Center of gravity between Florence, Siena and San Gimignano, the boutique hotel Villa le Barone, in the Chianti countryside, is an ideal base from which to explore the three cities without having to continually pack and unpack.
At the end of the afternoon you will be happy to find the freshness and beauty of the Chianti hills, after having visited in Florence the busy Uffizzi museum, in San Gimignano the Duomo, and in Siena the “Palazzo Civico” with its fresco “The Good Government” by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.
Make yourself comfortable at the boutique hotel Villa Barone in the heart of the Chianti hills, and radiate from this haven of peace, located 30kms from Siena and Florence and 40 km from San Gimignano. There is much to see in each of these cities, all classified world heritage sites of UNESCO and we try to provide to our guests some suggestions to visit sometimes less known places in those locations.
In Siena, for example, the fresco of the “Good Government” painted by Ambrogio Lorenzetti between 1337 and 1340 in the “Palazzo Publico” on the “Piazza del Campo” where the famous horse race “Palio” takes place July 2 on August 15, is one of the highlight. Certainly, the fresco is mentioned in the guidebooks, but its contemporary and universal scope is not always stressed enough. The fresco shows the city as a “system”, where activities in town and country are interdependent, where vital functions are complementary: agriculture, construction, education, catering, trade… Farmers bring their products to be sold in the city, where they will find the fabrics and other supplies they need, where they will make a stop at the tavern! Others are busy in the fields. And on another wall there is another fresco on the effects of “Bad Government”, where tyranny, poverty, war… are represented.
Indeed, there is much to see in Florence, Siena and San Gimignano, but you will be happy at the end of the day to leave the noise and bustle of the cities and to find peace and quiet at Villa Barone: dive in the pool, watch the sunset, or drink a glass of Chianti or Prosecco on the terrace!