and typical Italian desserts. Franca has now been our cook for several years and Jenny gives her a hand with her cooking classes. A typical meal comprises 3 courses: a “primo piatto” of pasta or rice, a meat or fish dish, followed by fresh fruit or dessert. 

The Farm has a well-stocked organic vegetable garden. Eggs 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.

Dietary Restrictions
We can cater to all dietary restrictions with prior notice.

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

Riding
 

Riding
In a week's stay, you will never do the same ride twice. This is not fast riding country, but there is so much to look at that speed is not an issue. You will follow trails through pretty vineyards, olive groves and woodlands without any landowners objecting and without meeting a single gate, something that never ceases to amaze.

Horses
There are 12 horses on our property, and they are of various breeds, as we believe that it is the temperament of the horse, not the breed that matters. 
The horses are kept in the stables immediately behind the house or in the surrounding fields.
The horses, all trained in the English style of riding, are sleek, fit and even those which are stable-kept spend some hours in the paddocks every day if they are not ridden. They all have good characters, strong hooves and plenty of stamina. All the horses do arena work as well as riding out on the trail, so they are obedient and responsive to the aids on all occasions.
There are also 2 ponies available, but they are lively little fellows and are not suitable for children less than ten years old.   
If riders feel inclined, they are welcome to help with the grooming and tacking up of the horses, an excellent way of making friends with their mounts.

Staff
Jenny set up the riding center because she wanted to transmit to others her love of horses and the Tuscan countryside. She is very knowledgeable about the local history, art and architecture as well as the flora and fauna.
Eraldo (qualified as a BHS instructor) is in charge of the riding side of activities. He is very knowledgeable about birds, is an experienced instructor and guide, a keen fisherman and hunter – and a charming fellow with a great gift of the gab!

Non-Riders
Non-riders are welcome, of course, but they must not be shocked at the occasional whiff of manure! Franca, the cook, organizes cooking courses on specific dates but can also provide, on request, tailor-made cooking lessons.
For walkers and mountain-bikers there are many waymarked trails radiating out from the Centre. For those using road-bikes, there are plenty of quiet lanes in the Chianti region and the Arno valley.

Itinerary


NOTE: our programs have a degree of flexibility for your own leisure, and some details may change due to weather or specific events such as grape harvest.

Sample Itinerary: A Taste of Tuscany Getaway - subject to changes
 
Note that this programme can also take place (Sat – Wed) during the first part of a Tuscan Discovery Week programme.

Day 1 (Saturday): Arrival
Go to the main railway station of Florence (Firenze Santa Maria Novella). Now take the 6:14 pm train (RV4085)to Foligno, and get off at Montevarchi-Terranuova, our local station (you should reach it for 6:51 pm). The preceding station is San Giovanni Valdarno, but when the train leaves it you can start getting your luggage together, as only four minutes later you will arrive at Montevarchi). Your host, Jenny (white-haired and wearing a red shirt) will be there to welcome you
on platform 1.
Then, take a ten-minute drive in a minivan to the farm, the 400-year-old typically Tuscan home of your host. Settle in and then enjoy a chat and a glass of Chianti Classico with your host, either in the sitting room or outside the farmhouse with its panoramic views.
Meals included: Dinner
Overnight at the Farm

Day 2 (Sunday): Introductory Ride
Breakfast and morning ride through vineyards, olive-groves and woodland, passing near an 11th-century tower and a 14th century church. Return home for lunch.
In the afternoon a short walk to a local farmhouse to sample some homemade jams and visit the "Museo della civilta contadina" (Museum of Rural Culture).
Riding approx. 2.5 hours
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Farm

Day 3 (Monday): Morning Ride & Farm Visit
The morning ride crosses the wooded hills north of the farm, scattered with charming hamlets and traditional farmhouses. 
After lunch, visit to the farm of Alessandro to discover how Tuscan pecorino cheese is made (and to taste it of course!), followed by wine tasting at Fattoria Casabianca with Aldo's top quality wine and award-winning Vin Santo. 
Riding approx. 2 hours
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Farm

Day 4 (Tuesday): Castles Ride

Rates and Dates for Tuscan Discovery Week

Dates Note:

Other Info
Meeting: Farm
Airport: Florence
Transfer: Montevarchi Train Station

Climate:
                                            Montevarchi area